CAPE TOWN – FNB Islamic Banking has been awarded the Best Islamic Banking Window 2019 for the third consecutive year at the Global Islamic Finance Awards (Gifa) at an awards ceremony held on Monday in Cape Town.
FNB Islamic Banking chief operations officer, Shaheen Suliman, was further recognised as the Best Upcoming Personality in Global Islamic Finance 2019.
“It is an honour and a privilege to be recognised as the best upcoming personality in Global Islamic Finance. I receive this accolade with pride and commit to adding more value to our customers and contributing to the growth of the Islamic Banking industry in South Africa,” said Suliman.
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As part of its advocacy for Islamic Banking and Finance, Gifa have grown to become one of the most respected awards in Islamic Banking and Finance in the world.
The chief executive of FNB Islamic Banking Amman Muhammad said achieving this highly coveted and most respected accolade in Islamic Banking in a highly competitive environment, for the third consecutive year, was an honour that FNB did not take lightly.
“This is testament to our commitment to deliver on our Islamic principles and core values of our business which are centred around help. We are grateful to our customers, as this would not have been possible without their invaluable support,” said Muhammad.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency’s pioneering Refugee Zakat Fund was recognised as the Best Global Zakat Distribution Platform 2019.
The organisation said in a statement that with Islamic finance becoming a more prominent and sophisticated part of the global economy, UNHCR evolved its existing Zakat programme to a new structure, the Refugee Zakat Fund, in April. The Fund allows for Muslims, wherever they live, to fulfil their Zakat obligations easily, efficiently, and with complete peace of mind.
Commenting on the win, Houssam Chahin, UNHCR’s Head of Private Sector Partnerships in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, said they were are delighted to be recognised by the GIFA Awards Committee. “The award further builds on the credibility of the platform in ensuring transparency, from the digital collection to distribution of Zakat funds, in the global Islamic finance sphere.”
The Refugee Zakat Fund recently launched in South Africa and allows for contributions to be received in rand.
Gifa, now in its ninth year, celebrates excellence and best practices in Islamic finance across various categories ranging from industry players to service providers, Shari’ah scholars and academicians in various sectors within the Islamic finance industry, with ultimate objectives of promoting social responsibility, adherence to Shari’ah authenticity and commitment to Islamic banking and finance.