National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) chief executive and director Abdul Razak Al Qassim has been chosen the new chairman of the Bahrain Association of Banks (BAB).

The announcement of the new board was made at the association's annual general meeting at the Gulf Hotel, said a report in our sister publication, the Gulf Daily News.

Besides Al Qassim, the other members of the new board are Al Baraka Banking Group deputy chairman Adnan Ahmed Yousif, Ahli United Bank Group chief executive and managing director Adel El Labban, Arab Banking Corporation deputy chief executive Dr Khaled Kawan, Standard Chartered Bank chief executive Hassan Jarrar and Oasis Capital Bank chief executive Dr Farid Al Mulla.

Khalil Nooruddin and Talal Alzain have been appointed as independent board members.

At the AGM, outgoing chairman Abdulkarim Bucheery, who is chief executive of BBK, highlighted BAB's activities over the past year which included 29 events endorsed by the association.

The highlight of the year was a well-attended Bahrain reception in Tokyo, Japan, during the IMF/World Bank meetings that was hosted by the finance minister, CBB governor and several directors and member representatives.

"Last year, BAB initiated a number of projects, including our new website, and we plan to continue to expand on these improvements through 2013 so that our members will recognise the value of their subscriptions and the sponsorship of our events," said Bucheery. – TradeArabia News Service