Bahrain-based Islamic banking group Al Baraka Banking Group (ABG) announced that three of its units won 'Islamic Finance News Awards 2013' as the Best Islamic Banks in the region through the annual comprehensive referendum conducted by the Foundation of Islamic Finance News.

Al Baraka Islamic Bank won the award as the Best Islamic Bank in Bahrain, Al Baraka Bank Lebanon won the award as the Best Islamic Bank in Lebanon and Al Baraka Bank Sudan won the award as the Best Islamic Bank in Sudan, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

The voting in favour of the three units to win this award for 2013 was through the annual referendum organised by Islamic Finance News, where it invited Islamic financial companies and investors and companies from outside the banking sector and government institutions from around the world to take part in the referendum.

The Islamic Finance News is based in Kuala Lumpur. It is an international institution specialising in providing news for the Islamic financial sector.

The Islamic Finance News Awards are considered the most transparent and competitive international awards, and are subject to strict standards when voting, where companies and banks are not allowed to vote for themselves, but are subject to the judgment of others.

For this edition, the organisers received 264 nominations, over 100 more than in 2012.

Al Baraka Islamic Bank chief executive and board member Mohamed Isa Al Mutaweh received the awards on behalf of winning units of the group at a ceremony held in Dubai.-TradeArabia News Service