GCL-International Recommends Renewing the ISO 9001:2015 Global Quality Management System Certification for Palestine Islamic Bank for the Next Three Years
GCL-International has recommended renewing the global quality certification for Palestine Islamic Bank (PIB) according to the ISO 9001:2015 international standard for the next three years. This recommendation follows the completion of a comprehensive external audit of the Bank’s Quality Management System, which covered the PIB's various operations, branches, and departments.
The recommendation came after a meeting held at the Bank, attended by Hatem Areenat, Assistant General Manager for Banking Operations; Mahdi Al-Rifai, Director of the Organization and Business Procedures Department; Eng. Shireen Al-Sayed, General Manager of GCL–Palestine and Audit Team Leader; and via videoconference, Lead Auditor Eng. Baha’ Tuhboush.
During the meeting, the results of the audit were presented and discussed, highlighting the significant progress achieved by PIB in applying global quality standards across its operations. The results showed that the Bank remains committed to implementing all requirements of the ISO 9001:2015 standard in its business and strategies, in line with best international practices appropriate to the Bank’s context, including clauses related to climate-change issues, institutional learning, recovery, and sustainability.
Dr. Imad Al-Sadi, General Manager of Palestine Islamic Bank, stated that adherence to the highest global quality standards aligns with the PIB's strategic objectives of meeting customers’ aspirations and growing needs for Islamic banking services and products with the best possible quality.
Al-Sadi explained that this new achievement in quality management comes despite the difficult conditions and increasing challenges of the past two years due to political and economic circumstances. He stressed that this accomplishment is the result of forward planning, continuous guidance from the Board of Directors, adoption of best governance and institutional excellence practices, the outstanding efforts of the Bank’s employees, and the ongoing oversight of the Sharia Supervisory Board, which ensures that all Bank operations comply with Sharia rules and principles.
He added: “This reaffirms that the Bank continues to apply all requirements of the ISO 9001 international standard across its business and strategies, in accordance with the best global practices tailored to the Bank’s context, including clauses related to climate change, institutional learning, and recovery. It also paves the way for PIB's efforts to align its quality systems with upcoming changes in the ISO 9001:2026 standard, which will emphasize sustainability, climate-change considerations, strengthened leadership, alignment of quality policy with strategy, and enhanced awareness, knowledge, and risk-based thinking.”
For her part, Eng. Shireen Al-Sayed — External Audit Team Leader — and Eng. Baha’ Tuhboush thanked the management and staff of PIB for the high level of cooperation, transparency, and support during the audit process. They confirmed that the Bank’s administrative systems and strategic direction are comparable to those of major banks operating in the Arab region.
During the presentation of the comprehensive audit results, Al-Sayed noted that the continuous positive improvement in performance indicators reflects the maturity of the Quality Management System and effectiveness in applying quality and digital-transformation practices. The results demonstrated senior management’s commitment to reinforcing a culture of quality, and the increased awareness of employees regarding system standards and requirements, which contributed to improved performance and strengthened the path of continuous development despite challenges in Palestine.
She added: “The results also affirmed the Bank’s ability to manage all types of risks—strategic, operational, and financial—with flexibility and effectiveness, in line with global best practices. They also highlighted the integration of the Bank’s administrative systems in supporting the achievement of strategic objectives and business sustainability, along with a recommendation to continue enhancing key performance indicators and strengthening the corporate governance framework to ensure alignment between quality objectives and stakeholder expectations.”
Al-Sayed further emphasized that these quality achievements, continuous application, and performance improvements constitute a resilience pillar for the Bank and demonstrate its capacity for innovation and effective response. She noted that the core of progress lies in enhancing performance indicators and reviewing administrative governance to make it more mature and comprehensive, which contributes to business sustainability and amplifies the positive impact of quality culture internally and among all stakeholders.
The mission and vision of Palestine Islamic Bank focus on excellence in providing modern, secure banking and investment solutions in accordance with Islamic Sharia. The Bank has also developed a well-designed strategy to advance its digital-transformation journey, supported by a cybersecurity strategy that ensures the protection of all customer data — leading to the launch of pioneering digital services.