Amlak Finance said its chief executive officer Arif Alharmi was awarded the prestigious 'CEO of the year 2008' award in the Home Finance Category at the CEO Middle East Awards function held at the Raffles Hotel in Dubai.

Arif Alharmi was presented the award at the event by Walid Akawi, chief executive officer of ITP Publication.

The event was also graced by senior government dignitaries, key regional businessmen as well as senior media representatives.

Arif Alharmi, chief executive officer, Amlak Finance said: 'I am delighted to be honoured with such prestigious award and I want to thank the organisers and the panel of esteemed judges for their decision.

'I also want to congratulate the entire team at Amlak for their continued perseverance and commitment in serving all our local and regional customers.'

Alharmi assumed the role of CEO of Amlak Finance in May of 2007 and under his leadership the company witnessed a remarkable turnaround and a more fortified positioning in the UAE market as well as across the Middle East, complimented by the outstanding financial results announced over the past few quarters.

Alharmi has been an exemplary leader who has led the way forward for Amlak to emerge as the leading real estate financer in the Middle East.

Alharmi added: 'We at Amlak are adamant in the drive for excellence and we intend to continue with the strategic development of the company, our services and the industry as a whole in order to better serve our customers.

'This award is not for any of my personal accomplishments but is another milestone to be added to our group effort.'

There were 15 categories of business excellence being recognised this year, with nominations and winners chosen by senior ITP editors and directors.

Over 300 companies and individuals were shortlisted for the awards, from which only three nominations were made for each category.

The evening also featured a key note speech from Sir Stelios Haji-Iannou, the founder of EasyJet. - TradeArabia News Service