Commercial Bank opens new Alternatif Bank head office in Istanbul

Doha, Qatar: Commercial Bank has opened the brand-new head office of Alternatif Bank at the Vadistanbul Bulvar complex in Istanbul, Turkey, which will bring together all of Alternatif Bank’s 650 employees under one roof.

 

The state-of-the-art office spans twelve floors and over 15,000 square meters of space. Among its modern facilities are open plan co-working spaces, spacious meeting rooms and private pods. It enjoys plenty of light and a contemporary décor.

 

Attending the opening ceremony was Mr. Omar Hussain Alfardan, Commercial Bank Managing Director and Alternatif Bank Chairman; Mr. Mohd Ismail Mandani Al Emadi, Commercial Bank Board Member; Mr. Joseph Abraham, Commercial Bank Group CEO and Alternatif Bank Vice-Chairman; and Mr. Kaan Gür, Alternatif Bank CEO. Other members of Commercial Bank and Alternatif Bank’s executive management team were also present.

 

The opening ceremony took place on the side lines of Commercial Bank’s annual Analyst Day in Istanbul, where its executive management team presented details of the Bank’s strategy, key successes over the past year and plans for future growth.

 

Mr. Omar Hussain Alfardan said of the opening: “As the first Qatari investor in the Turkish banking industry, we continue to expand our investments in the name of Alternatif Bank. It is a great pleasure to launch our Vadistanbul Head Office building today, which is as a reflection of our confidence in the future of Turkey and Alternatif Bank. It is our highest priority in the coming period to increase our support and create new opportunities for the robust strategic collaboration between the allied and friendly nations of Qatar and Turkey. We are certain that our investments in Turkey will continue to grow and add value to the economies of both countries.”

 

Mr. Joseph Abraham commented: “We are very proud to open this new head office for Alternatif Bank after months of hard work and preparation by our team. Turkey is a very important market for Commercial Bank. The two-way trade between Qatar and Turkey is growing very rapidly. Mutual investments are going up and more Turkish companies are now opening businesses in Qatar. Qatari companies are also entering Turkey in a big way, so it is an exciting time to cement our presence here with the opening of this new head office.”

 

Mr. Kaan Gür added: “Our new head office in Vadistanbul is a prestigious complex with extensive recreational and social areas that is larger than our previous head office building and operations technology centre combined.  At the heart of all efforts carried out by our bank lies an appreciation for people and our people-oriented approach based on the happiness of our employees. We have designed our new building to be more comfortable and modern, based on an innovative architectural approach and open-office concept in accordance with the needs and expectations of our employees.”

 

Commercial Bank owns 100% of Alternatif Bank’s shares. It became the majority shareholder in 2013 holding an initial 74.24% stake and purchased the remaining shares from Anadolu group in December 2016.