MANAMA, BAHRAIN - 28 June 2015

Ithmaar Bank, a Bahrain-based Islamic retail bank, achieved exceptional operational efficiency in 2014 to earn a prestigious Excellence Award from Standard Chartered Bank.

Ithmaar Bank, which achieved 94.5 percent efficiency in the execution of electronic payments during 2014, received the Straight Through Processing (STP) Excellence Award at a ceremony held at the Bank's Seef Headquarters. The Award was presented to the Ithmaar Bank General Manager, Head of Banking Operations, Information Technology and Administration, Abdulrahman Al Shaikh, by the Standard Chartered Director of Financial Institutions - Transaction Banking, Hassan Qambar.

Qambar congratulated Ithmaar Bank, and wished the Bank continued success.  "This award is evidence of Ithmaar Bank's operational excellence," said Qambar. "We are delighted to partner with an institution of such calibre," he said.

"Ithmaar Bank is committed to becoming the Islamic bank of choice," said Al Shaikh. "To do so, we focus on enhancing our customer's satisfaction by continuously improving our products and services, as well as our transaction processing," he said.

"This award confirms that our efforts are paying off," said Al Shaikh. "It is an achievement that demonstrates our operational efficiency, and it was made possible by the commitment, dedication and expertise of Ithmaar Bank's Operations Team," he said.

-Ends- 

About Ithmaar Bank:
Ithmaar Bank B.S.C. (stock code "ITHMR") is a Bahrain-based licensed Islamic retail bank that is regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain and provides retail, commercial, treasury & financial institutions and other banking services.

Ithmaar Bank is a subsidiary of Dar Al-Maal Al-Islami Trust (DMI), and has a paid-up capital of US$757.69 million, total shareholders' equity of US$501.2 million and is listed on the Bahrain Bourse and the Kuwait Stock Exchange.

Ithmaar Bank provides a diverse range of Sharia-compliant products and services that cater to the financing and investment needs of individuals and institutions.

Ithmaar also maintains a presence in overseas markets through its subsidiaries, associated and affiliated companies. These include Faysal Bank Limited (Pakistan), Faisal Private Bureau (Switzerland), Bahrain-based BBK, Ithmaar Development Company Limited, Solidarity (an Islamic insurance company), Naseej and Ithraa Capital (Saudi Arabia).

© Press Release 2015