Grant Thornton, an independent assurance, tax and advisory firm, has appointed Samer Hijazi as a Partner and head of Islamic Finance to lead the Abu Dhabi practice.

 

Previous to joining Grant Thornton, Hijazi worked for a Big Four firm where he was instrumental in the formation of the Islamic finance practice and developed new products and solutions to deliver to all UK Islamic financial institutions, FTSE 100 banks and global investment banks, which saw him becoming de facto UK Head of Islamic Finance in 2009 and Global Head in 2013 for the firm.

 

Commenting on the appointment, Hisham Farouk, CEO, said: “Islamic finance is the youngest and fastest growing form of ethical finance in the world and this coupled with the UAE’s strategic vision to establish the nation as the future Islamic finance hub presents huge opportunities. We are delighted to welcome Samer to Grant Thornton. With his expertise and our presence, we look forward to unlocking further potential for our financial services clients.”

 

As a result of his integral role in the UK and within Global Islamic Finance, he was awarded ‘Global Islamic Finance Adviser of the Year – International 2014’ by the Professional Sector Network.

 

Through this new appointment, Samer will continue to lead the strategic direction of the Abu Dhabi practice, whilst working to promote and further fortify Grant Thornton’s financial services and Islamic finance offering. -TradeArabia News Service