Name:

Position:
Company:
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Aged:

Ahmed Rehman

Chief Executive Officer

Al Rajhi Bank

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Could you provide a brief journey of how you arrived where you are today?
I obtained my education at the University of Michigan in the USA. I kick-started my career with the American Express Bank in Karachi, Pakistan, before moving to Standard Chartered Banking Group, where I stayed for approximately 10 years.

I held various positions at Standard Chartered, from head of corporate and institutional banking of Pakistan, chief executive officer of Sri Lanka to chief executive officer and head of corporate and institutional banking of Pakistan.

Prior to my appointment with Al Rajhi Bank, my last position was as the regional head of financial institutions of Standard Chartered Bank in Dubai, overseeing markets such as Pakistan, the Middle East and Africa.

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What does your role involve?
My responsibilities include the recruitment of the management team and relevant personnel, setting up the Malaysian headquarters, looking into the selection of branch networks, setting up the IT infrastructure, product development and the formulation of business strategies.

What is your greatest achievement to date?
I think my greatest achievement to date has been successfully launching Al Rajhi Bank with 12 branches in the course of one year.

Which of your products/services deliver the best results?
So far, it is our Fixed Term Investment-i, Debit Card-i and Personal Financing-i.

What are the strengths of your business?
Being the largest Islamic bank in the world, our strengths are definitely our extensive branch network, unique branch experience as well as our internationally Shariah compliant products.

What are the factors contributing to the success of your company?
Our cutting edge hi-touch technology. This means that we look at adopting and implementing the latest technology to facilitate interaction with our customers to ensure that their business transactions are effortless.

Another factor is maintaining teams that are quick on their feet, nimble and think outside of the box to deliver winning results.

And finally, of course, our innovative Islamic product structures.

What are the obstacles faced in running your business today?
Currently it is establishing brand presence in a new market, as well as product roll-out in the retail and corporate sectors.

Where do you see the Islamic finance industry, maybe in the next five years?
The Islamic banking sector is looking at double digit growth via the introduction of myriad Islamic banking products both in the retail and corporate sectors. This is attributed to the fact that it is a fast-growing sector and demand is in full force.

Name one thing you would like to see change in the world of Islamic finance?
I would like to see more talent and expertise available to cater to the Islamic banking sector needs.

The availability of a legal framework to support the evolution of the Islamic banking structure is also integral and sorely needed.

Headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Al Rajhi has been serving its citizens, financing its growth and contributing to Saudi development for over 50 years. It has now grown into the country’s largest bank and the largest Islamic bank in the world.

Malaysia is Al Rajhi’s first foray into the international retail banking market, making it a highly significant development in the history of the bank.