Chairman
Mr. Samir Zraiq is a prominent businessman with extensive experience in economic policymaking, asset and portfolio management, as well as financial and strategic planning.
His relationship with The National Bank (TNB) extends for more than nine years, having been a board member since 2012. He has chaired the bank’s credit facilities board committee as well as being a member of its investment committee. His belief in TNB’s capabilities and leadership role in developing financial services in Palestine has led him to grow his investment in the bank and become one of its major shareholders.
Mr. Zraiq is also the chairman of Palestine Investment & Development Company and Sahem Trading & Investments Company. With his wide and diverse investment experience, Mr. Zraiq has overseen the investments of a number of finance and real estate companies across the Palestinian private sector.
Due to in-depth knowledge of sustainable development, Mr. Zraiq has chaired the Palestinian Businessmen Association and served as the Vice Chairman of the Federation of Arab Businessmen, where he contributed to promoting and attracting Arab and International investments to Palestine.
Furthermore, Mr. Zraiq’s track record includes the planning of economic policies at the national level; he is a member of the National Team of Economic Development in Palestine as well as a member of the board of directors of the Social Security Fund. In addition, he is a member of the Palestinian National Committee of the World Trade Organization and a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).
Vice-Chairman
Omar M. Masri is a businessman with over 30 years of experience in the banking and energy sectors. Since 2006, he has been the Group Managing Director of the Edgo group, a regional company with operations in the fields of oil & gas, power, water, and infrastructure. Prior to Edgo, Omar established and managed Atlas Investment Group (“Atlas”) in 1996, a regional investment banking firm, and in 2004, the Arab Bank acquired Atlas and established it as the bank’s Investment Banking arm, known today as AB Invest. He was appointed as Arab Bank’s first Global Head of Investment Banking and represented Arab Bank on the boards of several affiliate and sister entities, including the Arab National Bank in Saudi Arabia. He was the first individual in Jordan to be granted the Certified Financial Consultant, Broker, and Investment Manager License by the Jordan Securities Commission. In 2004, Omar was invited to be a member of the Dubai International Financial Exchange (DIFX) Practitioner Committee to assist in the establishment of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC)’s DIFX operation.
In 2002, Omar founded the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute’s Jordan chapter and became its first chairman. Prior to establishing Atlas, he was a fund manager at Foreign & Colonial Emerging Markets in London, UK, where he structured and managed the first regional Middle East investment fund in the world, which was listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Omar has a B.B.A. in Finance from the George Washington University in Washington, DC. In 1990, he completed a two-year, intensive wholesale credit-training program at the Philadelphia National Bank/Wharton Business School in Philadelphia and subsequently managed the bank’s correspondent banking relationships in Thailand and Japan. Omar has been a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) since 2001 and was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
Representative of Jordan Commercial Bank (JCB)
Caesar Qulajen has been the General Manager of Jordan Commercial Bank since 2015. He has more than 30 years of banking experience. He has diverse experience in the banking and financial sectors in Jordan and abroad. Qulajen represents JCB on the boards of several companies, including Middle East Payment Services (MEPS), First Jordan Investment Company, and Al Hussein Fund for Excellence.
Prior to joining JCB, he was the Deputy General Manager of the Housing Bank for Trade and Finance, and the CEO of Abram for Industrial and Commercial Investments in Saudi Arabia. Prior, he was the Assistant General Manager for the Saudi American Bank (Samba), where he worked for 2 years. He was a Principal Manager at Arthur Andersen in Saudi Arabia and the Social Security Corporation.
Qulajen holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Dallas, Texas.
Representative of Jordan Commercial Bank (JCB)
Isam Salfiti has been the Chairman of “Bank al Etihad” since 1997 and has used his 48-year experience in the economic and banking sectors to enrich the bank’s strategy and growth and development plans. Between 1989 and 2008, he was the General Manager of the Bank.
In 2006, he established a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank Al Etihad named “Al Etihad Brokerage”. In addition, Salfiti is currently the Chairman of Jordan Hotels and Tourism, and he is a Board member of the King Hussein Foundation, Zara Investments, and the Jordan Education for Employment Foundation, where he is also a member of the Board of Trustees. Salfiti did not lose sight of his interest in education, as he is a board member of the Baccalaureate School and the Jubilee School.
He previously held several positions, most notably Board member of the Council of Higher Education - Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Salfiti & Sons Exchange Company in Amman and Beirut, the Union Land Development, Union Tobacco & Cigarettes Co., the Jordanian Businessmen Association, the Swiss Jordanian Business Club, the Anglo Jordanian Society, and the Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts. He was also the Deputy Director General of the Arab Financial Corporation and the Vice Chairman of the Integrated Tourism Company. He was a member of the Boards of Trustees of the University of Jordan.
Salfiti was born in Jaffa in 1944. He graduated in 1967 with a B.A. in Economics from the American University of Beirut. Salfiti is considered a reference in economy in Jordan and has supported the Jordanian economy in general and the banking sector in particular in many ways. He also supported the community and participated in various events to promote education and culture in Jordan. He was the Chairman of Jordan Festivals held in 2010.
Representative of Paltel Group
Maen Melhem is the General Manager of Palestine Telecommunications Company – Paltel; the leading ICT, fixed-line, broadband operator, Data Center services provider, established in 1997 as a public shareholding company.
Melhem has been the General Manager of Paltel since October 2014. Throughout his tenure, he has overseen a rapid period of development, improving the company’s performance in all its various fields. In particular, Paltel – under Melhem – has greatly enhanced the subscribers' experience by launching several new services, products, and campaigns. Paltel has also been able to introduce significant higher internet speed profiles for Palestinian homes.
In 2017, Melhem took a critical strategic step and invested in the establishment of (Tier III) Data Centers in Nablus and Al-Bireh cities, equipped in line with the highest standards to provide quality services to the Palestinian business sector. Melhem then opened the most advanced data center in the region in Al-Bireh.
Before joining Paltel, Melhem was the general manager of Palestine Cellular Communication Company Ltd. - Jawwal. During his four years of service, Melhem and his team implemented a comprehensive work plan that achieved the highest quality of service and subscriber satisfaction. This allowed Jawwal to maintain its position at the top of the telecommunications sector despite the entry of a competing mobile operator in Palestine in 2009. Melhem started his career at Jawwal where he held several management positions including Sales Director and Marketing Director before becoming General Manager.
Melhem is currently a member of the executive committee of the Paltel Group. He is also a Board member of the Golden Wheat Mills. He headed the Federation of Sports for All since 2013. He also chaired the Palestine Federation for Electronic and Intellectual Sports in 2021 which represents Palestine internationally.
Melhem holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Al-Quds University and a Bachelor of Accounting and Finance from Hebron University, Palestine. During his career, he attended several international conferences and advanced training programs that enriched his knowledge in the telecom field.
Representative of Paltel Group
Hisham Zaid has been the General Manager of Reach for Telecommunication Services, a Paltel Group company since 2018. He has over 15 years of experience in leading telecommunication, IT and financial companies. Reach is Palestine’s first and largest call center. It offers outsourcing services to all sectors locally and internationally. Zaid is responsible manages the company and sets its long-term strategic goals and targets.
Since 2008, he has worked alongside the executive team of Paltel Group. For more than 5 years, he has worked with its IT company, Hulul Business Solutions. He served in several roles and functions including managing Hulul’s international operations, running its Business Development Department, and developing and leading its Governance & Strategy Department. He was the General Manager of Palmedia Media Center from 2012-2018. The company’s main focus was providing broadcasting, production, and media transmission services to its clients.
Before joining Paltel Group, Hisham worked with the Palestinian Monetary Authority in 2006, as the Deputy Chief of the IT Policies & Procedures division. He was in charge of setting the strategies and standards of the PMA’s IT department.
Zaid has been a board member of the Palestinian-American Chamber of Commerce since 2018. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Northwestern University in Illinois, USA.
Member
Ms. Masri is a board member in many leading companies of the private and public sectors in Palestine. She is known for supporting charitable causes and initiatives that promote cultural sustainability and empowerment of Palestinians in various sectors through the Munib Rashid Al Masri Foundation for Development.
In the nineties, Masri worked for Manufacturers Hanover Bank in New York for 3 years and then moved to the UK to manage the family business. In 1995, she relocated to Palestine to help her family in the establishment of many companies in various sectors, which include consumer goods, beverages, construction, and car trading companies.
Masri obtained a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Studies from George Washington University, USA.
Member
A businesswoman with extensive experience in executive business, Zraiq is a skilled communicator and has proven her team building and employee development abilities. She is currently the Chairwoman of al Mustaqbal School, Chairwoman of Zoom Advertising and a board member of Sahem Trading & Investments. She is also a board member in publicly traded companies such as The National Bank (TNB), and Palestine Investment & Development (PID).
During the past 23 years Ms. Zraiq has taken the lead as Partner & CEO of Massar International Group investment projects, Siraj Fund Companies, and Bayti Real Estate Investment Company (the developer of Rawabi City). In 2016, she founded the Rawabi English Academy. She also served as a member of Rawabi Municipal Council for two consecutive terms. She has provided financial and administrative oversight for new business initiatives in journalism, IT, financial services, real estate, and media.
She was a founder and the first chairwoman of the Palestinian Businesswomen Forum and remains a member of its Board. She is a Board member of Partners for Sustainable Economy – PSD (www.psdpal.org) and the Chairwoman of the Global Young Presidents’ Organization - YPO Palestine chapter (www.ypo.org). She is also a member of the Advisory Board for YMCA Ramallah (www.facebook.com/RamallahYMCA).
She was assigned by the Prime Minster Dr. Hamdallah to the Board of the Loan Fund for Undergraduates in Palestine (2017- 2021). She is also a board member of the Arab Investor Forum (www.arabinvestorforum.com).
She is a fellow of the ASPEN Global Leadership Network (AGLN). In 2013, Zraiq earned the Vital Voices Global Leadership Economic Empowerment Award. She participated in many Local and International Conferences.
Independent Member
Aziz Abdul Jawad is the Chairman of Al-Wataniya Insurance Company. He served previously as a consultant of the Board of Directors between 2013 and 2019. He has been the Chairman of the Board of Al-Abraj National Company since 2014. Abdul Jawad held a seat on the Board of Directors of Safa Bank and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). In 2009, he became the CEO of Al-Wataniya Insurance for two years, after being its general manager for 15 years.
Abdul Jawad started his career in 1967 at the Kuwait Insurance Company, where he held a number of vital positions, the last of which was the deputy general manager. In 1994, he was selected as the representative of the Palestinian Market at the Council of the General Arab Insurance Federation and continued to represent Palestine until 2007. Abdul Jawad has been a board member in numerous companies and organizations, including: the Palestinian Capital Market Authority, Al-Nokhba for Medical Services and Consultations, Mt. David Hospital, and the Palestinian Road Accident Casualties Compensation Fund. In 2008, he chaired the Board of Directors of the Palestinian Insurance Federation. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Cairo.
Independent Member
A respected figure within the regional financial and insurance sectors, Zurub brings over 20 years of relevant industry experience in which he spearheaded multiple companies and federations, both in Palestine and Jordan. As CEO and board member of Al Mashreq insurance company and executive manager and board member of the Jordan French Insurance Company, Zurub lends unique insights to cement the abovementioned institutions’ standings as prominent market players. Among his contributions during his previous tenure as board member of the Palestinian Capital Markets Authority, he provided valuable knowledge to actively support the development of the Authority’s corporate governance. He is also an advocate for the digitalization of solutions in the financial sector; a risk management and mitigation specialist; and an expert on the impact of international financial reporting standards on financial services companies. Furthermore, he has established a number of logistics companies since 2003 and managed various projects across the region, including in Palestine. In 2014, he expanded into the real estate sector. He is now the Chairman of Alaqariya Commercial and Investment company.
Zurub is currently board member of Sadad, an electronic payment service provider, and many other companies in the financial services and investment sectors. He is the vice chairman of both Jordan Management and Consulting, a leasing and investment company, and Medservice, a leading medical third-party administrator. He previously chaired the board of the Palestinian Insurance Federation and was a member of the National Committee for Financial Inclusion.
Zurub holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Risk Management, from the University of Florida in the US.
Minority Shareholders Representative
Abu Khadijeh is the General Manager and main partner of Rasil Express (Fedex), Palestine. He has a rich experience and has worked in some of the largest and most reputable companies in Palestine. Between 2007 and 2012, he was the Deputy CEO and CFO at Paltel.
He was the CFO of Medical Supplies and Services, Unipal and the National Beverage Company/Coca-Cola in Palestine and led many important restructuring processes, purchases, sales and mergers.
He served as a Board member in several Palestinian companies such as Brico, Jericho Gate, Vitel and others. He is also a board member in some NGOs.
Abu Khadijeh holds a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University in Chicago, the US.
Mr. Salameh Khalil is a highly experienced executive with a career spanning over 20 years. His in-depth knowledge includes financial planning and strategy, risk management, treasury, internal controls, auditing, and accounting. Prior to his appointment as CEO of The National Bank (TNB), he was the Chief Financial Officer of Palestine Telecommunication Group (Paltel Group), he was responsible for managing the financial, administrative, human resource and procurement operations of the Group and supervising it, in addition to setting the strategic objectives of the Group within that scope. Mr. Khalil is a board member of various Group subsidiaries such as Jawwal, Jericho Gate Real Estate, Palvest, in addition to his board membership in TNB since 2013.
Before joining Paltel Group, Mr. Khalil was the Vice President of Finance of Bloom Holdings in the United Arab Emirates. His role included defining the Group´s financial strategies, treasury activities, financing the Group’s operations and projects, internal controls and preparing budgets and financial statements. Before working at Bloom Holdings, Mr. Khalil worked at Ernst and Young in Ramallah as the audit manager, where he managed the audit of leading corporates and international institutions including the European Commission, World Bank and USAID. in addition, Mr. Khalil also managed international projects for the Palestinian Ministry of Finance; consulted on audit and internal controls, budgeting, risk management and institutional capacity building for the sovereign institutional infrastructure.
Mr. Khalil obtained a Bachelor of Accounting from Birzeit University in 2000, and holds several additional accounting accreditations, including: Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Project Finance Specialist (CPFS) and Master Financial Controller (MFC).
Zaher Muala is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of TNB. He joined the executive team following the acquisition of the Jordan Commercial Bank, where he had served as the Regional Manager since 2018. Muala has a diversified banking experience on the local, regional, and international levels, spanning more than 20 years in corporate, retail, SMEs, strategic planning, project management and development, building analytical systems, data analysis and other fields. Muala also serves on the board member of MEPS Palestine.
Muala started his career in the United States in 2000. He worked for several banks including JP Morgan Chase, Washington Mutual Bank, and UBS/PaineWebber. In 2007, he joined the Arab Bank Group/Amman where he worked for 11 years as a Vice President and in various positions at the Headquarters. During this period, Muala managed a group of portfolios for the Bank’s global network. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Marygrove College in Detroit, United States of America.
Anan Zagha joined TNB as the Chief Financial Officer in late 2020. He started his career at Ernst & Young (EY) MENA - Palestine, where he was a Senior Audit Manager responsible for the largest companies listed in the Palestine Stock Exchange (PEX). Later on, he joined EY’s branch in Belgium to continue in his role as a Senior Audit Manager, where he also managed the audit of large listed companies, and supervised the audit quality for EY’s branches there.
With an experience extending for over 12 years, Anan has gained a vast knowledge in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), internal control and monitoring systems, and coaching in the relevant fields.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Birzeit University, Palestine, as well as international accounting and finance certifications including Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Haitham Najjar is the Chief Strategy Officer at TNB and has more than 14-years of experience in investment and strategic planning. He joined TNB in 2011 and held several positions including Investment and Financial Institutions Department Manager and Strategic Planning Department Manager. Najjar played an important role in managing and planning the bank’s Merger and Acquisition transactions, including: the merger with the Arab Palestinian Investment Bank (APIB), the acquisition of Bank Al Etihad, the acquisition of JCB, and the acquisition of a majority stake in the Palestine Islamic Bank (PIB), where he also managed building synergy between TNB and its affiliate PIB.
Prior to joining TNB, Najjar worked for two years as a Research Manager at Sahem Trading and Investment, where he was responsible for issuing initial specialized investment analysis reports for the Palestine Stock Exchange. Najjar’s experience also extends to academia: in 2009, he was a lecturer in financial management at the Department of Economics at Al-Najah National University.
Najjar started his career in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He worked for four years at Palestine Development and Investment Company (PADICO) and Tanmia Securities Company, consecutively, as a Senior Financial Analyst, Investment Consultant, and Financial Broker.
Najjar holds a master’s degree in Administrative and Financial Sciences from the New York Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and Banking from Al-Najah National University, Palestine. Najjar is also one of the first individuals in Jordan to obtain a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certification by the Jordan Securities Commission.
A well-known local banking expert, with a diversified banking experience of more than 24 years in the Palestinian system. Mr. Dahadha's expertise is diverse and includes: Credit facilities for retail, strategy development, designing banking products, studying and analyzing markets and customer behavior, and sales management. He also has administrative experience in regional branches.
He started his career in 1997 working for the regional department of the Arab Bank in Palestine. He left a clear mark when he contributed to the establishment of the first retail department in the Palestinian banking system in 2004 and built the bank’s retail department in 2008. He was promoted several times and held important administrative positions at a young age, mainly Director of sales and credit facilities for the retail sector. He also managed the bank’s network of branches in the West Bank, where he was the branch manager in the north, center, and south for several years.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Birzeit University, a master’s degree in business administration from Al-Quds University / Abu Dis, and received accredited international certificates, including the Certified Lender Business Banker (CLBB) from the Federation of American Banks.
A financial and banking expert with more than 21 years of experience in the Palestinian banking system and financial affairs. Nawahda’s experience is diverse in these two areas and includes management and control of financial and banking operations, treasury services management, management of administrative affairs, employee affairs and information technology. He also has experience in banking services for the corporate sector, customer service, audit and financial control.
Nawahda worked in the regional department of the Arab Bank in Palestine for 13 years, where he held several positions, including: Director of Banking Operations Supervision, Director of Financial Operations, and Deputy Director of the Banking Operations Sector. He then moved to Jordan Commercial Bank (JCB) where he was the Head of Banking Operations and Support (COO). He started his career at the Palestinian Ministry of Finance, where he was the Head of Internal Audit, and managed the Internal Control Development Department.
He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from An-Najah National University. He also has specialized certifications in financial markets and treasury, internal auditing, information security, money laundering (AML), and know your customer (KYC).
The Human Resource Department works on developing employee capacities since it believes that employees are the true capital of the bank. Therefore, investing in employees, by developing and enhancing their capacities continuously is a matter of priority for the bank to strengthen its capacity to respond to customer needs. The Department works collectively to detect needs, develop appropriate plans, and monitor the impact of these activities.
Purpose of the policy:
Alignment with the Labor Law and the instructions of the PMA by putting in place performance evaluation procedures and determining annual bonuses.
The National Bank continues to invest in women in the workplace. It is working hard to develop and hone their skills and capacities in order to provide them with the opportunity to compete and access leadership positions. The percentage of women who occupy leadership positions at the National Bank reached 22% at the end of 2021. The bank is working on increasing that percentage to 25% by mid-2022.
The National Bank is proud of its young cadre. The Bank is working on continuously investing in, developing and enhancing the capacity of its staff, while keeping them informed of the latest scientific achievements in all fields. TNB’s vision reflects the direction of its human capital and its customers. The academic qualifications of employees as of 31-12-2021 was as follows:
be more creative and innovative. These incentives also aim to increase and enhance the level of communication in unconventional ways between individuals in the institution and the administration, and to create a healthy professional workplace. They included:
A motivational program for employees to encourage them to take initiatives at work and nurture a spirit of creativity and innovation. The program aims to create favorable conditions for individual initiatives from employees to achieve the following objectives:
The bank believes in the importance of enhancing the process of communication with all employees at all administrative levels at the bank. The Human Resource Department is committed to developing policies and practices to enhance internal communications at the institution in a professional way, and to reaffirming the importance of communicating in a transparent and professional manner. The “Your Opinion Matters” window was developed as a platform for employees to express their opinion and provide suggestions on improving working methods and participate in the decision- making process.
Objectives of the “Your Opinion Matters” Portal:
Social activities that were carried out during 2021 had a big impact on motivating employees and breaking barriers between them. These social activities also strengthened bonds between employees and management through interaction in leisure activities, participating in special occasions and holidays. Some of the social activities that took place in 2021 were: