Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait has appointed Giel-Jan M. Van Der Tol as Group Chief Executive Officer, replacing acting head Abdulla Al Sumait, who retains his position as Deputy Group CEO. The appointment was announced in early July 2025 and marks the formal transition of leadership at the Kuwaiti lender following a period of interim management.
Van Der Tol brings to the role more than three decades of banking experience and a track record of leading large financial institutions across the Middle East and Europe. His appointment signals the bank's intention to strengthen governance and accelerate its regional expansion strategy, particularly in the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, where Al Ahli has established a growing presence.
Van Der Tol spent 21 years at ABN AMRO Bank in the Netherlands, where he held positions including Global Head of Human Resources for the Global Markets Division in Amsterdam and London. He later served as Chief Operating Officer and then Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Hollandi Bank in Riyadh. After managing Tier One Capital in the Netherlands, he moved to the UAE, where he became Chief Executive of Dubai Bank in 2010. Following Dubai Bank's merger with Emirates NBD in 2012, he became a member of the Group Executive Committee, serving as Global Head of Wholesale Banking and subsequently as Chief Executive and Managing Director of Emirates NBD Bank Egypt. He holds a Bachelor degree in Business Administration from Nyenrode University in the Netherlands and a Master in International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait, founded in 1967, is one of the region's leading commercial banks, headquartered in Kuwait City. The bank operates across three markets: Kuwait, with 28 branches; Egypt, with 46 branches following its expansion there; and the UAE, where it operates in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The bank offers retail, corporate and private banking services, and also operates an investment arm, ABK Capital, established in 2006. Al Ahli has expanded significantly since establishing the first Kuwaiti bank branch in the UAE in 1986.
The appointment reflects the bank's broader trajectory of regional consolidation. Having established operations across multiple Gulf and North African markets, the lender now requires experienced leadership capable of managing complex cross-border operations and integrating wholesale and retail divisions. Van Der Tol's extensive background in wholesale banking at Emirates NBD and his earlier experience leading regional banks position him to drive standardization of governance practices and pursue potential strategic partnerships, aligning with the bank's stated vision of offering simplified, customer-centric banking across its growing footprint.
