Al Rayan Bank — Usman Ahmed appointed Group CEO

Summary

• AlRayan Bank appointed Usman Ahmed as Group CEO with Qatar Central Bank approval.
• Fahad Al Khalifa ended his tenure September 30 and moved to Advisor to the Chairman.
• Ahmed brings 30 years across Citigroup and National Bank of Bahrain to Qatar's second-largest Islamic lender.

The latest

Qatar's AlRayan Bank has a new Group Chief Executive Officer. The bank said Usman Ahmed was appointed to the post with the approval of the Qatar Central Bank, and that outgoing chief Fahad Al Khalifa concluded his tenure on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, moving into an advisory role with the chairman. Omar Al Emadi takes the helm on an acting basis from October 1.

Details

• The appointment: AlRayan Bank announced that Usman Ahmed becomes Group Chief Executive Officer following approval by the Qatar Central Bank, the regulator whose sign-off is required for senior executive appointments at Qatari lenders. The bank said Ahmed is expected to take up his duties after completing the necessary joining formalities, without naming a date.
• The interim: Omar Al Emadi serves as Acting Group CEO starting October 1, holding the post alongside his existing responsibilities as Group Chief Operations and Administration Officer. The arrangement runs until Ahmed formally assumes office, according to the bank, which did not indicate how long the transition is expected to last.
• The outgoing chief: Fahad Al Khalifa concluded his tenure as Group CEO on September 30, 2026, and transitioned to Advisor to the Chairman, the bank said. The announcement did not specify the scope or duration of the advisory mandate, nor whether it carries board-level responsibilities.
• The incoming CV: Ahmed has more than 30 years of banking experience across the Middle East, Asia and Europe, according to the bank, spanning corporate and investment banking, capital markets, commercial and consumer banking, Islamic finance and strategic transformation — covering both conventional and sharia-compliant business lines.
• Prior leadership: Before joining AlRayan Bank, Ahmed served as Group CEO of National Bank of Bahrain. He previously held senior roles at Citigroup, where he was CEO of Citi Malaysia and CEO of Citi Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, and served as Global Head of Citi Islamic Banking.
• The chairman's framing: Sheikh Mohamed bin Hamad bin Qassim Al Thani, chairman of AlRayan Bank, said the board believes Ahmed's experience, leadership capabilities and track record "position him well to lead the bank through its next phase of development and the continued execution of its strategic priorities." He also expressed the board's appreciation to Al Khalifa, saying the bank looks forward to continuing to benefit from his strategic insight.
• The paper trail: Gulf Times reported the appointment on September 30, 2026, citing AlRayan Bank's official announcement. The move was also carried by ZAWYA and featured in QNB Financial Services' Daily Market Report of October 1, 2026, placing it among the market-relevant items flagged to Qatari investors.

Background

AlRayan Bank is one of Qatar's largest sharia-compliant lenders and a constituent of the Qatar Stock Exchange, where leadership changes at listed banks require Qatar Central Bank approval before taking effect.

Between the lines

The bank's own sequencing is unusually explicit: a formal appointment, a dated handover, an acting chief from October 1, and a defined advisory landing spot for the outgoing CEO. Taken with the chairman's reference to continuing execution of existing strategic priorities, the framing points to continuity rather than a reset — the profile the board highlighted leans on Islamic finance and cross-border experience built at Citigroup and National Bank of Bahrain.

What's next

The date Ahmed completes joining formalities and formally takes office, ending Al Emadi's acting mandate, is the next concrete marker. Watch AlRayan Bank's third-quarter results and any disclosure to the Qatar Stock Exchange detailing the advisory role's terms.

Source: Gulf Times, ZAWYA, QNB Financial Services