HSBC appoints Sami Abouzahr to lead International Wealth and Premier Banking in UAE and Middle East

HSBC today announced the appointment of Sami Abouzahr as Head of International Wealth and Premier Banking (IWPB), UAE and Middle East, effective immediately. 

Sami relocates to the UAE from Hong Kong, where he has served as Head of Investments and Managed Solutions, Wealth and Premier Solutions, since July 2025. He has been with HSBC for over 20 years in senior wealth roles across the Group’s two home markets and brings 20 years of international leadership experience across wealth management, asset management and banking.  

Selim Kervancı, CEO, HSBC Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye, said: “Sami’s deep wealth management expertise and his understanding of the needs of affluent and high-net-worth clients – built across Asia and our international network – make him the right leader to capture the significant opportunity in the region as we continue to invest in our people, products and infrastructure.” 

The appointment builds on a period of record investment in HSBC’s wealth business in the UAE. In 2025, the bank opened the Middle East’s first wealth centre at its flagship Jumeirah branch in Dubai with another to follow in Abu Dhabi later this year. The bank also launched an enhanced Premier account and doubled the number of frontline staff dedicated to the affluent segment.  

HSBC has since established an onshore asset management business in the UAE, becoming the first global asset manager to launch onshore funds in the country, and continues to grow digital investment platforms such as World Trader, which reached USD800 million in trading volumes within 12 months of launch. 

Sami Abouzahr said: “The UAE is one of the most exciting wealth markets in the world, and HSBC’s international network gives us an unrivalled ability to connect clients here to global opportunities. I look forward to building on the strong momentum in the business as we reposition the Middle East as a leading wealth hub for the Group.”