As Al Masraf celebrates its Golden Jubilee, Chief Executive Officer Fuad Mohamed discusses leadership, innovation, and guiding one of the UAE’s most established financial institutions into its next chapter.

As the UAE’s banking sector enters a new era defined by digital transformation, economic diversification, and evolving customer expectations, leaders capable of balancing innovation with institutional heritage have become increasingly valuable. UAE-born Fuad Mohamed, Chief Executive Officer of Al Masraf, is among those helping shape that future. With a career spanning more than 25 years across some of the UAE’s most prominent financial institutions, today, Mohamed finds himself at the helm of one of the country’s most established banks at a particularly significant moment in its history.

As Al Masraf celebrates its Golden Jubilee, he is overseeing a strategic transformation to position the institution for the next 50 years while preserving the foundations that have defined it over the last five decades. “What attracted me to Al Masraf was the opportunity to lead an institution with a remarkable legacy and a meaningful role in the UAE’s banking sector,” Mohamed explains. “I saw the opportunity to help shape its next chapter by combining that strong heritage with a progressive vision for the future.” That ability to look at legacy and future opportunities in parallel has become a hallmark of Mohamed’s leadership. Throughout his career, he has built a reputation for driving transformation, streamlining operations and implementing digital solutions that create measurable business value. Prior to joining Al Masraf, he held senior leadership positions at Emirates Islamic and Emirates NBD Egypt, where he led major operational and technological initiatives that enhanced customer engagement, improved efficiency, and strengthened organisational resilience. His credentials reflect an unusually broad perspective. Holding degrees in both law and information systems, alongside executive education from Harvard, and Oxford’s Saïd Business School, Mohamed brings a multidisciplinary approach to leadership that combines governance, technology, and strategy. “My background has taught me that successful leadership requires balancing people, technology, governance and strategy,” he says.

“Together, they have shaped a leadership style that is collaborative, accountable and focused on creating sustainable value.” Those qualities have become increasingly important as financial institutions navigate a period of unprecedented change. While technology has transformed banking, Mohamed remains firmly convinced that innovation is only valuable when it serves a larger purpose. Having launched one of the UAE’s first online trading platforms and led the development of one of the country’s earliest IPO integration platforms, he has long been recognised as a pioneer in digital banking. “Successful digital transformation is never just about technology,” he explains. “It is about improving clients’ outcomes, simplifying processes and empowering employees.” At Al Masraf, that philosophy has translated into a strategy built around customer experience, operational excellence and innovation. Under Mohamed’s leadership, the bank is investing heavily in digital capabilities while strengthening the relationship-driven culture that has long distinguished it in the market. It is an approach that reflects his belief that technology and human connection are, in fact, complementary to each other. “Technology should strengthen relationships, not replace them,” he says. The challenge is particularly relevant for Al Masraf, an institution whose history is closely tied to the economic development of the UAE and its founding partners.

Established to promote joint economic ventures between the UAE, Libya, and Algeria, the bank has built a strong reputation in corporate banking, trade finance and international business. Mohamed’s vision is not to compete on scale alone but to deepen the areas where the bank already possesses distinctive strengths. Under his leadership, Al Masraf has sharpened its focus on corporate banking relationships, trade finance expertise, and international connectivity, leveraging a correspondent banking network spanning 90 countries. “We are not trying to be everything to everyone,” he explains. “We are a focused, relationship-driven institution and, in today’s environment, that is actually a competitive advantage.” Beyond commercial performance, Mohamed sees banking as having a wider responsibility in the UAE’s broader economic landscape. He frequently speaks about aligning Al Masraf’s ambitions with the country’s economic priorities, particularly in innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable growth. In practice, this means supporting businesses as they scale, improving financial accessibility, and building capabilities that contribute to long-term economic development.

“By empowering businesses, supporting innovation, and investing in future-ready banking capabilities, we are helping to create opportunities that align with our brand promise of Empowering Future Legacies for our clients and communities”, he says. That sense of responsibility extends to leadership itself. Throughout his career, Mohamed has been recognised for building high-performing teams and mentoring future leaders. He believes the success of any institution ultimately depends on its people, a conviction reinforced by his experience chairing the Digital Committee for the Union Banking Federation. “It teaches the importance of collaboration,” he says of industry leadership. “Many of the opportunities and challenges facing the industry are shared. Working across institutions provides broader perspectives and reinforces the value of collective progress.” As Al Masraf marks its 50th anniversary, the bank is also unveiling a refreshed brand identity that reflects its evolution while remaining rooted in its founding values. For Mohamed, the initiative is not about reinvention for its own sake but about creating a clearer expression of the institution’s purpose.

“The rebrand is both a celebration of the last 50 years and a statement of intent for the next 50,” he shares. “It reinforces who we are while giving us a stronger platform to communicate where we are going.” While banking continues to evolve at a rapid pace, Mohamed’s focus remains consistent: creating long-term value, empowering people, and ensuring institutions emerge stronger than before. “What motivates me most is the opportunity to create lasting impact,” he states. “Whether through supporting clients, developing talent, or helping institutions grow, I am driven by the belief that leadership is about leaving things stronger than you found them.” As Al Masraf enters its next chapter, that commitment to sustainable progress may prove to be one of the bank’s greatest assets.

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