Ultra-high net-worth can be the most challenging client segment to service for private banks. The investable assets these clients provide can come with challenging demands and complicated needs.
In a region where this complexity is often compounded by the desire for Shariah compliance, Emirates NBD Private Banking’s product offering and strong performance makes it Euromoney’s winner for the UHNW segment this year.
Under the Dubai-based bank’s Lombard lending programme, clients have access to secured lending against liquid assets such as investment securities.
The judges described Emirates NBD Private Banking’s ability to lend against UAE properties and businesses as one of the bank’s strengths.
The base of UHNW clients in the Middle East has been transformed over the last three years. The region has seen an influx of very wealthy individuals moving to the UAE from Europe, Russia and the CIS region. Emirates NBD has positioned itself well to take advantage of this momentum and has set up a Eurasia coverage team, with services specifically for those UHNW clients moving to the UAE.
The judges described Emirates NBD Private Banking’s ability to lend against UAE properties and businesses as one of the bank’s strengths
This is reflected in the bank’s performance. The private bank’s total income grew by 48%, compared with 2022, while retail banking and wealth management saw 6.8% year-on-year growth in revenue, to Dh8 billion ($2.2 billion).
Another strength of Emirates NBD Private Banking’s UHNW business is the access it can provide to the important deals in the region’s equity and IPO markets. This has enabled clients to participate in the region’s IPO boom and buoyant trading in the immediate aftermarket. It is a key benefit of the bank’s offering, according to the judging panel.
As a part of the wider bank’s efforts on sustainability, the private bank has also collaborated with the group’s sustainability and environmental, social and governance and chief investment offices to educate clients on COP28 and potential impact investment opportunities.
