Commercial Bank has won two awards at “The Asian Banker’s Excellence in Retail Financial Services Programme” held during an awards ceremony in Dubai. Following the International Banker award in 2015 for “Commercial (SME) Bank of the Year”, Commercial Bank, which is Qatar’s first private bank, has been awarded “SME Bank of the Year” by The Asian Banker. Given the importance and increasing focus of the SME community in Qatar, receiving such recognition is a testament to Commercial Bank’s strategy which continues to evolve in line with market and customer requirements. Commercial Bank’s ‘Enterprise Business Loan’ was recognised for its “success” in the Qatari market, addressing SME customers’ working capital needs with quick turnaround times and flexible criteria for eligibility contributing to the doubling of sales of the product through 2015. The bank also claimed “Deposit Product of the Year” for its Regular Saver Account at the same awards ceremony, held to recognise the pursuit of excellence among retail financial institutions in the Middle East and Africa. Commercial Bank said it aims to “encourage a culture of savings” through the Regular Saver Account, as customers who save regularly are rewarded with high interest rates. The Asian Banker acknowledged Commercial Bank’s “successful digital innovation” via Internet and Mobile Banking, and marketing through social media and other platforms to secure over 15,000 accounts. The Asian Banker is an authoritative provider of strategic business intelligence to the Asian financial services community and Commercial Bank underwent a stringent three-month evaluation for both awards based on a balanced and transparent scorecard. Commercial Bank CEO Abdulla Saleh al-Raisi said, “Commercial Bank’s track record of supporting Qatari businesses for over 40 years means we understand the fundamental role that SMEs play in the economy by providing the engine for private sector growth and diversity in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030. Two awards in two years for the strength of our SME banking from respected international publications is testament to how highly Commercial Bank values nurturing Qatar’s entrepreneurial business community through our specialised department- Enterprise Banking.  “As the SME bank of choice in Qatar, we will continue to find new and innovative ways to deliver the best experience for our SME customers and support the development of the Qatari economy.” Pictures show Commercial Bank executives with the two awards at the awards ceremony in Dubai.