Archives: FAQ's

Who should participate?

Any banking or finance institution with demonstrable commitment and success in corporate and investment banking across the Middle East and North Africa.

The awards honour institutions that demonstrate unmatched expertise, drive impactful initiatives and foster innovation within the banking sector.

There are a total of 9 group categories

  • MENA Trailblazers
  • Institutional Awards
  • Best Investment Banks
  • Best Islamic Banks
  • Transaction Banking Services
  • Sustainable & Social Impact
  • Investment & Asset Management
  • Technology & Operational Excellence
  • People Awards

(link to awardstage list of categories) – https://menabankingexcellence2025-corporate.awardstage.com/

Why should you participate?

The awards process from entry through to post-event coverage opens doors primarily to win more work by showcasing your business excellence. In addition, and at varying stages of the awards cycle you can expect to…

  • Improve employee motivation and partner engagement: awards are a great way to acknowledge the hard work of your employees and recognise your industry partners.
  • Enhance your brand and drive credibility through third party endorsement: the reputational benefits from independent endorsement of your organisation and service offering are immeasurable. Recognition from trusted industry commentators positively influences customers, partners and employees driving trust and loyalty.
  • Profile your team favourably: professional exposure for your teams and corporate super-stars supports your institutions position as the home of the best talent as well as the best banking solutions.
  • Benchmark against your industry peers: Awards are the perfect platform to assess your organisations capabilities in a highly competitive market.

Submission rules

  1. Submissions can be made either on behalf of your own company or in recognition of a colleague or partner firm.
  2. Entry must address the award category explicitly, not generic links to web sites, corporate marketing, etc.
  3. Submissions should highlight the key differentiators and competitive nature of the project or implementation.
  4. It is made explicit that the Entrant, Judges, and publication will treat any and all information in strict confidence, and any quotes or information to go into the public domain will be pre-cleared by the Entrant.
  5. Submissions made after the publicised cut-off date will be ignored, irrespective of their relative merits.
  6. The Editor and Judges reserve the right to make no award for any specific category.
  7. The Editor and Judges reserve the right to move a submission to a more appropriate category at their discretion.
  8. In submitting for more than one category, the submissions must be unique (see 3).
  9. The Editor and Judges’ decision is final.

Can we include Guide Questions when submitting your entries on FAQ?

Guide Questions:

  1. Why is your company entering this award category? (Consider aims and objectives of initiative, project or situation)
  2. Achievements – What are the remarkable milestones that the bank/finance company has achieved?
  3. Why should your company qualify for this award? (Include scope of programme or initiative, choice of implementation or approach)
  4. Innovation – What are the unique and innovative initiatives did the bank/finance company introduce to substantially boost the company’s business?
  5. What benefits to your company and your customers can be illustrated as a result? (Competitive advantage, effectiveness, ROI, improved performance, service etc.)
  6. Challenges & Solutions – What are the biggest challenges that the bank/finance company has encountered in moving the company forward? What solutions were implemented to overcome these challenges?