Dear Valued Customer,
I trust this message finds you in good health, happiness and prosperity.
Today marks a historic milestone for Amãna Bank as we celebrate 15 years of Development-Focused, People-Friendly Banking void of interest. On this special occasion, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to you for being an integral part of our journey and for the trust and confidence you have placed in us over the years.
Since commencing operations on 1 August 2011, Amãna Bank has made remarkable progress, successfully navigating some of the most challenging periods in our nation's recent history, driven by the unwavering trust, acceptance, and support of our customers, who today count over 500,000. I believe our commitment towards consistently delivering service excellence and demonstrating genuine care—especially during times of adversity, has been instrumental in earning this trust and establishing Amãna Bank as one of the country's fastest-growing banks. Together, we have built a strong and resilient institution that has surpassed LKR 200 billion in total assets, expanded its reach to 80 customer locations comprising of 33 branches and 47 self-banking centres, and contributed meaningfully to the country’s economic development.
Financial inclusion has remained central to our purpose, guiding our efforts to make banking more accessible to unbanked and underbanked communities. Through island-wide financial literacy programmes and inclusive solutions such as Gold Certificate Financing and Small Asset Financing, we continue to empower individuals and families to participate in the formal financial system.
As we expand our reach and deepened our impact, our growth has been underpinned by a consistent track record of strong financial performance, enabling us to deliver sustained profitability and shareholder dividends while maintaining a strong and healthy balance sheet.
We are humbled to have received numerous local and international accolades in recognition of our progress; from being named the ‘Best Up and Coming Islamic Bank in the World’ by Global Finance Magazine USA during our formative years, to more recently being ranked amongst the ‘World’s Top 50 Strongest Islamic Banks’ by The Asian Banker and honoured as the ‘Most Impactful ICD Investee Company’ by the Islamic Development Bank Group amongst 30+ global investee companies. Reflecting its growing stature within Sri Lanka’s banking sector, the Bank was named ‘Sri Lanka’s Best Bank’ for the second consecutive year at the ICC Emerging Asia Banking Awards, adjudicated by PwC. Affirming its pioneering role and leadership within the Sri Lankan Islamic banking and finance ecosystem, the Bank has received multiple accolades, including recognition as the Bank of the Decade at the Islamic Finance Forum South Asia (IFFSA) Awards as well as multiple recognitions as Best Bank, Best Finance Entity and Best Finance Deals at both the IFFSA Awards and the Sri Lanka Islamic Banking and Finance Industry (SLIBFI) Awards. Further reinforcing our financial strength, Fitch Ratings Sri Lanka upgraded Amãna Bank’s Long-Term National Rating to an Investment Grade of BBB-(lka) with a Stable Outlook, while Lanka Rating Agency has assigned a BBB+ rating.
As customer expectations continue to evolve, we have accelerated our digital transformation journey with a strong focus on convenience, accessibility, and customer experience. Today, our growing suite of digital solutions includes Online Banking, Online Account Opening, the Online Financing Facilitation Portal, WhatsApp Banking, Amana Connect App, and our recently launched Amana Bank Digital Hub services. These investments are enabling us to bring banking closer to our customers while laying a strong foundation for the future.
Our unique banking model has found strong resonance within Sri Lanka’s SME sector, which remains the backbone of the national economy. By supporting entrepreneurs, businesses, and communities, we continue to contribute towards economic growth, financial inclusion, and sustainable development.Complementing this support, we have established over 60 correspondent banking relationships worldwide, enabling us to efficiently facilitate the international trade requirements of our customers
Beyond banking, our flagship community outreach initiative OrphanCare, has continued to make a meaningful impact. Inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No 10 Reduced Inequalities and guided by Article 2 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child ensuring no form of discrimination, OrphanCare supports orphaned children across Sri Lanka in their journey towards financial independence after leaving institutional care, thereby helping save them from what would otherwise be a second abandonment. To date, the initiative has enrolled over 3,200 children from more than 90 orphanages across the island. Documenting the transformative impact it has had on the lives of its beneficiaries, OrphanCare recently published its inaugural Impact Report, which is available at www.orphancare.org.
As we celebrate our 15 year anniversary milestone, I wish to acknowledge with gratitude the visionary leadership of our Founder Chairman, Osman Kassim and our Founder Directors, the continued guidance and stewardship of our incumbent Chairman Asgi Akbarally, the Board of Directors, and the Sharia Supervisory Council and the invaluable oversight and assurance provided by our regulators and external auditors. I am equally grateful to our team of over 900 passionate colleagues whose dedication, professionalism, and unwavering commitment have been instrumental in every achievement of the Bank.
Most importantly, I thank you—our valued customers—for your trust, loyalty, and partnership. Every milestone we celebrate today has been made possible because of your continued confidence in Amãna Bank.
As we embark on the next chapter of our journey, God willing, we remain committed to serve you while delivering superior service, embracing innovation, and continuing our mission of enabling growth and enriching lives of our customers.
After all, we are Your Bank.
Mohamed Azmeer
Managing Director/CEO
Amana Bank PLC
