Manama, Bahrain, 9th July, 2011: Bahraini retail and commercial banking institution, BMI Bank, today announced the appointment of Yacoub Yousif Ahmed Abdulla as Head of Operations with immediate effect. Reporting to the General Manager - Support Services, Yacoub will be responsible for managing the Bank's back-office operations and ensure efficiency and adherence to quality standards are met in all its processes. Yacoub joins the Bank from his previous position as the Assistant General Manager for support services at Bahrain Development Bank (BDB). Prior to that, he worked with the National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) for over 24 years in various retail and commercial roles.

Commenting on his appointment, Jamal Al-Hazeem, Chief Executive Officer of BMI Bank said:

"We are happy to have Yacoub on board with us to lead our highly capable operations team. An experienced banker, Yacoub has a proven track record and a wealth of experience in banking operations which will undoubtedly prove invaluable in enabling BMI Bank to achieve higher standards of customer service, efficiency and productivity. We look forward to his leadership in building a high performance and reliable operation as we continue to expand our services."

In his previous role at BDB, Yacoob was responsible for the performance of the Bank's various support units including operations, administration and the property management division amongst others and was instrumental in delivering a reviewed and updated policies and procedure manuals for the Bank's support units.  Having joined NBB in 1982, Yacoob worked in several departments and in 1998 held diversified positions within the Bank's central processing and retail banking departments. As an operations & administration  manager - retail banking, Yacoub was responsible for the Bank's retail banking operations across its network of 15 branches which involved reviewing, managing, administering and operating the Bank's policies, procedures and regulatory requirements.

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About BMI Bank B.S.C. (c)
Bahraini retail and commercial banking institution, BMI Bank is a retail bank, registered in Bahrain and regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain offering a full range of retail and commercial banking services. BMI Bank operates in Bahrain through a network of 8 branches and 27 ATMs with net banking for easy access to services. The online platforms offered by BMI bank were awarded the prestigious Bahrain e-Content Award 2009 in the e-Banking category, recognizing ease of use of its comprehensive e-banking services in a safe and secure environment in which to conduct personal and business transactions.

BMI Bank also operates an Offshore Bank in the Seychelles, a branch in Qatar and has a 21.33% shareholding in Gulf African Bank in Kenya. BMI Bank owns the Diners Club Services Bahrain W.L.L and operates the Diners Club cards franchise in Bahrain. BMI Bank's shareholders include some of the strongest and most respected financial institutions across the GCC, including BankMuscat.

BMI Bank currently offers its customers a range of retail products and services including savings and current accounts, Ayadi savings account, Sapphire, its Premier Banking service, credit cards including Diners Club and La Carte, a co-branded credit card in partnership with Geant Hypermarket Bahrain, consumer and vehicle loans, mortgages and fixed deposits. In addition to Retail Banking, BMI Bank offers full SME Banking, Premier Banking, Private Banking, Corporate Banking, Islamic Financial Services, and Treasury services

For further information, please contact:
Gordon Andrade
Head, Corporate Communications, BMI Bank - Bahrain
E-mail: gordon.andrade@bmibank.com
Cell: +97339782225

© Press Release 2011