Ismail Douiri: “We are keen on serving the highly sophisticated and diversified Egyptian economy”
“The bank’s business strategy has been prepared by our Egyptian colleagues in order to be adapted to the market’s specific needs”
“We support the Central Bank of Egypt’s initiative towards SME’s and will put all our efforts behind it, using our proven expertise in this area”
Cairo, September 25th , 2017: Attijariwafa bank group unveiled elements of its strategy in Egypt during its participation for the first time in the 22nd Annual Euromoney Egypt Conference for 2017, which was held on the 18th & 19th of September in Cairo. It is worth mentioning that the completion of the acquisition by Attijariwafa bank Group of Barclays Bank Egypt is considered one of the largest transactions conducted in the Egyptian banking market in recent years.
On the first-day of the conference, Mr. Ismail Douiri, – Group Co-CEO Attijariwafa bank – showcased the key features of the bank’s strategy in Egypt. He highlighted during his speech, that the strategy was built with the Egyptian team specifically for the Egyptian market and includes levering Egypt’s unique geographical position, its diversified and sophisticated business environment, and its advanced and forward-looking banking regulation and policies, in particular with regards to SME’s and financial inclusion.
Mr. Douiri added “Attijariwafa bank Group has always been keen to adapt its strategy to the specific needs of each market it operates in, while building on the skills, systems and experiences of all its other African and European markets (26 in total).. In Egypt, the strategy will, among other thing support economic cooperation between Egypt and the other countries in which the bank operates, and serve the companies operating in Egypt in the areas of project finance, advisory services, market risk assessment, and trade finance.”
With regards to the SME sector, Mr. Douiri stressed that “Attijariwafa bank proudly supports the SMEs’ initiative of the Central Bank of Egypt by providing financial facilities and increasing the loan portfolio to 20%. From the bank’s perspective, the SME sector is the foundation of building an economy that is capable of facing various challenges while providing for more work opportunities and reducing unemployment.”
As for the bank’s role in CSR, Mr. Douiri said, “We are committed to a range of corporate values that support the development of the communities we operate in. These values are: Ethics, Commitment, Leadership, Solidarity and Citizenship. Our CSR pillars revolve around four key points: contributing to the development of a sustainable economy, respecting the environment and combating climate change, commitment towards the community and civil society, and empowering work ethics with employees and customers. Stemming from these CSR pillars, the bank in Egypt has developed its own programs to be implemented over the next five years.”
Over two days, the Euromoney conference covered numerous vital points including an overview of the investment climate in Egypt, the development of capital markets, privatization, real estate development, manufacturing and export, financial coverage, and emerging companies among others.