BE - September 2026

Arab Banks Awards & Commendations of Excellence 2026 come essential partners in supporting investment, enabling development, strengthening economic resilience, creating opportunities and building confidence within economies and societies. The Arab Banks Awards & Commen- dations of Excellence 2026 therefore stood at the intersection of legacy and ambition: celebrating twenty years of WUAB, honoring achieve- ments that are shaping Arab banking today, and opening the conversation on what leadership and excellence must represent in the years ahead. It was a fitting setting for the mes- sages that followed—from H.E. Mehmet im ek, Minister of Treasury and Finance of the Republic of Türkiye; Dr. Wissam Fattouh, Secre- tary General of the Union of Arab Banks and the World Union of Arab Bankers; and Dr. Emad Boukhemsi, Deputy Chairman of the World Union of Arab Bankers—each ad- dressing, from a different perspec- tive, the importance of cooperation, banking leadership and the future of financial relations between the Arab world and Türkiye. DR. WISSAM FATTOUH: TWO DECADES OF LEADERSHIP, PARTNERSHIP AND BANKING EXCELLENCE In his address at the 2026 Annual Gala Dinner of the World Union of Arab Bankers in Istanbul, Dr. Wissam Fattouh, Secretary General of the Union of Arab Banks and the World Union of Arab Bankers, framed the evening as both a celebration of banking excellence and a reaffirma- tion of the deepening ties between the Arab and Turkish banking com- munities. Marking the 12th edition of the annual gathering, he placed the occasion within a broader story of in- stitutional continuity, partnership and recognition. Dr. Fattouh highlighted Istanbul’s en- during role as a bridge between East and West, noting that the city’s host- ing of the event for the third consec- utive year reflected the strength of cooperation between Arab and Turk- ish financial institutions. He ex- tended particular appreciation to H.E. Mehmet Simsek, Minister of Treasury and Finance of the Republic of Türkiye, and to Mr. Alpaslan Çakar, Chairman of the Banks Asso- ciation of Türkiye, for their participa- tion, support and continued engagement with the Arab banking sector. He also underscored UAB’s readiness to place its regional net- work and institutional capabilities at the service of initiatives that can ex- pand banking, investment and trade cooperation between Türkiye and the Arab world. A central theme of the address was the twentieth anniversary of the World Union of Arab Bankers. Dr. Fattouh described the milestone as twenty years of building professional relationships, strengthening capaci- ties and recognizing achievement across Arab banking. He distin- guished the complementary roles of UAB and WUAB: while UAB repre- sents Arab banking institutions and the sector’s regional and interna- tional relations, WUAB brings to- gether banking leaders, professionals and decision-makers, reinforcing co- hesion across the wider Arab finan- cial community. Turning to the purpose of the awards, Dr. Fattouh emphasized the impor- tance of cultivating a culture that rec- ISSUE 213 SEPTEMBER 2026 the BANKING EXECUTIVE 25