UBS Global Wealth Management has announced three senior leadership appointments for its Middle East regional business: Bassel Al Zaouk as the CEO and Managing Director for domestic wealth management in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ali Khunji as the Co-CEO for the Kingdom of Bahrain, and Rana Al Emam to lead the business in Abu Dhabi.

In his new role, Al Zaouk brings 18 years of financial leadership experience. Before his appointment in February 2024, he worked with Deutsche Bank as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for over 17 years. Academically, he holds a BSc degree in Industrial Engineering with Operations Research and Business Emphasis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has completed an Executive Education course at Columbia Business School.

Assuming responsibilities with effect from June 2024. Ali Khunji brings over 15 years of financial leadership experience, having served in key roles at HSBC, including Managing Director and Marketing Head for Bahrain. He holds an MBA degree in International Business from Schiller International University. Co-leading with Khaled Salah, he will focus on UBS’s business expansion across Bahrain and the Eastern Province.

Both Al Zaouk and Khunji will report directly to Niels Zilkens, Head of Wealth Management Middle East.

Meanwhile, Rana Al Emam will assume her new role for UBS in Abu Dhabi, effective July 1, 2024, reporting to Georges El Khoury, Managing Director for UBS UAE. She brings over two decades of leadership experience across the BFSI sector. She most recently served HSBC as the Head of Private Banking in Abu Dhabi. Her previous roles include Head of Corporate for HSBC in Sharjah & Northern Emirates, Senior Audit Manager for Standard Chartered Bank in the UK and UAE, and Credit Analyst for Mashreq Bank in the UAE. Academically, she holds a BSc degree in Engineering from the University of Jordan.

Welcoming the senior leaders to the team, Zilkens said, “I am very pleased to welcome Bassel, Ali, Rana, and their teams. Their strong professional backgrounds and local expertise will further empower our presence in the Middle East, and I have no doubt that together, we are now best positioned to accelerate our growth strategy and achieve the ambitious goals we have set for ourselves.”