MEED has announced the winners of the Mena Banking Excellence Awards 2026 – Corporate & Investment, recognising achievements in financing businesses and the improvements in the banking services that support their day-to-day operations.

The winners were recognised at a ceremony on 3 November at Mina Al-Salam, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, held as part of Dubai Future Finance Week.

“Corporate clients need banks that understand both their financing plans and the practical demands of running a business. This year’s awards reflect that connection, recognising financing expertise alongside work to make payments, trade and cash management more effective for clients,” said Sarah Rizvi, editorial and programme director – financial services at MEED.

Mena Banking Excellence Awards 2026 winners

Transaction banking was a recurring theme, with work to connect payments, cash management and trade finance more closely. Digital developments included links between bank platforms and companies’ internal systems, alongside improvements to corporate account opening and online trade services.

For treasury teams, these connections can reduce manual work and make it easier to initiate payments and manage cash. The focus on account opening and transaction processing reflects the practical demands of corporate banking, where delays can affect a company’s ability to move funds and transact.

Financing activity covered debt and equity issuance, syndicated lending and structured finance. The work reflected a range of corporate funding needs, from raising capital for expansion to arranging finance around particular assets or projects. Islamic finance was represented across corporate services and debt markets, including sukuk (Islamic bond) issuance.

Sustainable finance was another prominent theme. Alongside green lending and bond issuance, the programme highlighted work to incorporate environmental and social considerations into lending decisions and risk management. This included frameworks for assessing eligible activities and borrowers’ plans to reduce emissions.

The approach to sustainable finance also extended to what happens after funding is raised. Tracking the use of proceeds and reporting on the activities financed were recurring features, with external reviews and assurance providing a means of checking those disclosures.

Risk management included governance for artificial intelligence and controls for fraud and operational risk.

The awards covered regional and country-level banking achievements, as well as specialist services in asset management, investment advisory and institutional brokerage. Corporate responsibility, gender diversity and individual leadership were also recognised.

Mena Banking Excellence Awards 2026 – Corporate & Investment winners are now live.