BMI Bank (BMI), the Bahrain based associate of BankMuscat the largest financial services provider in Oman, today announced that it had signed on Bahraini Olympian Sami Al Kooheji as its brand ambassador at a ceremony that was held at the banks headquarters at the Bahrain World Trade Center (BWTC) and attended by officials from BMI Bank, the Bahrain Maritime Sports Association (BMSA) and BWTC. The two-time world record holding sailor and airline pilot has signed a long term agreement with BMI and will take on an active role in product advertising, public relations and visual marketing for the brand.

Unveiling the new brand ambassador, Andrew Bainbridge, Chief Executive Officer of BMI said:

"I am delighted to announce that Bahraini Olympian Sami Al Kooheji will be joining our family. Sami is an exceptionally talented athlete who inspires young Bahrainis to constantly achieve their dreams and seek new challenges. Youthful and competitive, yet principled and focused, this local star embodies all the values that we, as a proud local bank stand for.

At BMI, our commitment towards the community is reflected through our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program which is at the very heart of our operations. We actively support, sponsor and encourage community led initiatives in education, arts, sports, culture and other related activities that motivate people to take the extra step to realize their ambitions to succeed in life. Sami now begins a new chapter in his quest for excellence at the 16th Asian Games in November and like everyone else in Bahrain, we are proud to support him in achieving his goals."

Bahraini Olympian Sami Al Kooheji said:

"To me, BMI Bank is a perfect fit. The brand is fresh, young and vibrant and in a short time has managed to deeply root itself within the community through various CSR initiatives. BMI empowers and drives all those determined to turn hope into reality. I have always tried to imbibe these qualities in my career as well as in my personal life and am proud to be joining a winning team. I look forward to building a strong relationship with BMI in the coming years and thank them for their support. It’s great to be back racing competitively and I’m excited about representing Bahrain on the world sporting stage again. With the help of my new sponsors and partners I’m confident I can reach new goals set. I never thought I would be working as a full time airline pilot and still being able to sail on the international circuit. Thanks to Air Arabia, one of my main sponsors and, the airline I fly for and my new sponsors BMI Bank and Audi Bahrain, the dream has become a reality," he added

In February 2010, Sami launched his official comeback to sailing by announcing his bid to compete in the 2010 Asian Games being held in China in November. This campaign, known as "The 2010 Air Arabia Sailing Adventure" will see Sami compete in 15 international championships in the Middle East and Europe as part of his training program for the 2010 Asian Games.

Sami is supported by his partners Team Pindar, Sail Bahrain, GAC, and the Bahrain Maritime Ports Association. He is also an ambassador to promote the Sail Bahrain Project around the world.

Seen in the picture from left to right are

Gordon Andrade – Head of Corporate Communications, BMI Bank
Basim Hussain – Head of Private Banking, BMI Bank
Andrew Bainbridge – Chief executive Officer, BMI Bank
Sami Al Kooheji
Rana Habib, Marketing team, BWTC
Mohammed AbdulRahman, Marketing team ,BWTC