In our modern times, business leadership has become truly globalized. It could be easily seen in Abdul Khaliq Ahmed’s journey in international finance that has widened its impact beyond borders.

Today, the crowning-jeweled Chief Growth Officer of Tabashir for Arabia Trading, Saudi Arabia, Abdul Khaliq, has contributed in his own way to the region’s emergence as a Middle Eastern power-hub of global industries, for everyone to invest in the region and, in effect, the world’s holistic growth and sustainable progress.

A Purist Islamic Finance Champion

Entrepreneurial by nature, Abdul Khaliq’s multi-skilled talent sharpened after working as a part of Senior and Middle Management with well-known financial institutions spanning the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). His nearly three decades of hands-on experience acquired in the financial services industry, with specific skills in Investment Banking, Portfolio Management, and Product & Business Development, of which the last 15 years in Shariah-conscious institutions, make him an ideal leader for the global investors to approach.

Abdul Khaliq’s sound understanding of Shariah principles as and when applied to modern finance clearly aimed at proving Islamic finance leadership resilience and innovation whilst maintaining an approach that is purist to Islamic structures.

He also holds an impressive track record of establishing progressive investment growth strategies and converting those into stable and consistent performance. In his own words, he can equally build a business and manage it whenever required. He can also manage and scale an already established setup. Because of his firm grasp of understanding client needs while effectively creating and selling the end investment products, he is dependable.

Moreover, his strong management and leadership skills, along with a considerate and sensitive nature, enable him to quickly build teams across diverse geographies, nurturing them and ensuring an indelible sense of regard and respect among team members.

An All-inclusive Vision Spanning Continents

Abdul Khaliq has achieved so much because of his personal and professional belief in a leadership that goes beyond borders. To him, it means embracing diversity of thought, respecting cultural contexts, and fostering collaboration without limitations. Professionally, it’s about building strategies that transcend geographies — whether managing a multi-billion-dollar portfolio or structuring cross-border investment opportunities. Personally, it means leaving behind silos and cultivating relationships that inspire trust, no matter the jurisdiction.

For him, this journey began with a deep curiosity about how capital flows shape economies and opportunities. As a Chartered Accountant, while working with some of the most respected institutions in India, Abdul Khaliq realized that finance was not just about numbers — it was about strategy, impact, and transformation. That curiosity led him into investment banking and investment management, where he could combine analytical rigour with creative problem-solving to structure solutions for corporations and governments alike.

A Global Outlook Forged in Experience

In the world of international finance, few journeys are as transformative as that of Abdul Khaliq Ahmed. His path to becoming a global financial leader was defined early on by landmark transactions that taught him the true meaning of collaboration across borders. “That experience showed me how finance is inherently all-encompassing, and how success depends not only on technical expertise but also on understanding cultural nuances and building trust across borders,” he recalls. These multi-billion-dollar deals—from project finance to corporate bond issuances and private equity—required seamless cooperation between governments, global banks, and investors from diverse jurisdictions. It was in these crucible moments that he realized the same skills could be applied to asset management, transcending traditional boundaries and asset classes.

The Symbiosis of Education and Culture

Abdul Khaliq’s leadership style is a unique synthesis of his educational rigour and his deep cultural exposure. His training as a Chartered Accountant provided him with a ‘multi-faceted foundation’ in corporate finance, law, and accounting, giving him a unique skill set to apply to both investment banking and investment management.  This technical prowess, however, was balanced by his real-world experiences across India and the Gulf. Working in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE taught him a critical lesson: financial strategies must ‘align with local values—particularly Shariah principles—while also remaining competitive on a global scale.’ This balancing act of technical precision and cultural sensitivity is a defining characteristic of his leadership, allowing him to build and manage organizations that are both globally competitive and locally relevant.

The Art of Navigating Duality

In the complex tapestry of global finance, Abdul Khaliq Ahmed has mastered the delicate balance between regional tradition and global scale. He notes that GCC markets often blend ‘rapid growth with tradition,’ particularly in aligning financial innovation with Shariah principles. This contrasts with global markets, which ‘demand scale, liquidity, and often greater regulatory complexity.’ To navigate this duality, he emphasizes flexibility, innovating within local boundaries while ensuring strategies remain globally competitive.  This nuanced approach allows him to build bridges between distinct financial environments, creating a symbiotic relationship rather than a clash of systems.

Redefining Innovation

Abdul Khaliq’s career is punctuated by moments that challenged his conventional thinking. A notable example was the structuring of Shariah-compliant derivative products. This complex project required him to reinvent traditional financial instruments to align with Islamic contracts. This experience was a powerful lesson in ‘true innovation,’ which he believes happens when you ‘adapt global frameworks to local realities, rather than trying to impose one system on another.’ This philosophy has been a cornerstone of his success, enabling him to create pioneering solutions that respect cultural values while delivering robust financial performance.

A Strong Portfolio, a Resilient Mindset

For Abdul Khaliq, building a resilient financial strategy is about more than just diversification. It hinges on foresight, adaptability, and, most importantly, ‘understanding and predicting global economic trends.’ His most impressive feat in this regard was transforming a proprietary investment portfolio into a staggering SAR23 billion multi-asset portfolio. This achievement wasn’t about chasing fleeting returns but about building a strategy that could ‘withstand volatility.’ This involved a careful balance of sukuk, equities, real estate, and alternative investments. In a constantly shifting global economy, he relies on a combination of ‘early recognition of trends, robust risk frameworks, and flexibility in execution’ to ensure that his strategies and his teams are always prepared for the next wave of change.

The Lifeblood of Finance

For Abdul Khaliq Ahmed, innovation is more than a buzzword; it is ‘the lifeblood of finance.’ He firmly believes that without it, institutions will inevitably stagnate. His own career is a testament to this, marked by a relentless pursuit of new ideas and the courage to challenge convention. This commitment has led him to re-engineer conventional financial products into Shariah-compliant structures and even author digital banking strategies.  For him, staying ahead of the curve is not a passive act but an active process of ‘constantly reimagining products’ and investing time in understanding emerging markets, new technologies, and evolving customer needs. He encapsulates this philosophy: “Innovation is not a one-off; it’s a mindset.”

A Leadership Style Rooted in Humanity

When leading multicultural and cross-functional teams, Abdul Khaliq’s leadership style is defined by a unique blend of strategic thinking and deep empathy. He describes his approach as ‘inclusive, strategic, empathetic and empowering.’ He believes in building teams quietly and nurturing indigenous talent, fostering an environment of respect and accountability. In a diverse context, he prioritizes guiding his teams by first listening with empathy and understanding perspectives before guiding the team toward a common vision.’ His most powerful leadership belief is that “Leadership for me is treating your employees as humans, thus cultivating alignment and ownership.” He advocates for an environment of encouragement where employees are allowed to make mistakes without fear, recognizing that there is ‘no better way to grow than learning from your own mistakes.’

The Guiding Principles of Impact

At the heart of every decision Abdul Khaliq makes are three core values: integrity, innovation, and impact. Integrity, he states, ensures that decisions are ‘principled and sustainable.’ Innovation ensures his teams and institutions remain relevant and competitive.’ And finally, impact reminds him that “finance is not just about returns but about creating lasting value for institutions, stakeholders, and societies.” This unwavering commitment to his values has allowed him to build a legacy that transcends traditional metrics of success. It is this principled approach that has made him a trusted leader and a visionary who understands that true financial triumph is measured not just in numbers, but in the positive change it creates in the world.

A Legacy of Principles

When asked what advice he would give to emerging leaders on the international stage, Abdul Khaliq Ahmed’s guidance is both simple and profound. He believes that credibility begins with competence, urging young leaders to ‘master your fundamentals.’ From there, he stresses the importance of leading by example, embracing diversity, and anchoring oneself with strong values. He also advises taking calculated risks and thinking long-term, noting that “leadership is not about short-term wins but about building trust and impact over decades.” Looking back on his own remarkable career, he hopes to be remembered as someone who ‘bridged traditional values with modern innovation,’ particularly within the realm of Islamic finance. His ultimate aspiration is to leave a legacy defined by strategies, portfolios, and products that demonstrate resilience, inclusivity, and foresight, while mentoring the next generation of leaders to carry that vision forward.

The Next Frontier: Beyond Finance

For Abdul Khaliq, the journey continues. He is now focused on new frontiers that combine his financial acumen with a deep commitment to social and economic impact. As Chief Growth Officer at his current firm, he is working with ‘National Capital’- a CMA licensed capital market institution based in Saudi Arabia – ‘to launch the Saudi-centric Tabashir ‘Private Credit Fund’ aimed at addressing capital gaps for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by providing working capital, growth capital, and capital restructuring solutions.

His second venture takes him to the intersection of finance and technology as an Angel Investor and Board Director at BranchX, a startup in India. The company is using AI, data intelligence, and neobanking to create a retail-tech ecosystem for India’s 60 million+ unorganized retailers. In this role, he will help facilitate the ‘exponential growth of this ecosystem.’

Finally, Abdul Khaliq Ahmed is channeling his expertise into a cause close to his heart: sustainable climate and nature development. As an Advisor to Dr Adnan Aziz, the Chief Program Officer of Global Islamic Finance Impact Program (GIFIP), he is helping to mobilize the largely untapped pool of Islamic finance to tackle the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. By channeling these funds into ‘bankable climate-nature-development centric opportunities,’ GIFIP aims to improve livelihoods for communities within the Global South.  These new ventures underscore his ardent belief that finance, when guided by a strong moral compass, can be a powerful force for global good.