At the age of 42, Essam Janahi is one of the most accomplished chief executive officers in the region. At the head of the Gulf Finance House (GFH), he has acquired a worldwide reputation which made him win a great deal of awards, distinctions and titles. With a policy based on faith and dedication, Essam was able to drive the GFH to the top. Established on 16 October 1999 in the Kingdom of Bahrain, GFH derives its strength from its commitment to the Islamic Sharia’a philosophy of wealth management and a well-defined and broad-based portfolio of investments spread across three continents: Asia, Africa and Europe. GFH recently became the first Islamic investment bank in the Middle East to be listed on the London Stock Exchange. The GDR listing is yet another step in GFH’s continuous drive to tap into new markets, provide greater and viable investment opportunities for growth and is a testament to GFH’s record performance over the years, as well as recognition of the growing importance of Islamic finance on global financial markets. During its seven years of operations, GFH has successfully launched projects and investments with an aggregate final value exceeding US$12 billion. Ricardo Karam interviewed Essam Janahi in Manama, Bahrain.