Al Rajhi Bank Malaysia (ARBM) officially launched its new office as part of the Bank’s growth plans in Malaysia. Following the announcement in December 2021 that the Islamic bank will be launching its Digital Bank in 2022, this new workspace located in Menara Hap Seng 3, Kuala Lumpur will house ARBM’s Digital Bank team on top of several other ARBM divisions.
“We are excited to be here as the new workspace enables ARBM to grow our Digital Bank in line with our vision of becoming the #1 Islamic innovation bank in Malaysia. The new location provides the ideal environment for idea creation and innovation; thus attracting the right talent and fostering active collaboration between teams of the existing Bank and the upcoming Digital Bank. This gives ARBM the opportunity to focus on innovation as we enhance our capabilities to better serve current and potential markets with the Digital Bank,” said Arsalaan (Oz) Ahmed, CEO, ARBM.
ARBM’s new premises was officiated by John Roger Winfield, Chairman, ARBM together with Zulkiflee Hashim, Independent Non-Executive Director, ARBM, and Lim Jit Jee, Independent Non-Executive Director, ARBM; witnessed by Arsalaan (Oz) Ahmed and representatives of the Management Team of ARBM.
At the launch, the Bank also announced the appointment of Ikram Khaliq as the Head of Digital Bank, ARBM. No stranger to the FinTech world, Ikram has over 16 years of international experience mentoring and building tech firms in the FinTech and InsureTech industries. Specializing in FinTech consultancy, he successfully implemented innovative solutions across banking, wealth and asset management, insurance, and financial services. Ikram holds a Degree in Financial Mathematics from Brunel University, UK with Agile and Prince 2 certifications. Ikram relocated from the UK to Malaysia.
“We have invested significantly in digital innovation as we lay the foundation of a customer-focused Digital Bank, and we are indeed pleased to have Ikram on board to lead the team. We aspire to set a new standard of excellence for Islamic banking in Malaysia through best-in-class digital banking propositions and channels to benefit ARBM’s individual and business customers. This is in line with the strategic thrusts of the Financial Sector Blueprint 2022-2026 which focuses on the advancement of digitalization of the financial sector as well as Islamic finance leadership, on top of the Malaysian Government’s emphasis on digital technology as outlined in the 12th Malaysia Plan,” added Arsalaan (Oz) Ahmed.
The workspace, in partnership with Hap Seng and Common Ground, meets top-notch industry standards with compliance of Grade-A office building, Green Building Index (GBI) certification, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification and MSC zone. Designed by Common Ground, an expert in creating and tailoring the ideal office space for companies, the new location offers an open concept with various seating configuration to encourage collaboration between employees including a games area equipped with PlayStation 5 and other recreational facilities for employees to unwind and socially interact.
The new office, located in Menara Hap Seng 3, Jalan P. Ramlee, is in addition to ARBM’s existing corporate headquarters in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.
