About
Osama Helmi Chairman
Mr. Osama Helmi is a seasoned Islamic banking executive with over 40 years of industry expertise across the MENA region, currently serving as Managing Director at Arab Finance
House SAL—a key subsidiary of Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB)—and Assistant General Manager at QIB. With a career dating back to 1985, he brings extensive expertise in Corporate and Islamic finance, strategic leadership, and governance across both entities. His dual roles underscore his trusted influence in shaping corporate strategy, managing operations, and steering executive initiatives within Qatar and Lebanon’s financial sector. He has also advised several nameworthy clients on transactions and structures.
He started his banking career in the Risk Management department at Misr America International Bank in Cairo, an affiliate of Bank of America. He then moved to Riyadh Bank
where he held the position of Credit Inspection Manager. He then moved to Qatar Islamic Bank working in the Investment and Local Financing before assuming the position of Director of Credit Risk Management in the United Bank of Egypt. His experience, mostly in the areas of Islamic Finance, Credit, and Investment enabled him to contribute to the development of Islamic Finance in the United Bank of Egypt. He most recently held the position of Head of Shariah Audit at Qatar Islamic Bank and is the Managing Director of QIB affiliate Arab Finance House. He holds a bachelor’s degree of Commerce and Accounting from Ain Shams University and is a Certified Lender License holder from Egypt. He is also a certified provider from the Marine Arabic Academy of Administrative Sciences.
Companies We Work With
Soha Helmi
Partner
Soha is a seasoned market research and insights leader with over 14 years of experience across the UAE and Egypt, specializing in quantitative research, strategic planning, and data-driven decision-making. As Insights Project Manager for the EMEA region at Meltwater. She oversees high-impact media insights projects, enhancing efficiency by 20% and achieving over 95% data accuracy. Her career includes senior roles at HSBC, IPSOS, Philip Morris International, EMMC, and Kantar, where she delivered actionable insights for financial services, FMCGs, and media sectors. Holding an MSc in International Marketing from the University of Sussex and a BA in Mass Communication from the American University in Cairo, Soha blends analytical expertise, stakeholder engagement, and leadership to drive business growth through actionable insights.
Mohamed Helmi
Partner
Mohamed is a seasoned Corporate Banking and Real Estate Financing specialist with over a decade of experience managing several large ticket debt portfolios and structuring high-value financing solutions across real estate, contracting, project finance and government-related entities. Most recently serving he was a Relationship Manager – Corporate Banking Group at Qatar Islamic Bank, where he managed a QAR 28 billion (US$ 8 billion) portfolio, structuring and executing large-scale bilateral, syndicated, and project finance transactions.
Mohamed began his career with QInvest, overseeing USD 500 million in equity and debt investments across real estate, credit, and private equity, and managing LP positions in global funds.
Mohamed has successfully closed transactions exceeding USD 1 billion, including a USD 300M real estate development financing, a USD 250M project finance facility, and a USD 150M portfolio restructuring. A CFA Level II Candidate with strong financial advisory, investment and credit risk analysis expertise, he holds a BBA in Economics from the American University in Dubai.