Power Letters 2023: Nasser Al Awadhi, chief executive officer, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank

The year 2022 has been significant for Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) as we have achieved many milestones and remained on track with our sustainability agenda.

ADIB’s vision was revamped to be the world’s most innovative Islamic bank and had a fantastic year in terms of financial performance and investment in innovation. We further digitised our banking ecosystem and maximised positive impact by adhering to our ESG and sustainability measures among other initiatives, all in line with UAE and Abu Dhabi’s economic vision.

Over the year, we have witnessed a growing demand for digital services and personal finance. In response to customers’ needs, we promoted our digital transformation programme to enhance productivity and
improve the banking customers’ experience.

We also introduced the ADIB express finance programme, providing customers with easier access to personal finance through our mobile app. Ultimately, it was witnessed that the rate of usage of our digital channels has significantly increased.

Future-forward strategy

Continuous innovation, segment focus, digital excellence and sustainable future are the core tenets of our 2025 growth strategy. We are committed to the future prosperity of Abu Dhabi and the UAE, and seek to further support the country’s sustainability objectives, UAE Green Agenda 2015-2030 and the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030.

As part of its commitment to provide innovative Sharia-compliant products and services, the bank launched ‘Yusr Salary Advance Finance’ to support customers across the retail landscape. Another key milestone last year was celebrating the first anniversary of “Amwali”, the digital Islamic bank for youth.

With over 8,000 active accounts, its gaining high traction among digital savvy users.

ADIB delivered an outstanding performance on all fronts for the year 2022, which in combination with our renewed strategic vision and drive, provides a solid platform for sustained value-creation into the medium term ahead as we make progress on delivering our five-year growth strategy.

We will continue to be at the forefront of the banking industry, supporting the UAE’s mission to achieve national economic development and competitiveness. Our strategy supports our ambition of being a lifelong partner for our clients, community and colleagues. We will remain firm on our key strategies which include continuous innovation, segment focus, digital excellence and a sustainable future.

As we look ahead, we will continue to work towards creating value for all our stakeholders. We are confident in the economic outlook for the UAE and the region and will look to accelerate our progress for both customers and shareholders alike.