Ramallah- The Board of Directors of Safa Islamic Bank announced the appointment of Mr. Bayan Mohammad Qassem as the bank’s General Director, succeeding the former General Director, Mr. Nidal Barghouti, who has held the position since the bank’s establishment in 2016. This announcement came after the Bank’s Board of Directors nominated Mr. Qassem and the Palestine Monetary Authority approved the nomination.

Prior to joining Safa Bank, Mr. Qassem worked as the General Director of the Palestine Islamic Bank and worked as an advisor to the Board of Directors of the Palestine Islamic Bank during 2013. He also spent years working with the global consulting firm Arthur Andersen, providing numerous consultations to major companies in the Arabian Gulf.

Mr. Qassem has extensive experience in strategic management, leadership, and development, having held senior positions in the consulting and software sectors, in addition to the banking sector at both the local and international levels. He holds an Executive Master’s degree in Business Administration from the American University in Beirut, Lebanon, and a higher diploma in Systems Analysis from Saarbrücken University in Germany.

Mr. Yazid Adnan Al-Mufti, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Safa Bank, stated: “The appointment of the banker Bayan Qassem to the new position comes in light of the significant development in the services provided by the bank and the expansion strategy pursued by its senior management aimed at enhancing customer service and geographic presence in vital areas,” wishing the new General Director success.

For his part, the General Director, Mr. Bayan Qassem, thanked the Palestine Monetary Authority and the Board of Directors of Safa Bank for the valuable trust they placed him to lead the bank in the coming phase, affirming that the bank will continue its development over the coming years to provide the best services and meet customer needs, spread Islamic banking awareness, and support the Palestinian community from the standpoint of social responsibility adopted by the bank.

It is noteworthy that Safa Bank is the newest Islamic bank in Palestine, commencing operations at the end of 2016. It operates through nine branches and offices distributed across various governorates of the country. Its mission is to provide modern banking products and services that comply with Islamic Sharia to meet the aspirations of all partners. The bank has successfully introduced Islamic banking products for the first time in the Palestinian market, such as benefit financing, which includes education, health services, and travel financing, and will continue to introduce modern products to keep up with market demands in the field of Islamic banking.

Safa Bank’s shares were listed and began trading on the Palestine Exchange in July 2022 under the symbol SAFABANK.