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A Message from the Chair – February 2022

Dear fellow Transaction Bankers,

It’s now 2022 and we are still in the midst of the pandemic – still dialing in for virtual meetings and events, talking about digitalization, ESG, and digital currencies.

However, what we did not realize is that the topics and trends are so deep-rooted and continuously evolving that we as Transaction Bankers have progressed alongside them too. For a long time, bankers have been dubbed as slow, too much in our comfort zone, and set in our ways. Well, all that has changed, and it is about time it did.

Embracing the Learning Curve

The pandemic placed new demands on our industry and drove banks to look at how we conduct business differently. We acknowledged supply chain disruptions, their impact on global trade, and navigated accordingly. We collaborated with fintechs on different products and technology offerings where we developed a steep learning curve along the way. We moved towards streamlining and standardizing ESG frameworks and practices. We embraced the digital currency trend and found ways to be among the key players in the space. We are now looking at the metaverse and exploring how we can play a role as Transaction Bankers in an inescapable virtual reality. We started thinking of different ways to enhance our customer journey. Yes, we jumped on the bandwagon of virtual, moved further online, and embraced fintechs, faster payments, and digital currencies.

Without realizing the extent of the transformational process, we have all been through as bankers, I believe we have emerged as resilient, forward-thinking, and dare I say, innovative.

Welcome New Members

That said, we welcome our new members with whom we look forward to sharing our above journey at BAFT:

So, here’s to a new, collaborative and inventive world of transaction banking!

 

Yours Truly,

Maram Al-Jazireh
Senior Vice President & Global Head of Financial Institutions, Arab Bank
Chair, BAFT