Who hired in the Middle East in August?
After picking up a bit of momentum over the last few months, financial services recruitment in the Middle East was relatively slow August. Obviously times are tough, but it's also in a large part down to the annual summer lull and the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank has named Malik Sarwar as global wealth management executive to lead the team as it targets high net worth and affluent clients with sharia compliant products. Separately, Dhafer Faroq Luqman joins as head of strategy, product management and international retail banking.
Barclays has been given the go-ahead by the Saudi Capital Markets Authority to kick-start its operations in the kingdom. It has also hired Kashif Sohail as consumer banking director for its Egypt operations.
Barclays Wealth has secured the services of Fawaz R. Baba, who takes the post of general manager for its Middle East operations in Dubai. He joins from Investcorp Bank.
BDO Jawad Habib, the accountancy firm, has hired Gavin Brown as principal of its Qatar office, as well as Nahesan Neelalogithan as director of its audit and advisory business in Bahrain.
Emirates NBD has confirmed the appointment of Gary Dugan as head of its new private banking division. He joins from Merrill Lynch.
Gulf Bank has a new chief executive and chief general manager in Michel Accad, who joins the Kuwaiti firm from Arab Bank in Jordan.
HSBC has hired seven equities traders in a bid to strengthen its platform in the Middle East. The most senior recruit is Kaveh Samie, who joins from Citigroup to take the post of head of equities for region. Other new hires include Graham Wayne, Jason Belne, Ollie Kadhim, Jason Holloway and John Schraff.
Mashreq has appointed John Iossifidis as head of international banking group as it looks to expand its business across the MENA region.
Morgan Stanley has confirmed the appointment of Cyrus Behbehani as its new head of investment banking in the Middle East. He moves to Dubai from the bank's London office.
Sociéte Générale has also been handed an investment banking licence in Saudi and is in the process of setting up its operations in the kingdom.
