Al Hilal Bank announced in January 2025 that Jamal Al Awadhi has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Abu Dhabi-based institution, which describes itself as the UAE's premier Shariah-compliant digital bank. Al Awadhi succeeds Abdul Shakeel Aidaroos, who departed the bank in December 2024 after a five-year tenure.
Al Awadhi's appointment to the chief executive role comes less than a year after he joined Al Hilal Bank as Deputy Chief Executive Officer in May 2024.
AL AWADHI'S BACKGROUND
Before joining Al Hilal Bank, Al Awadhi served as Chief Operating Officer of Wio Bank, the Abu Dhabi-based digital banking platform backed by ADQ, Alpha Dhabi, ADCB and e&.
Prior to his role at Wio Bank, Al Awadhi held the position of Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Media.
Al Hilal Bank was established by the Abu Dhabi government as a fully Islamic institution and has been refocusing its business model on digital delivery channels.
TRANSITION
Al Hilal Bank confirmed the appointment in a press release published on its website. Chairman Ala'a Eraiqat said Al Awadhi's leadership would be critical to the success of the bank's digital-first strategy, which the bank said is focused on leveraging technology, data and analytics to improve products, increase personalisation and enhance customer service channels.