About Amana Takaful Maldives

Mr. Tyeab Akbarally is the Chairman of the Company. He has been appointed to the Board since its inception. He is also the Chairman of Akbar Brothers Ltd., the largest tea exporter in Sri Lanka. Mr. Akbarally’s business interest extends to many sectors of the economy including Pharmaceutical Trade, Hydro, Wind and Solar Power and Commodity Trading. He is also on the Board of several companies in the Akbar Brothers Group and Sunshine Holdings Ltd.

Mr. Osman Kassim is a prominent Sri Lankan entrepreneur, philanthropist, and educational visionary. He is widely recognized for pioneering Islamic finance in Sri Lanka and for his significant contributions to the country's business and education sectors.

Mr. Osman Kassim received his early education at Royal College, Colombo. He later pursued higher studies at Staffordshire University in the United Kingdom, where he was honored with an Honourary Doctorate in recognition of his achievements as a global entrepreneur and visionary educationalist.

In 1978, Kassim founded Expolanka Limited, initially focusing on the export of fresh produce. Under his leadership, Expolanka expanded into various sectors, including manufacturing, logistics, investments, transportation, and leisure, operating in over 20 countries and 50 cities.

Mr. Osman Kassim also played a pivotal role in introducing Islamic finance to Sri Lanka. He established the country's first Islamic Investment Company in 1997, followed by the first Islamic Insurance Company, Amana Takaful, in 1998, and the first Sharia-compliant bank, Amana Bank, in 2011.

Currently, he serves as the Chairman of Amana Takaful Life PLC, Vidullanka PLC, Vidul Biomass (Pvt) Ltd, The Goodness Foundation, Crescentrating (Pte) Ltd, Singapore and Ijara Company Kyrgyzstan. He represents Amana Takaful Maldives on the Board of Maldives Islamic Bank PLC.

Demonstrating a strong commitment to education, Mr. Osman Kassim was instrumental in establishing the Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT) in Sri Lanka in 1999. This initiative, in collaboration with APIIT Malaysia and Staffordshire University, positioned APIIT as one of the first private higher education institutions in the country.

Beyond his business endeavors, Mr. Osman Kassim is a dedicated philanthropist. He has been involved with various charitable organizations, including The Goodness Foundation and the Ilma Educational Foundation. His contributions have been acknowledged through various accolades, including being featured on the cover of LMD, a leading business publication in Sri Lanka.

Mr. Osman Kassim's multifaceted career reflects his unwavering dedication to fostering economic growth, advancing education, and promoting ethical financial practices in Sri Lanka.

Dr. Wan Zamri, is an Associate of the Malaysian Institute of Insurance (AMII) and holds a Masters of Science (Msc) in Islamic Banking and Finance from the International Islamic University of Malaysia, and a Phd in Takaful from University Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.

He has close to forty years’ experience in the industry of which thirty years was with takaful and retakaful. He started his career in insurance in 1980 with a number of insurance and reinsurance companies in Malaysia.

In 1986, he moved to Syarikat Takaful Malaysia, the first full fledge takaful operator in the region and served as Branch Manager in the States of Kelantan and Pahang from 1986 to 1997. In 1998 he was seconded by Syarikat Takaful Malaysia to help set-up and later appointed as the first CEO of Asean Retakaful International (L) Ltd until 2003. This is the first full fledge offshore retakaful operator in the region and have provided Shariah compliant retakaful solutions to numerous takaful operators worldwide. He was again seconded by Syarikat Takaful Malaysia from 2004-2007 to its subsidiary in Indonesia, Syarikat Takaful Indonesia as the Group CEO, overseeing its two subsidiary companies namely PT Asuransi Takaful Umum (General Takaful operation) and PT Asuransi Takaful Keluarga (Family Takaful operation). He left Takaful Indonesia in 2007 to join a financial group in Dubai, to help set-up a new general takaful company named Dar Al Takaful and was later appointed as its first CEO until 2010. In 2015, Dr. Wan Zamri was appointed by UNI Razak-IBFIM consortium to study and propose for the establishment of takaful in the Republic of Tatarstan and Russia. In 2016, he was involved in the setting- up of Noor Takaful Insurance Nigeria and was latter appointed as its first Managing Director until 2018. In 2019, he was appointed as an independent board member of Noor Takaful Insurance Nigeria and served until 2024.

Dr. Wan Zamri currently sits as Board Member of Takaful Ikhlas General, Malaysia and Noor Takaful Health, Nigeria.

He co-authored three books published by IBFIM titled ‘Fundamentals of Takaful” (2011), “Fundamentals of Islamic Wealth Management” (2013), and “Takaful: Operations and Business Excellence” (2015).

He has travelled widely across Asia, Middle-East, Africa, Europe and the United States to promote takaful and retakaful. Over the years has presented papers in international conferences, workshops and trainings in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, UAE, Thailand, Australia, Russia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Nigeria, Gambia, United Kingdom, United States.

Abdullah Kassim is a young business leader with over 12 years of experience in Senior Management, specializing in Business Process Re-Engineering, Mergers & Acquisitions, High-Level Strategy, and General Management. His experience spans several industries, including Environment Management, Sustainability, Financial Services & Insurance, among others.

Abdullah is the Managing Director of Neptune Papers (Pvt) Ltd, Sri Lanka’s Premier Resource Recovery, Environment Management, and Recycling Company with interests in the Paper, Fabric, and Plastic Recycling Spaces. His interests and passion in Environment Management led him to transform the company from a small recycler to the largest company in the country over a 10-year period. He has added on several verticals to the business, which is expected to gather steam over the upcoming years.

Abdullah is also a Director of Aberdeen Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, a diversified conglomerate with operations spread across the world, including the UAE. He also serves as a Director at Amana Takaful PLC, Sri Lanka, and at Platinum Advisors, a boutique investment bank headquartered in Singapore. Previously he played the role of Head of Business Development of Expo Lanka Holdings PLC and was part of the core team that floated the company in the Colombo Stock Exchange.

Abdullah holds a First Class (Hons.) BBA from Staffordshire University, UK, and an M.Sc. in International Business & Management from Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, UK

Dr. Mohamed Shafeeq has been appointed as an Independent Director to the Board effective from 22nd May 2025.

Dr. Mohamed Shafeeq commenced his professional career at the Housing Development Finance Corporation PLC (HDFC) in 2009. Having served as the Minister of Finance in the past, he has contributed significantly to the State Internal Audit function, the National Tender Board, and the formulation of State Procurement Policies, and also held the presidency of the National Pay Commission. He represented the Maldives as Governor at international financial institutions, including the World Bank Group, ADB, IsDB, AIIB, and the Common Fund for Commodities.

Prior to his ministerial role, Dr. Shafeeq served as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), working with international partners such as IFC, ADB, and HDFC Bank Ltd., India. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Maldives Industrial Development Free Zone and as Chairman of the Board of Housing Development Finance Corporation.

Dr. Shafeeq is a Fellow of ACCA (UK) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of the Maldives. He holds a DBA, MBA, and BA (Hons.) in Accounting and Finance, and is a certified valuer and licensed auditor, with expertise in Islamic accounting and reporting.

Ms. Neeza Imad has been appointed as an Independent Director to the Board effective from 22nd May 2025.

Ms. Neeza Imad previously served as the Minister of State for Economic Development and as a Board Director of the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), the nation's central bank. In her ministerial role, she spearheaded major national initiatives, including reforms to expatriate employment systems, the establishment of the Maldives’ minimum wage, and the government’s economic and social protection measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before her appointment to the Ministry, Ms. Neeza built a distinguished 31-year career at the MMA, ultimately serving as Assistant Governor overseeing Financial Stability and as a member of the Board of Directors. She also represented the Maldives internationally as the Alternate Governor to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Throughout her career, Ms. Neeza contributed significantly to the development of the Maldives’ financial sector, leading the creation of regulatory frameworks for the banking and insurance industries and playing a central role in establishing the country’s first Credit Information Bureau. Beyond the financial sector, she chaired several key public enterprises, including the Maldives Fund Management Corporation (MFMC), the Agro National Corporation (AgroNAT), and the Male’ Water & Sewerage Company (MWSC). Ms. Neeza holds a Bachelor of Business in International Business from Charles Sturt University and a Master of Commerce from the University of Wollongong, Australia.

Prof. Dr. Aishath Muneeza has been appointed as an Independent Director to the Board effective from 22nd May 2024.

Prof. Dr. Aishath Muneeza is a distinguished expert in Islamic finance and currently serves as the Associate Dean for Students and Internationalization at INCEIF University. She has held several high-profile positions in the Maldives, including being the first female Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and the Ministry of Finance and Treasury. She played a pivotal role in the development of Islamic finance in the Maldives, having served as Head of Islamic Finance at the Capital Market Development Authority, a member of the Islamic Fiqh Academy, and Chairman of Maldives Hajj Corporation Limited and Maldives Center for Islamic Finance. Her expertise extends to Shariah advisory, having structured corporate Sukuk offerings and Islamic treasury instruments for both public and private entities. She sits on various Shariah advisory committees and boards in different countries, including the Maldives, Malaysia, and Tanzania. A registered Shariah Adviser with regulatory authorities in the Maldives, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka, Prof. Dr. Muneeza has contributed to the development of Islamic capital market products. She is a member of AAOIFI’s Public Interest Monitoring Consultative Committee (PIMCC) and an EXCO member of the Association of Shariah Advisors in Islamic Finance (ASAS), Malaysia. A sought-after speaker and certified training professional accredited by the Finance Accreditation Agency (FAA), she has received numerous national and international awards, including the Rehendhi Award and has received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 8th WIEFC 2025, Minhaj University Lahore, for her groundbreaking contributions to the global advancement of Islamic finance. She is also recognized in Islamica 500 as one of the most influential personalities in the field of Islamic economics.

Hareez Sulaiman joined Amana Takaful PLC, Sri Lanka in 2002. His extensive audit experience gained from working with global companies, backed by sound knowledge in finance, enabled him to make his career progression in the realm of 'Takaful' within a very short period of time.

In 2005, Amana Takaful - Sri Lanka, strategically broadened its reach beyond national boundaries and picked Hareez Sulaiman to spearhead the Maldivian operation. The organization, which started off as a foreign branch office, thrived and grew from strength to strength under his charismatic leadership. Currently, Amana Takaful (Maldives) PLC holds the distinction of being the trailblazer in Islamic Finance within Maldives and the sole publicly listed insurance company in the nation, having established itself as a reliable and esteemed brand.

Hareez has demonstrated a strong commitment to developing his expertise in the field of finance, both academically and professionally. He has achieved academic excellence by obtaining an Honors Degree in Accountancy from the esteemed International Islamic University of Malaysia. In addition, he has earned professional recognition as an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) in the UK, further attesting to his proficiency in finance. To enhance his knowledge of Islamic finance, he has completed the study programs in Islamic Finance offered by CIMA, UK. In pursuit of his professional growth, Hareez has also completed a Master of Business Administration from Cardiff Metropolitan University in Wales.

With 24 years of Takaful experience to his credit, he now heads the company as its Chief Executive Officer cum Managing Director.

Mr. Mohamed Siraj Nizam was appointed as an Executive Director of the Board on 22 May 2024. With over two decades of experience in accounting, finance, and treasury management, he brings a proven track record of leadership and expertise to the role.

He began his career at Amana Takaful PLC in March 2002, steadily advancing through various positions across key functions, including the Treasury Department. From August 2008 to April 2013, he served as Senior Accountant, where he was responsible for overseeing the financial operations and reporting of the company’s Medical Division. During his 11-year tenure at Amana Takaful PLC, he demonstrated strong capabilities in financial management and contributed significantly to the company’s growth and operational efficiency. In 2013, recognizing his leadership and technical expertise, he was seconded to the Maldives to support the Amana Takaful Group’s expansion. Since then, he has played a pivotal role in strengthening the Group’s financial operations and advancing organizational development in the Maldives market.

He currently holds Candidate Exams Complete Member status from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), UK.

A seasoned expert in Islamic Banking and Finance, with over 20 years of experience in Fiqh ul Mu’amalat, product development, and Shari’ah advisory. He has been instrumental in establishing Islamic units in major financial institutions across Sri Lanka and developing pioneering Islamic financial products regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka. A Certified Shari’ah Advisor (CSAA), lecturer, and speaker, he also serves on multiple Shari’ah Supervisory Boards and is actively involved in training, research, and community development initiatives.

Ash-Sheikh Huzaifah Hussain hails from Sri Lanka and is a known Scholar in the field of Islamic Finance for his contributions in several countries including Maldives. He is also a regular lecturer at Mahmoud Institute for Skill Development. Ash-Sheikh Huzaifah is actively involved in the Fatwa Committee of the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU), which is the supreme body of Islamic Theologians in Sri Lanka

Sheikh Qasim is the Vice Chancellor of Islamic University of Maldives. He is a graduate from the Islamic University of Madina, where he qualified in Hadhees. He has also completed his PhD in Islamic Revealed Knowledge & Heritage (Fiqh and Usool Al-Fiqh) from the International Islamic University of Malaysia.