The Arab Bank was set up 71 years ago in Jerusalem as a family-owned bank. The bank was first conceptualised by the late Abdul Hameed Shoman, when he had emigrated to the US from Jerusalem.

The new headquarters for the Arab Bank embodies its past, present and future. The imposing structure in Bahrain's upmarket Diplomatic Area epitomises history juxtaposed with modernity in the Arab world.

The architecture of the Arab Bank Headquarters is an interesting combination of modern and traditional Islamic elements, says Umesh Bangera, projects director at Bahrain-based Mohamed Salahuddin Consulting Engineering Bureau (MSCEB). MSCEB was the design and supervision consultant for the project.