UBS Poaches Middle East Team From Rival

The Swiss wealth giant nabbed five wealth managers from Credit Suisse in the United Arab Emirates.

Zurich-based UBS is expanding in the Middle East by hiring Georges El Khoury, currently country head in the U.A.E. for Credit Suisse. El Khoury will report to Ali Janoudi, an influential UBS group managing director who oversees the Middle East and Africa private bank, and to Niels Zilkens, the Dubai head.

The region is both a boon for private banks as well as – reportedly – a source of huge staffing tension. The U.S. outlet five weeks ago published a blistering report about Credit Suisse’s Middle East boss Bruno Daher.

El Khoury is walking from Credit Suisse to UBS with four staff including Raoul Rahme, another managing director, and Iyad Tamim Jundi, Abdullatif Karami, and Sarika Chandwani.

A Credit Suisse spokesman said the bank had promoted Saad Osseiran as head of wealth management in the U.A.E. and in Oman, and Fahad Al-Ebrahim as market leader for Kuwait as a result of the team leaving.