< PreviousFINANCE AWARDS fi nancemiddleeast.com40 | October 2025 Al Ramz is a leading fi nancial ins t i tu t ion. The co mpany is recognised for of fering a wide variety of services including asset management, corporate fi nance advisor y, brokerage and lending. Over the past year, Al Ramz continues to deliver strong digital growth in line with its vision of building a comprehensive f inancial plat form. The company recorded a 365% increase in online revenues, 64% grow th in customer acquisition and a 63% rise in client portfolios. These results refl ect its focus on innovation, accessibility and user experience. The integration of generative AI into Thor, its robo advisor, has enhanced client interactions with smar ter insights and personalised content that allow for a more tailored investment portfolio and enhanced user experience. MOST INNOVATIVE TRADING PLATFORM AL RAMZ Standard Chartered has played a defi ning role in shaping the Middle East’s M&A landscape over the past year, advising on landmark t r ansac t ions acr o ss diverse sectors like petrochemicals, logistics, infrastructure and healthcare. Additionally, the company has delivered cross-border excellence with transactions spanning Europe, the United States, Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia. T h e s e d e a l s co n t r i b u t e d t o approximately 40% of the mandated p i p e l i n e i n t h e M i d d l e E a s t . Additionally, the bank had strong performance in key markets, such as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, as well as repeat mandates on high-profi le transactions, including those with Emaar, PIF and Aramco. These successes can be attributed to the company’s trusted advisor model where clients are supported from early-stage valuation and strategic fi t analysis to commercial structuring. M&A ADVISOR OF THE YEAR STANDARD CHARTERED FINANCE AWARDS fi nancemiddleeast.comOctober 2025 | 41 ruya has emerged as a trailblazer in the Middle East fi nance sector with a series of ex traordinar y achievements over the past year under CEO Christoph Koster’s leadership. Launched in 2024 as the UAE’s fi rst digital-fi rst, Shariah-compliant bank, ruya set new benchmarks for Islamic banking in the digital age. Within its fi rst year, the bank welcomed over 60,000 new customers, processing over AED 2. 2 billion in transac tions. Addit ionall y, ru ya’s mobile app attracted over 240,000 downloads, while maintaining a stellar 4.7-star Google user rating. ruya made history by becoming the fi rst Islamic bank globally to off er in-app virtual asset trading services, allowing customers to buy and sell cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin within a fully Shariah-compliant, regulated banking framework. Mastercard Gateway stands out as one of the leading payment gateways in the Middle East. The company’s platform is at the forefront of driving the digital revolution, providing seamless digital payment acceptance solutions to some of the largest acquiring banks, PSPs and retail. The company’s reliability, as well as its robust, secure payment infrastructure have earned the trust of many esteemed partners over the last year. These include Amazon Payment Services, Noon Payments, Tap Payments and GEMs Education. Mastercard Gateway’s innovative solutions and advanced technology enable partners to off er their customers a smooth and hassle-free payment experience. The company remains focused on satisfaction and staying ahead of the curve in terms of digital payment trends and empowering clients to meet the ever-evolving needs of their customers. RISING STAR OF THE YEAR CHRISTOPH KOSTER RUYA PAYMENT SOLUTION PROVIDER OF THE YEAR MASTERCARD GATEWAYFINANCE AWARDS fi nancemiddleeast.com42 | October 2025 Mashreq is committed to driving tangible environmental outcomes while aligning with broader environmental, social and governance (ESG) priorities. In November 2023, Mashreq launched Climb2Change. It’s considered the company’s most ambitious, multifaceted and far-reaching sustainability initiative to date. One of the cornerstones of Climb2Change is the world’s largest mountain clean-up. The first-of-its-kind global mountain clean-up campaign covers 14 mountains, including seven peaks and seven base camps, across Nepal, Pakistan, Egypt and India. In the past year, the campaign removed 6,828 kilograms of high-altitude waste and 120 tons of construction debris from fragile natural sites, and it supported 296 local businesses through local procurement. SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR MASHREQ Rentify has completely reimagined the rental ex perience by seamlessly blending fi nancial innovation, user-centric design and strategic partnerships. Launched in early 2025, the Dubai-based proptech and fi ntech pioneer’s Rent Now, Pay Later (RNPL) model successfully addresses long-standing challenges in the region’s rental market, such as upfront rent burdens, credit history gaps for tenants and payment delays for landlords. Since launching its pilot phase in Q1 2025, Rentify has onboarded 4,000+ units across Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi within three months and had a transaction volume estimated at a staggering AED 90,000,000 in the first year. Furthermore, the startup secured preliminary memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with two major UAE banks and one regional Islamic fi nance institution to scale RNPL off erings across the GCC. STARTUP OF THE YEAR RENTIFYFINANCE AWARDS fi nancemiddleeast.comOctober 2025 | 43 CFI h a d a l a n d m a r k ye a r in 2 024 and c o nt inues t o e x c e l . I n Q 4 2 0 24 , the company shattered previous records, surpassing $1.12 trillion in trading volume, which even exceeded Q3’s $1.03 trillion. The fi nal quarter brought a 27% increase from Q3 in active clients, a 39% increase in client funding and a 120% year-over-year increase in new clients, refl ecting traders and investors’ solid demand for CFI’s excellent services. The broker was also focused on industry-leading partnerships and expansion. These included the launch of the Trading Transparency+ Program, an initiative dedicated to market educ at ion, t r ading reali t ies and risk awareness, reinforcing CFI’s commitment to responsible trading. Overall, CFI continues to be the leading broker in the region and builds on over 25 years of experience. TRADING PLATFORM OF THE YEAR CFI Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) remains a leading Islamic bank, with operations across seven countries and serving around 2 million customers. With ADIB 2035 Vision, ADIB is committed to building a bank of the future. The goal is for Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank to be a digitally native, innovation-led Islamic bank. In 2024, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank launched ADIB Ventures. This move positioned ADIB at the forefront of fi ntech innovation within the Islamic banking industry. Over the past 12 months, ADIB has launched a series of transformative initiatives aimed at revolutionising customer experience. ADIB was the fi rst Islamic bank in the region to set 2030 fi nanced emissions reduction targets across six high-impact sectors, including real estate and utilities. It mobilised over AED 17.3 billion in sustainable fi nance at the end of 2024, marking a major step toward its AED 60 billion target by 2030. ISLAMIC BANK OF THE YEAR ABU DHABI ISLAMIC BANK (ADIB)FINANCE AWARDS fi nancemiddleeast.com44 | October 2025 First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) has co nt inued to deli ver impact and sustainable value, achieving new highs in the fi rst half of 2025. The group’s operating income rose by 16% year-on-year to AED 18.31 billion and net profi ts exceeded AED 10 billion. This marked the f irst time in any half-year period. FAB also achieved double-digit momentum across Investment Banking, Wholesale and Personal, Business, Wealth & Privileged Client Banking (PBW&PC). FAB also stands out for its market-leading AI and digital transformation initiatives, which off er convenience, effi ciency and security for clients. These include generative AI (Agentic AI, Microsoft 365 Copilot). Additionally, FAB has maintained AA-level credit and ESG ratings, which highlight the bank’s reputation for resilience, governance and its future-focused strategy. BANK OF THE YEAR FIRST ABU DHABI BANK (FAB) Under R a heel A h med’ s leadership as Group CEO, RAKBANK’s last few years have been marked by transformation, growth and innovation. In 2024 and 2025, Ahmed executed a strategy that delivered r e c o rd - b r e aking p e r f ormanc e a n d i n c r e a s e d c u s t o m e r t r us t . R A KBA N K deli v er ed it s highest-ever net profit in FY 2024 and maintained momentum into H1 2025, with strong grow th across core income streams. With Ahmed’s guidance, RAKBANK has record profi ts, 9 0 % digital adopt i on and produc t innovation. Ahmed also launched one of the UAE’s fi rst embedded f inance plat forms, democratising access to f inancial ser vices for freelancers and micro-businesses. Furthermore, he launched one of the region’s fi rst regulated crypto off erings from a conventional bank. BANKING EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR RAHEEL AHMED RAKBANKFINANCE AWARDS fi nancemiddleeast.comOctober 2025 | 45 With over 25 years of experience in the financial industry, Meshal Jaber AlFaras is one of the region’s most respected voices in institutional fi nance. In the past 12 months, he has delivered milestone achievements for Janus Henderson and the wider industry, including spearheading the fi rm’s deepened regional footprint, securing and overseeing a landmark acquisition, driving thought leadership, and shaping the development of Shariah-compliant and regionally tailored investment strategies. In the last year, AlFaras has expanded Janus Henderson’s physical and operational presence in the region. This includes opening a second regional offi ce in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), as well as championing the recruitment of key regional talent. Under his leadership, Janus Henderson has increased its AUM in the Middle East by 121% from January 2022 to March 2025. The company now serves more than 50 institutional clients in the Gulf and these collective client relationships account for around 5% of the fi rm’s global AUM. LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD MESHAL JABER ALFARAS JANUS HENDERSONCELEBRITY CEO fi nancemiddleeast.com46 | October 2025 Becoming a pop or rock star used to be the dream. Today, those stars have to compete with celebrity CEOs who, in many cases, take up more media column inches, cause more controversy and drive more opinion—for better or worse. The idea of the CEO has changed so much over the years. It wasn’t long ago that major companies such as Ford or Coca-Cola had CEOs who, to those not in the industry, seemed fairly anonymous. Today, thanks primarily to tech fi rms, that has changed. CEOs are doing Ted Talks, podcasts and becoming intertwined with the government. But is celebrity something CEOs should aim for? Aside from massaging the ego, is there actually anything of value there? CELEBRITY CEO A 2025 study asked just this question. The researchers examined a series of past surveys to investigate the impact of a celebrity CEO on a company’s value. On the one hand, it was found that celebrity CEOs were generally thought of as an “intangible asset” that had the potential to bring a range of benefi ts, including “good corporate prospects, investor confi dence, attraction of quality employees and improved stock market performance.” However, that same study noted that when said celebrity falls from grace, so can their company, and they ultimately concluded that “the correlation between CEO celebrity status and return on assets (ROA) or return on equity (ROE) shows a weak relationship. This suggests that CEO celebrity status does not have a signifi cant impact on company profi tability.” So, what really happens when a CEO becomes a celebrity? And more importantly, how should they manage this new public notoriety? WHERE DID THE CELEBRITY CEO COME FROM? It wasn’t an accident. The emergence of the celebrity CEO was assisted by the explosion of social media, which made it easier than ever for leaders to communicate directly with their audiences and the wider public. The need for traditional media and PR was no longer central. CEOs now have powerful channels for shaping the narrative of their company and humanising their brand. This can be both good and bad. For example, we’ve seen how Elon Musk’s celebrity status has massively impacted the share price of Tesla, a fi gure tied as much to his behaviour and opinions as it is to the products’ performance. Words by: Karl Hougaard, CEO of TLZ WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE CEO BECOMES A CELEBRITY? When CEOs become celebrities, their fame can drive infl uence and growth—but also expose companies to risks and volatility FME_Oct2025_54-55_Opinion Celeb CEO_13726624.indd 46FME_Oct2025_54-55_Opinion Celeb CEO_13726624.indd 4603/10/2025 22:1303/10/2025 22:13CELEBRITY CEO fi nancemiddleeast.comOctober 2025 | 47 But is celebrity something CEOs should aim for? Aside from massaging the ego, is there actually anything of value there? eclipses their sense of responsibility to the board. Erratic public behaviour is not welcomed and not only damages credibility, but it can shake investor confi dence. A CEO controversy can quickly aff ect a company’s valuation. THE FAME GAME The celebrity CEO is here to stay. In this ultra-connected world, the best leaders understand that the art of visibility can create immense value. But this power must be wielded wisely because the same audience that was cheering you on this week can turn on you next week. So, should a CEO seek fame? It depends on whether it’s fame for its own sake or if it’s a by-product of a charismatic leader who is in the public eye and consistently puts their company front and centre, communicating their brand values with credibility and conviction. If it’s the latter, then a little bit of celebrity might be just what every CEO needs. There are plenty of other cases. Steve Jobs is a great example of a CEO celebrity with such a cultural impact that long after his death, he remains not only a reference point, but a selling point for Apple products. Richard Branson was one of the fi rst celebrity CEOs, becoming famous in the 1970s after the success of his record label, and his personality is still used by his company, Virgin, to sell its various services. Branson’s charisma is forever tied to Virgin. Jobs and Branson both became famous long before the internet, let alone social media. So, it’s not surprising that the likes of Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos have found a level of fame that surpasses anything we’ve seen in the past, now that they have direct access to the public in a way that their predecessors did not. THE RISKS AND COSTS OF GETTING FAMOUS Of course, there are risks. Big ones. One of the most signifi cant is brand dependency. When a leader becomes too closely associated with the company’s identity, the brand can start relying too much on their image. In these cases, the company’s fortunes can rise and fall with the CEO’s reputation. So, a misstep or a controversy can become not just damaging to the CEO’s image, but also the bottom line. Then there is the issue of distraction from the core business. A CEO’s job is to provide strategic leadership. It’s not to constantly manage their public image. So when personal branding takes priority, it takes focus away from the kind of discipline and attention to company culture that a business needs to remain competitive. There are also serious concerns around governance. Investors and board members can become increasingly uneasy when a CEO’s fame THE BENEFITS OF CEO CELEBRITY It’s certainly a tightrope walk full of risks, but for the right personality, there are many advantages in becoming a high-profi le CEO: • Infl uence: A celebrity CEO can really cut through the noise. They speak, and their views are immediately shared on social media and reported in the traditional media. Their reach is unmatched. In industries where inspiration and vision matter, this kind of infl uence can help drive customer acquisition and investor confi dence. • The humanising eff ect: At the end of the day, people connect with people. A relatable CEO who is visible can help lend authenticity to a brand, especially in sectors that are otherwise very technical or hard to communicate. So, when a CEO shares something personal or goes on a podcast where they don’t directly promote themselves or their brand, they end up humanising their company indirectly. • Talent attraction: It makes sense that people want to work for leaders they admire. This is much easier if that leader is a public fi gure whose speeches or product launches you can look up on YouTube. A compelling public persona can be a magnet for ambitious talent who feel inspired by the CEO’s values. • Leverage: The fact is celebrity CEOs can open doors that others cannot. This could involve forming new partnerships, leveraging political connections and gaining access to exclusive networks. Fame can accelerate business development. FME_Oct2025_54-55_Opinion Celeb CEO_13726624.indd 47FME_Oct2025_54-55_Opinion Celeb CEO_13726624.indd 4703/10/2025 22:1303/10/2025 22:13ECONOMY fi nancemiddleeast.com48 | October 2025 When the world tunes in to a Formula 1 Grand Prix, the spectacle of roaring engines, sold - out grandstands and celebrity glamour hides a deeper reality. For host countries, the event is not only about sport, but about projecting global visibility, attracting foreign visitors and laying the groundwork for longer-term development. “A Formula 1 Grand Prix generates benefi ts across many sectors of the host country’s economy,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). “While the immediate impact is strongest in hospitality and tourism, the wider economic value touches a much broader range of industries.” The ef fec t is evident in hospitalit y, aviation, retail and technology, but it extends further into cultural branding and national strategy. Increasingly, Formula 1 has become a Words by: Nivetha Dayanand How hosting a Grand Prix transforms nations FORMULA 1’S ECONOMIC ENGINE tool for governments to position their cities on the international stage. As Ben Sulayem noted, “Hosting a Grand Prix also positions cities on the global stage. Each race is not a sporting event, but a showcase of our host’s culture, landscape and capabilities, creating long-term value in tourism, and inspiring others to visit.” HOSPITALITY, TOURISM AND THE FIRST WAVE OF IMPACT The clearest and most immediate benefi t of Formula 1 is seen in tourism. Hotels fill to capacity, restaurants operate at peak demand and airlines schedule extra fl ights to accommodate race-week traffic. Independent studies have quantifi ed this eff ect. Research by the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) showed that countries hosting Formula 1 events experience an average rise in tourism demand of around 6%. Street races in particular outperform permanent circuits, generating an estimated 8.6% rise in visitors compared with 5.5% for traditional track venues. Singapore provides one of the best examples. Since its inaugural night race, the city-state has welcomed more than 450,000 international visitors linked to the Grand Prix, with tourism receipts reaching approximately $1.4 billion. The event has become one of the country’s FME_Oct2025_46-49_FIA INTERVIEW_13720594.indd 48FME_Oct2025_46-49_FIA INTERVIEW_13720594.indd 4803/10/2025 22:1903/10/2025 22:19ECONOMY fi nancemiddleeast.comOctober 2025 | 49 $1.5 B impact of the first Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2023 strongest tourism magnets, combining sport, music and cultural programming in a tightly choreographed package. Mexico City off ers another illustration. During race weekends, hotel occupancy climbs sharply, particularly in higher-end properties, and visitors spend an average of GBP 1,600 each on top of ticket costs. Ben Sulayem stressed that the spending pattern stretches beyond the luxury hotels and airline tickets. “Retail and local services also see a signifi cant boost, particularly around the circuit and in city centres,” he said. In other words, local shops, taxi operators and small businesses often benefi t just as much as global chains. LARGE-SCALE ECONOMIC IMPACTS While hotel bookings and ticket sales provide visible signs of success, the broader fi nancial contribution is often much larger. In 2023, the Las Vegas Grand Prix generated an estimated $1.5 billion in economic activity, an extraordinary fi gure for a fi rst-time event. Combined with Miami and Austin, the three US races delivered more than $3 billion in economic impact, underlining the appetite for F1 in new markets and the value it creates for host cities. The Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne off ers a more established case study. The 2023 event added around AUD 268 million to the Victorian economy, of which AUD 144 million came directly from visitor expenditure. It also supported more than 1,100 full-time equivalent jobs, providing evidence that even in long-standing venues, the Grand Prix continues to inject measurable growth into local economies. These number s are consis tent with the FIA’s view that Formula 1 has evolved int o a cr oss - sec t oral p l at f o rm. “International motorspor t event s open a window for the world to contemplate a l l o f w h a t t h e h o s t i s a b o u t ,” Ben Sulayem explained. “It showcases not only what is directly related to organising a large-scale competition, including planning, logistics and expertise, but also the cultural heritage that the host brings to that event.” INFR ASTRUCTURE , INNOVATION AND NATIONAL BRANDING The returns of hosting are not confi ned to a single weekend. To stage a Grand Prix, countries often invest heavily in infrastructure, both spor ting and civic. New circuit s mus t be homologated to meet s t ric t FIA standards, with at tention to safet y, a cce s s i b i l i t y a n d s p e c t a to r c a p a ci t y. B u t a l o n g s i d e c i rc u i t co n s t r u c t i o n , governments use the event as a lever to upgrade Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile FME_Oct2025_46-49_FIA INTERVIEW_13720594.indd 49FME_Oct2025_46-49_FIA INTERVIEW_13720594.indd 4903/10/2025 22:2003/10/2025 22:20Next >