RBS International, the offshore banking arm of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, will close its representative office in Dubai at the end of August this year.

This decision comes after the firm underwent a strategic review of its business from which it was concluded that RBS International would focus on its key jurisdictions of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and Gibraltar, the firm said in a statement.

At the representative office in Dubai, up to seven employees will face redundancy - although the firm is trying to find alternative employment for them within the company, a spokesperson told WealthBriefing.

The RBS Group will continue to be present in the Middle East through its Global Banking Markets and RBS Coutts teams in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.

In March this year, RBS International confirmed that 90 jobs are to go across its businesses in Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Gibraltar. The bank employs more than 1,000 workers across the Channel Islands.

RBS International’s parent bank RBS suffered unprecedented 2008 losses, despite a £20 billion ($32 billion) bailout from the UK government.