• Sara Al Binali has been appointed CEO to lead the bank’s long-term growth agenda

Abu Dhabi, UAE – In a landmark first for the UAE financial services landscape, Reem Finance has completed its transformation into Reem Bank (RB), becoming the only finance company in the UAE ever to successfully upgrade to a community banking licence, granted by the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE). Reem Bank is part of Judan Financial Holding, IHC’s dedicated financial services platform.

Reem Bank’s transformation reflects its ambition to enter the UAE’s vibrant financial market with a differentiated and specialized model built on collaboration, simplicity and co-creation. The transformed bank will enable fintechs and digital wallets through regulated embedded finance and Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) infrastructure, while delivering a streamlined customer experience and seamless access to credit through a fully digital journey. It will also embed co-creation into its model, partnering with the community across the UAE to help shape the next generation of financial products.

Hamdan Al Dahmani, Chairman of Reem Community Bank, said: “The UAE has always led by building what others have yet to imagine. Reem Bank is an expression of that conviction. We have built a platform where fintechs find a genuine partner, where individuals and businesses can access the full capabilities of a bank in minutes, and where the next generation of this nation has a hand in shaping its own financial future. This is not a bank that has arrived to compete. It is a bank that has been designed to elevate the entire ecosystem around it, and to do so in a manner fully aligned with the UAE's vision for a knowledge-based, inclusive and forward economy.”

The Board has appointed Sara Al Binali as Chief Executive Officer. A Board Member of Reem Finance since 2015, she brings a decade of institutional knowledge and continuity, alongside a clear mandate to scale the platform into its next stage of growth. She also brings extensive leadership experience across corporate and international banking from First Abu Dhabi Bank, where she held multiple senior leadership roles, including Group Head of Corporate, Commercial and International Banking. In this capacity, she led financial structuring, corporate partnerships, SME ecosystems and international expansion. At Reem Bank, she will lead the bank’s growth agenda and oversee its continued development.

Sara Al Binali as Chief Executive Officer, added: “Reem Bank enters this chapter with something rare: a genuine licence to reimagine. Our commitment is straightforward: To build a bank that earns its place in people's lives by being simple, deeply trusted, and relentlessly forward-looking.”

Seraj Tariq Faidi, former CEO of Reem Finance for over a decade, will take on the responsibility of Deputy CEO of Reem Bank, subject to regulatory formalisation. Seraj led the transformation of Reem Finance into a fully licensed Community Bank, scaling its reach to nearly 300,000 customers through a culture of trust, a value-driven ecosystem and a powerful network of strategic partnerships laying the solid, sustainable foundation on which the Bank will flourish.

About Reem Bank (RB):

RB is a next-generation digital bank headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, purpose-built to serve individuals, families, SMEs, fintechs, digital wallets and underserved communities. Operating as an open financial platform, RB combines Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) infrastructure, API-ready fintech partnerships and rapid digital onboarding to connect people, businesses and ecosystems. Licensed and regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE, RB is part of Judan Financial Holding's portfolio, IHC’s dedicated financial services platform. IHC oversees over AED 870 billion in assets under management across banking, insurance, asset management and fintech in more than 13 countries, providing RB with the institutional capital strength, global networks and long-term strategic alignment to execute its ambitions with precision and at pace.

About Judan Financial:

Established in 2026 and headquartered in Abu Dhabi, Judan Financial is a diversified global financial services investment company and a subsidiary of IHC. The firm oversees of a range of businesses and strategic equity interests across banking, insurance and reinsurance, asset and wealth management, capital markets, non-bank financial institutions and financial technology within a unified platform designed for scale, governance and capital discipline.

Judan Financial manages over 20 operating financial services companies across 13+ countries, collectively serving over 11 million clients and managing in excess of AED 870 billion (USD 235 billion) in assets under management.

Judan Financial is built on disciplined capital allocation, rigorous risk management and AI-enabled integration across its portfolio. The platform enhances capital efficiency and supports scalable growth across developed and emerging markets, providing institutional investors with access to a diversified financial services ecosystem positioned for long-term value creation.

Media Contacts
Devika Sreejith
Senior Account Executive, Edelman Smithfield Middle East
devika.sreejith@edelmansmithfield.com