Habib Bank AG Zurich: Bringing Swiss ethos to the UAE

Jamal Alvi, CEO, Habib Bank AG Zurich UAE, speaks about the benefits of the bank's Swiss lineage

Habib Bank AG Zurich (HBZ) congratulates Switzerland on the occasion of the Swiss National Day. The bank takes great pride in being incorporated in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland in Aug 1967. From humble beginnings on 1 Todistrasse, Zurich 53 years ago, the bank's network has now grown to over 400-plus branches in 10 countries across four continents. The bank has received tremendous support from all stakeholders and the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) in particular.

We are the only Swiss incorporated commercial bank in UAE with a full-fledged banking licence. The UAE business operates as a branch of the Swiss entity with small and medium enterprises (SME)/Commercial business being the primary focus segment. Like Switzerland, which blends traditional with the modern, we bring the same ethos to the banking business for our clients, whether it is the touch and feel offered by the UAE branch network to the mobile banking HBZapp that offers banking on-the-go.

We try to cater to every requirement and have the product and service menu available for our clients to choose from. Not just this, but many nigh net worth customers benefit from the local Wealth Management/Priority banking expertise by leveraging our Swiss lineage.

The bank's unique footprint has provided a viable platform to leverage trade flows between Asia and Africa to Europe and Americas. HBZ is there to connect the dots for its clients - offering both Conventional and Islamic Banking solutions. We, in a way, therefore are a natural ally for suppliers and customers across these geographies and with the Swiss connect, there is added safety that gets built-in for all stakeholders.

In essence, the commonality in diversity of Switzerland and UAE makes Habib Bank AG Zurich a unique banking franchise and we remain committed to our heritage.

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