DOHA: Governor of Qatar Central Bank Sheikh Abdullah Bin Saud Al-Thani was named the Arab Banking Personality of the Year 2011 during the two-day Arab Banking Conference 2011 held in Rome which ended Friday. The governor was selected for the award in earlier in April this year during the Arab Banking Conference 2011, "A New Vision for Economic Reform" that was held in Doha and organized by the Union of Arab Banks The award recognizes his leading role and contribution to the Arab banking industry in addition to the significance he made by enhancing local economics through various policies and decisions. The conference themed "The Future of MENA: Impact on the Global Economy," was organized by the Union of Arab Banks. Ministers, governors of central banks, leading bankers, decision-makers and representatives of public and private sectors from many countries attended as well as representatives from various financial institutions and Qatari banks. Every year, during the summit, the Arab Banking Union honors one such distinguished personality who has contributed actively to the banking and financial sector. QNB, established in 1964 as the country's first Qatari-owned commercial bank, has an ownership structure equally split between the Qatar Investment Authority and the private sector. It has steadily grown to be among the largest banks in the region and is by far the leading financial institution in the country, with a market share approaching 40 percent of banking sector assets. QNB has the largest distribution network in Qatar, comprising 44 branches and offices in addition to 16 Islamic branches and offices operated by QNB Al Islami, and more than 175 ATMs.
