Ziad Khalaf Abed Kareem

Chairman of the Board & CEO

- Al Sharqiya School
- Civil engineering from Technology UNIVERSITY
- Doctorate from International College in London

It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you have to base your decisions on conservative and conclusive metrics. Reaching to the top is tough while sustaining your position at the top is more challenging!

Our human resources has been the backbone of our success so far!! Even if you have the best strategy and most innovative infrastructure; if you don’t have the hearts and minds of the people who work with you, None of it becomes a reality!!

The most important achievements of Mr. Ziad Khalaf during his era as Chairman of the Board of IDB in addition to other sister companies:

- Lead IDB to acquire more than 40% market share of the retail banking business in Iraq; more specifically in Central Bank of Iraq initiative targeted at public sector employees’ salary domiciliation where IDB has more than 150 domiciled accounts today.
- Lead IDB to be rated as the Best Bank in Iraq as per Central Bank of Iraq CAMEL rating for four consecutive years (2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019).
- Lead IDB to become the first Iraqi Bank to engage and sign a MoU with the IFC related to investment side; where IFC will offer IDB credit lines to support trade finance transactions.
- Lead IDB to expand its branch network to reach 17 branches inside Iraq and become the second largest private bank in its branch network as of December 2019.
- Lead IDB to expand its operations internationally by becoming the first Iraqi Bank to establish official presence in UAE and Lebanon.
- Lead IDB to achieve highest earnings (income) amongst all Iraqi private banks for two consecutive years.
- Lead IDB to become the first Iraqi Bank with Principle Membership with international payments companies Visa & MasterCard in addition to becoming the largest ATM acquirer in the nation with more than 300 ATMs as of December 2019.
- Lead IDB to establish and sustain a world class IT infrastructure supporting IDB’s competitive advantage in e-services and digitalization.
- Lead IDB to become the fastest growing corporate Bank in 2019; more specifically in relation to its trade finance volumes that helped Iraqi based businesses in their import activities.
- Became a member of the Union of Arab Bank’s board of directors, making him the first Iraqi representative from the private sector.
- Lead IDB to contribute positively in the Iraqi re-construction phase by facilitating adequate credit lines and financing needs for major multination’s working in Iraq within the construction, telecommunications and infrastructural sectors.
- Lead the group to establish the first payment service provider in Iraq “Arab Payment Services” supporting the country in its migration to digitalization and e billing and collection.
- Lead the group to establish one of the first insurance companies in Iraq focused at supporting projects in construction, oil & gas and FMCG.

- Financial Awards Winners 2019 from International Finance – Banking Awards for IDB as:
Fastest Growing Corporate Bank Iraq-2019 in Dubai.
- Arab Investor Award (AIA) for Corporate Governance Category 2019 in Paris – France.
- Best Performing Bank in Iraq in 2017 - Mastercard.
- Excellence in Wise Management , Innovation and Excellence Award,2017 -Union of Arab Banks.
- Excellence in Electronic Banking Sevices Award 2017- Union of Arab Banks.
- Best Bank with Diversified Services, Banking Executive Award, 2016 - World Union of Arab Bankers- Beirut Lebanon.

Being the eldest in the third generation of his family; from a family with a well-built track record of more than 50 years of experience in the domain of manufacturing , construction and trade, Mr Ziad Khalaf Abed has been engaged in several investment projects with more than 20 years of experience in constructing and trade business. He started his career in Banking in 2011 with special focus on strategic planning and good corporate governance.

Some of the board memberships
Chairman of Al Sharq for Insurance
Chairman of Arab Payment Services
Member of the Board of Directors of the Union of Arab Banks (a representative of the Iraqi public and private banking sector).
Member of the Board of Directors of Doma Steel Sheet Metal Industries.
Member of the Jordanian-Iraqi Economic Association.
Member of the Iraqi-Saudi Chamber of Commerce.
Member of the Board of Directors of the International Union of Arab Bankers.
Member of the Board of Directors of the National Car Trading Company (formerly exclusive to Mercedes Benz in Iraq)

NIL

Our ultimate goal is to become the most innovative and technologically advanced bank in Iraq by employing the latest e-banking technology and electronic services to our clients.

As one of the first banks to introduce e-services and online banking in Iraq, we aim to make banking easier, more attainable and within the reach of all Iraqis, both inside the country and abroad, enhancing the national economy and contributing to the reconstruction of Iraq.

By integrating the newest technology and banking methods, we aspire to deliver innovative financial solutions that meet the needs of corporate, SME and retail customers in Iraq and the region.