Arab Bankers Association of North America

What Arab Bankers Association of North America does

ABANA (Arab Bankers Association of North America) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit professional membership association founded in 1983 and headquartered in New York City, serving as the preeminent US-based organization for finance professionals and institutions with interests in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The organization operates a tiered membership model comprising approximately 80 institutional members (at $3,000/year base) and 600 individual members (at $350/year, with a student tier at $100/year), generating recurring subscription revenue supplemented by event ticket sales and multi-tiered event sponsorships (Diamond through Bronze). ABANA's core products include a secure online Membership Directory, curated event programming (18+ events annually including the Achievement Award Dinner, CEO Series, Spotlight Series, Young Professionals sessions, and partner events), and the John Mack ABANA Fellowship administered through its affiliated 501(c)(3) ABANA Foundation, which provides $15,000 grants to MBA students with MENA connections.

The organization's technology stack is intentionally minimal: a WordPress-based website (abana.co) supporting member directory access, event registration, and online membership applications reviewed by the Board of Directors. ABANA has no proprietary technology, no API, no patents, and no disclosed data assets. Its competitive differentiation rests entirely on its 42-year community ecosystem, the prestige of the Achievement Award (recognizing leaders such as Larry Fink, Stephen Schwarzman, David Rubenstein, and heads of major sovereign wealth funds like Mubadala, PIF, and Kuwait Investment Authority), and its network of institutional members spanning Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, Morgan Stanley, Carlyle, Citigroup, Arab Bank, and other blue-chip financial institutions.

ABANA's go-to-market is relationship-driven and event-led. Approximately 40% of members reside outside the New York Tri-State area and 15% are based in the MENA region. Marketing channels include the website, email newsletters, LinkedIn, member referrals, and co-hosted partner events with law firms (DLA Piper, Clifford Chance, Gibson Dunn, Akin Gump, Fragomen) and other associations (Financial Women's Association, Abu Dhabi Finance Week). Revenue is non-dilutive and not externally funded, with operations funded entirely through membership dues, event fees, sponsorships, and charitable donations to the Foundation.

Name

Arab Bankers Association of North America

Legal name

Arab Bankers Association of North America

Website

https://abana.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ABANA is a 42-year-old New York-based 501(c)(6) non-profit membership association connecting approximately 80 financial institutions and 600 individual finance professionals across the US and MENA region through events, networking, and the John Mack Fellowship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: ABANA generates revenue through tiered membership fees including Institutional Membership ($3,000/year plus $400/year per additional representative beyond 5), Individual Membership ($350/year with 20% discounts for member institution employees and those outside NY Tristate area), and Student Membership ($100/year). Membership is annual with auto-renewal options.
2. Event Tickets and Sponsorships: Revenue generated from event attendance fees including Achievement Award Dinners (non-member rate: $2,000, member rate: $1,000), Summer Receptions, Holiday Receptions, and partner events. Additional revenue from event sponsorships at Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers.
3. Fellowship Program: The ABANA Foundation (501(c)(3)) operates the John Mack ABANA Fellowship providing $15,000 grants for up to two years for MBA students with Arab/MENA heritage or demonstrated interest in the MENA region. Funded through donations from the Mack family and other donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ABANA is a non-profit professional membership association that connects US-based finance professionals and institutions with interests in the Middle East and North Africa. It sells tiered memberships (Institutional $3,000/year, Individual $350/year, Student $100/year), operates a curated calendar of in-person and virtual events (Achievement Award Dinner, CEO Series, Spotlight Series, Young Professionals events, Summer and Holiday Receptions), maintains a secure member and institution directory, and through its affiliated 501(c)(3) ABANA Foundation administers the John Mack Fellowship granting MBA students with MENA ties $15,000 for up to two years.

Product overview

ABANA is a professional membership association (501(c)(6)) serving as the premier US organization for finance professionals and institutions with interests in the Middle East and North Africa. The organization operates three membership tiers (Institutional at $3,000/year, Individual at $350/year, and Student at $100/year) offering access to a secure online Membership Directory, curated events including the Achievement Award Dinner and Summer Reception, programming series such as the CEO Series and Young Professionals networking sessions, and the ABANA Foundation's John Mack Fellowship providing $15,000 grants to MBA students with MENA ties. Together with its affiliated 501(c)(3) public charity (the ABANA Foundation), the organization has maintained a 42-year legacy of connecting US and MENA finance professionals through first-class business intelligence programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• John Mack ABANA Fellowship: Fellowship program established in honor of John Mack, former Chairman and CEO of Morgan Stanley, supporting MBA students with Arab/MENA heritage or interest in MENA region
• ABANA Achievement Award
• ABANA Foundation

Products and services

• Institutional Membership Corporate membership at $3,000/year providing up to five institutional representatives with full benefits, including access to the online ABANA Member and Institution Directories, invitations to events, discounted Achievement Award Dinner sponsorship rates, and member pricing on event tickets.
• Individual Membership Individual professional membership at $350/year for finance professionals, consultants, and attorneys with MENA interest. Members receive access to events, the secure online Member Directory, and a 20% discount on individual dues if employed by an ABANA member institution or residing outside the NY Tri-State area.
• Student Membership Subsidized membership at $100/year for full-time students pursuing advanced degrees or in the final year of undergraduate studies in financial services-related fields. Members must submit proof of enrollment; part-time students are not eligible.
• ABANA Membership Directory Secure online membership directory providing ABANA members with access to contact information, professional profiles, and backgrounds of fellow ABANA members and member institutions in US-MENA finance.
• John Mack ABANA Fellowship Fellowship administered by the ABANA Foundation (501(c)(3)) that grants $15,000 per year for up to two years to full-time MBA students with Arab/MENA heritage or demonstrated interest in the MENA region, paired with mentorship from ABANA network leaders, access to ABANA events, and an exclusive NYC summit. Recipients must have GMAT 600+ and submit proof of enrollment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 600 members and 80 member institutions engaged in financial services across US and MENA
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• FragomenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026ABANA partners with Fragomen for Private Wealth Session on Citizenship & Residency by Investment. Event provides overview of leading investment migration programs across US, Europe, Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand. Fragomen handles registration.
• Financial Women's Association (FWA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026ABANA partners with FWA for the 2026 Global Capital & Leadership Forum focusing on sovereign capital, energy transition, AI, and geopolitical forces reshaping global finance. Event includes virtual panel on May 5 and in-person program on May 6 at Akin Gump in New York. ABANA members can attend at reduced FWA member rate.
• DLA PipercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2026ABANA partners with DLA Piper for IMF-World Bank Roundtable featuring H.E. Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Egypt's Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade. Event focuses on Egypt's economic reform agenda and private sector-led investment model. DLA Piper handles registration.
• ViakaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2025ABANA co-hosted 'Current Trends in AI in the Arab World' with Viaka. Event discussed how AI is reshaping industries and opportunities for tech ventures scaling in MENA region. Speakers included representatives from Silicon Valley Bank, Thomson Reuters Ventures, and Propeller.
• Abu Dhabi Finance WeekcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024ABANA partnered with Abu Dhabi Finance Week to host its first event in the MENA region - a panel discussion titled 'How Can AI Help Socio-Economic Development?' at Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2024. This marked ABANA's expansion of programming into the MENA region.
• Thomson Reuters VenturesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Thomson Reuters Ventures hosted the ABANA/Viaka AI event at their Times Square office. Provides venue and support for ABANA programming.
• Clifford ChancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABANA co-hosted 'Banking on Stability: Rebuilding Global Financial Bridges to a Post-Crisis Syria' with Clifford Chance. Event featured Central Bank of Syria, The Wolfsberg Group, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, U.S.-Syria Business Council, EY Dubai, and Arab Bank Group.
• Christie'sminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerABANA partnered with Christie's for a special program exploring global art markets and collecting, bringing together members around culture, capital, and cross-border exchange.
• Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAkin Gump hosts the 2026 FWA Global Capital & Leadership Forum in-person program at their New York office. ABANA members can attend at FWA member rates.
• The Metropolitan Museum of ArtminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe 2026 ABANA Achievement Award Dinner will be held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, in The Temple of Dendur. Venue partnership for premier annual event.
• Mandarin Oriental HotelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe 2024 ABANA Achievement Award Dinner was held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York City.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• The Partnership for New York City: Business leadership organization of NYC CEOs and institutional leaders focused on economic policy and cross-border investment. Comparable audience (C-suite financial services leaders) but functions more as policy advocacy than a dues-funded networking association.
• Economic Club of New York: Established NYC institutional forum hosting marquee speaker events with senior business and policy leaders. Comparable in its high-profile speaker programming and New York venue footprint, though broader in scope (no ethnic/demographic niche).
• Council on Foreign Relations: Elite US membership organization connecting finance, policy, and international affairs leaders. Overlaps with ABANA's cross-border US-MENA focus and its membership-of-influentials model, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader geopolitical scope.

Direct peers

• National Black MBA Association: Long-running US professional association with student, professional, and institutional membership tiers, an annual conference, and scholarship programs targeted at underrepresented communities in business. Operates the same membership/scholarship/event monetization playbook as ABANA.
• Financial Women's Association (FWA): NYC-based membership association for senior women in finance that co-hosts events with ABANA (e.g., the 2026 Global Capital & Leadership Forum). Operates a similar dues + event/sponsorship revenue model and serves a comparable niche of finance professionals seeking curated networking and credentialed industry forums.
• Association of Asian American Investment Professionals (AAAIP): NYC-based association advancing Asian American representation in investment management, with networking events, mentorship, and a leadership award gala. Closely aligned with ABANA on demographic-mission-driven finance networking and event-driven revenue.
• National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP): Long-standing US membership association promoting diversity across the securities industry, with institutional and individual membership tiers and an annual awards gala recognizing industry leaders. Closely comparable mission and structure to ABANA's: a 501(c)(6)-style membership organization serving underrepresented finance professionals via networking and recognition.
• Prospanica (Association of Hispanic MBAs & Business Professionals): National membership association for Hispanic business and finance professionals offering events, scholarships, and career programs. Mirrors ABANA's institutional + individual + student membership model and its John Mack Fellowship-style scholarship pipeline.

Emerging players

• National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI): Professional association for investor relations officers with individual/institutional membership and a major annual conference. Comparable membership-and-events monetization, though specialized in IR rather than MENA-focused banking/finance.

Regional players

• The Executives' Club of Chicago: Chicago-based executive membership organization convening senior business leaders via speaker events and networking. Similar dues + event-driven model to ABANA, but serves a Midwest rather than New York/MENA bridge audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/abana
• Instagraminstagram.com/abana_co
• Xx.com/abananews

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arab Bankers Association of North America