Special: Building an innovative bank — and how to lead it — with Mashreq Group CEO Ahmed Abdelaal
From Making It by The Enterprise Company
March 2, 2025 · 43 min
About this episode
Ahmed Abdelaal discusses his leadership strategies and the future of Mashreq Bank amidst industry challenges.
After more than five years at Mashreq’s helm, Group CEO Ahmed Abdelaal is a well-known face in the regional banking industry and beyond. Ahmed has led the bank through an ambitious expansion strategy that has seen it recently open Mashreq Oman, in addition to Mashreq Neo in Egypt, as well as its digital banking platform for corporate clients in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. We recently sat down in Dubai with Ahmed to speak at length about how he and his team see the road ahead. Resilience and adaptability, he thinks, will be key in a year that’s filled with uncertainty about everything from interest rates to what the new US administration means for trade, finance, and the world order. We get into whether Arab business leaders pay enough attention to India, banking as a service, innovation in financial services, and a lot more. As with every episode of Making It, this isn’t just a show for industry nerds: It’s part of our masterclass on leadership. We go deep into why Ahmed invites the entire bank to “scru my strategy,” how he gets his leadership team on the same page (while avoiding groupthink), as well as how he makes decisions, decides…
People in this episode
Guest: Ahmed Abdelaal
Topics covered
- banking
- leadership
- innovation
- financial services
Keywords
- Mashreq
- digital banking
- Arab business leaders
- banking as a service
Mentioned in this episode
Products: Mashreq Oman, Mashreq Neo, digital banking platform
Books & works: Making It
Places: Egypt, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai, US, India, MENA, Asia, the United States
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