In recognition of his exceptional leadership in taking Sohar International to greater heights and setting new benchmarks in banking & finance excellence, Mr. Ahmed Al Musalmi, Chief Executive Officer of Sohar International won the top honor at the Oman Banking & Finance Awards 2020 receiving the ‘CEO of the Year – Banking’ Award. This award comes as a true testament to the resilient growth strategy that has been set in full gear with an exemplary leadership style enabling the bank to reach new heights and continue to redefine banking.

The award was presented to Mr. Ahmed Al Musalmi, Chief Executive Officer of Sohar International at the prestigious Oman Banking & Finance Awards (powered by OER) by the Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker, His Excellency Tahir Al Amri, Executive President, Central Bank of Oman, in a ceremony held at Hotel Sheraton Oman where His Excellency Shaikh Salim Bin Mustahail Al Mashani hosted the event

Speaking with, Mr. Mohammed Mahfoudh Al Ardhi, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Sohar International on the bank’s CEO’s recognition, he said, “Sohar International continues to be steered by a team of leaders that are highly capable with extensive knowledge and come from different backgrounds. With a pool of extremely talented and skilled individuals, harnessing such powers truly requires a leader that can inspire and drive change to build a culture of innovation in the bank, which is today apparent in Sohar International’s benchmark services that define modern banking and financial excellence. Mr. Al Musalmi has been a significant catalyst to the changes witnessed in the bank and its overall performance. He has been able to build a strong brand identity for Sohar International, that reflects the strength, potential and promise of our futuristic vision to be a world-leading Omani service company, that helps customers, communities and people to prosper and grow.”

“I take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Ahmed Al Musalmi on this remarkable achievement which is a true reflection not only on his individual efforts but also a reflection of his leadership skills that has enabled his leadership team and the staff at large to drive the Sohar International brand to greater success and wins” added Mr. Al Ardhi

Sohar International has persistently delivered robust growth, reflecting the Bank’s capabilities underpinned by continued investment in key growth initiatives. Driven by the desire to build an organization that has the capability to withstand the vagaries of business cycles and deliver long-term sustainable growth, Sohar International continues to follow an institutional building approach for the future. The Bank has achieved strong financial performance in 2019, which is a testament to the strategy that has been set forth by the leadership, the organization’s approach to business, and collective performance of its workforce. The results have led the bank to attain an overall increase of more than 17% in net profits to achieve OMR 34.406 million when compared to year 2018 reflecting a healthy trajectory for Sohar International in financial year 2019. The key driving factor behind the success is the development and implementation of an agile growth strategy underpinned by innovative and customer-centric banking services to the fast growing client base.

Sohar International has been conferred with a number of awards and accolades at prestigious international and national platforms over the years. The Bank recently won the 'Best Bank (Large Size) in Growth’ award at the Oman Banking & Finance Awards 2020. I recognition of its financial performance the bank also received the ‘Best Performing Bank’ in Oman Award by the UK based Financial Times monthly publication - The Banker, in the Top 100 Arab Bank 2020 which is resounding endorsement of Sohar International’s success in the journey to achieve bigger wins for the people of Oman. The bank was also adjudged as a frontrunner under the Innovative Custom Components category at the sixth edition of the Infosys Finacle Client Innovation Awards.

The Oman Banking & Finance Awards, powered by OER, are presented to select banks and industry professionals for their path breaking performance, unique solutions and market leadership. The event was be attended by senior-to-mid level bankers, fintech experts, finance & investment professionals, insurance experts and business consultants. The event was held under strict social distancing norms.