Al Baraka Group has stepped up efforts to bolster cross-border trade among its banking units, organising strategic trade finance events and launching enhancements to its integrated platform to support clients' access to global markets, the Bahrain-based Islamic banking group announced Sunday. The initiatives form part of the Group's ongoing Joint Trade Finance Collaboration Program, which aims to connect businesses across its vast geographic footprint. Recent sessions brought together exporters and importers from Türkiye and Algeria, and later from Egypt and South Africa, in a bid to deepen trade ties and unlock new commercial opportunities. "These collective efforts reflect Al Baraka Group's vision of transforming its diverse network into an integrated platform," said Group CEO Houssem Ben Haj Amor. The bank aims to enable clients "to seamlessly access multiple markets, benefit from diversified and flexible financing solutions, and leverage the Group's shared expertise and unified services to drive competitiveness and business growth." In parallel, Al Baraka held its second annual Trade Finance Units Meeting in Tunisia last month, bringing together executives and unit heads from across the Group's subsidiaries. The meeting reviewed the performance of 2024—the first full year since the Joint Trade Finance Collaboration Program was launched—and identified further opportunities to streamline operations and enhance client offerings. Key items on the agenda included an overview of joint transactions executed during the year, updates on the Group's centralised trade finance platform, and discussions on how to improve transaction speed, efficiency, and customer experience. The Group's unified trade finance platform has undergone technical upgrades to offer smoother connectivity across banking units, a move aimed at delivering more seamless service to clients operating in multiple jurisdictions. Al Baraka Group, which operates in over a dozen markets across the Middle East, North Africa, Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa, says it is positioning itself as a leading enabler of trade finance for exporters and importers seeking diversified and Shariah-compliant solutions. "Al Baraka Group remains fully committed to serving as a key enabler for businesses, exporters, and importers across its markets, offering advanced solutions and an integrated support network that aligns with our clients' ambitions for expansion and growth in new markets." Amor added. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
