Emirates NDB Private Banking has appointed Ashraf Bajsair as senior director focused on the Saudi Arabian market, WealthBriefing can exclusively report.

Mr Bajsair was formerly head of private banking for Saudi Arabia at Credit Suisse, it is believed.

The appointment is the latest in a string of high profile hires at Emirates NDB as the bank builds up its private banking operations in the Middle East. In April Gary Dugan, formerly chief investment officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Merrill Lynch was appointed chief investment officer for Emirates NBD’s private banking unit.

Emirates NBD, which is the result of a merger between Emirates Bank and National Bank of Dubai, is the biggest banking group in the Middle East in terms of assets. The firm has operations in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UK and Jersey, along with representative offices in India, Iran and Singapore.