Cambridge: Cambridge IF Analytica, a UK-based financial think tank, announced today details of its 3rd Islamic Retail Banking Awards (IRBA) to be held in Dubai on November 14, 2017. IRBA celebrates excellence and best practices in Islamic retail banking in two awards classes: (1) Strongest Islamic Retail Bank Awards and (2) Critics’ Choice Awards.

The former is based on a path-breaking Islamic banking efficiency analysis conducted by Cambridge IF Analytica, which ranks over 170 Islamic banks in terms of their efficiency ranks. Winners of the Critics’ Choice Awards are rigorously selected by the Critic’s Choice Committee, which comprises leading Islamic banking experts from around the world.

The inaugural IRBA Awards Ceremony took place in Dubai in November 2015, followed by another impressive Awards ceremony last year, which was attended by Islamic bankers from around the world. This year, a total of 32 Islamic Retail Banking Awards in various categories will be presented to individuals and institutions. “The Awards Committee has decided to confer these awards based on a very rigorous set of criteria, implying the quality of awards has risen even more this year, with the winners coming from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Malaysia, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Bosnia & Herzegovina and many more countries,” said Dr Sofiza Azmi, CEO of Cambridge IF Analytica.

“We take pride in our indigenously developed methodology for Strongest Islamic Retail Banks Awards,” said Professor Humayon Dar, Chairman and Founder of IRBA. “This make IRBA the first-of-its-kind Islamic banking awards programme based on the most academically rigorous analysis of global Islamic banking efficiency performance,” he added.

“The choice of venue this year is excellent, as JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai is an excellent property, and we are looking forward to welcoming our guests to a night of celebration,” added Dr Sofiza Azmi. These prestigious awards honor individuals and institutions who have demonstrated great commitment and made significant contribution to the development, growth and success of Islamic retail banking. Leading players in Islamic retail banking from Europe to the Far East will participate in this year’s Awards Ceremony.

“The choice of Dubai to hold IRBA is strategic, as it allows easy access to the Islamic financial institutions from around the world,” said Khuram Shehzad, Head of Business Development & Strategy at Cambridge IF Analytica. November is perhaps the best time to visit Dubai and the wider GCC. The Awards Ceremony will provide ample opportunities to the participating institutions to network for mutual benefit.

© Press Release 2017