HSBC taps Sami Abouzahr to run its Middle East wealth business

HSBC moved a senior wealth executive from Hong Kong to run its Gulf wealth business. Sami Abouzahr (LinkedIn) is now head of international wealth and premier banking for the UAE and the Middle East, effective immediately, the bank said in a statement. Abouzahr has spent more than 20 years at HSBC, most recently serving as head of investments and managed solutions in Hong Kong, a role he took in July 2025.

The hire continues HSBC’s push into Gulf wealth management. The bank opened the region’s first wealth center at its Jumeirah branch in Dubai in 2025, with a second planned for Abu Dhabi later this year, and has doubled the number of staff serving wealthier clients.