Amana Bank was recently featured at the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Private Sector Forum held in Baku, Azerbaijan coinciding with IsDB Group’s 2026 Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors. The events were held under the patronage of His Excellency Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and His Excellency Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser, Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank Group.
Held under the theme “Regional Integration for Sustainable Prosperity”, the flagship gathering of the IsDB Group, the AAA-rated multilateral development institution, brought together Central Bank Governors, Finance & Economic Ministers, policymakers, development practitioners, and financial leaders from across the IsDB Group’s 57 Member Countries and beyond. The Annual Meetings and IsDB Private Sector Forum serve as a premier platform to deliberate on key development issues affecting member countries, while fostering dialogue, knowledge exchange, and strategic partnerships. The four-day event saw over 4,400 participants from 78 countries and numerous regional and international organizations, including participation of 46 heads of institutions. The meetings culminated in the signing of 67 agreements totalling US$6 billion with member countries, regional institutions, and private-sector partners.
Despite Sri Lanka not being a member country of the IsDB Group, Amana Bank, whose principal shareholder is the IsDB Group, was invited to share its success story in establishing and growing Islamic banking in a Muslim-minority country, highlighting its role as a benchmark for ethical and inclusive financial services through its development-focused and people friendly approach to banking. Apart from its success story, Amana Bank also had the opportunity to showcase its unique CSR initiative, OrphanCare, as its Founder Sponsor, through which the Bank is addressing an often-overlooked social need by empowering orphaned children with long-term financial support and opportunities for a brighter future, thereby saving them from a ‘second abandonment’. The initiative is guided by Article 2 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which advocates for zero discrimination based on race, religion, region or ethnicity.
Amana Bank was represented by Managing Director/CEO Mohamed Azmeer, Senior Vice President – Business Banking Irshad Iqbal, Asst. Vice President – Marketing & Corporate Communications Azim Rali and Manager – Strategy and Sustainability Maznavi Rumy
Commenting on the Bank’s participation Amana Bank Managing Director/CEO Mohamed Azmeer said “We are honoured to have once again been given the opportunity to showcase Amana Bank’s success story at this prestigious platform. The IsDB Private Sector Forum serves as an excellent platform for fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and business partnerships among stakeholders from across the globe. As a bank operating in a non-member country, we were particularly honoured to share our journey in advancing Islamic banking and to showcase OrphanCare, our flagship CSR initiative. The high-level discussions on trade, connectivity, energy, food security, Islamic finance, private sector growth, climate action, and digital transformation provided valuable insights into emerging opportunities and challenges, further strengthening our commitment to enabling sustainable and inclusive growth.”
Amãna Bank PLC is a stand-alone institution licensed by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange, with Jeddah-based IsDB Group being the principal shareholder of the Bank. The IsDB Group is a ‘AAA’ rated multilateral development financial institution with a membership of 57 countries. Testifying its position as a leading practitioner of the non-interest based banking model, Amãna Banks continued to be recognised amongst the Top 50 Strongest Islamic Bank’s in the World by The Asian Banker. Amãna Bank does not have any subsidiaries, associates, or affiliated institutions apart from its engagement with OrphanCare as its Founding Sponsor.
