HSBC Private Bank has appointed Bassem Snaije as head of its London-based Middle East and North Africa team.

Mr Snaije joins from Cosmos Advisors and Pegase Partners Group based in Paris, where he was managing director and partner advising on private equity, real estate and M&A, with a particular focus across the Middle East, HSBC said in a statement. His prior career also includes his having been head of capital markets and investment management, Middle East, at Lehman Brothers, and chief advisor to the chief executive and chairman of Stehwaz Holding in Kuwait.

In his new role Mr Snaije reports to Paul Smith, managing director, with a functional reporting line to Pierre Pissaloux, global head of the MENA team.

"This is a signature senior hire and, amongst other things, reflects both our confidence and commitment to the MENA region. It also reinforces the position of London as a key advisory centre to ultra and high net worth clients in this strategic market," said Mr Smith.

In other recent moves focused on the Middle Eastern market, this week Lombard Odier expanded its London-based team of private bankers covering Middle Eastern clients with the appointments of Ziad Al Toura and Matthew Garnham, who formerly spent four years working together on Credit Suisse’s Middle East desk.