Board of Directors
George Kanaan
Honorary Chairman
Arab Bankers’ Association
ABA board member since 2009
George served was Chief Executive Officer from 2009 until April 2024. Having handed over the CEO position to Gaby Fadel, George continues to be involved in the Association's work with the position of Honorary Chairman. George began his banking career with Citibank in New York in 1975 and spent three years with First Chicago in London from 1984. He returned to Citibank in 1987 to establish and become General Manager of the London branch of Saudi American Bank (which was managed and partly owned by Citibank) and its associated investment company. After leaving Saudi American Bank, he established and managed a family office and acted as a consultant to Arab companies and high net worth individuals.
Yasser Ibrahim
Chairman
Arab National Bank
ABA board member since 2018
Yasser Ibrahim was appointed General Manager of Arab National Bank's London branch in September 2021. Previously, he had worked in Frankfurt as Partner & Managing Director of International Banking and Co-Head of International Banking Sales at ODDO BHF, based in Frankfurt. Prior to that appointment he had been Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of National Bank of Egypt (UK) Ltd. in London. Yasser also spent more than 25 years at Commerzbank AG in Germany, Bahrain and Egypt. In his last function at Commerzbank, he served as Managing Director and head of the bank's Representative Office in Cairo. Yasser also served as non-executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mercedes-Benz Egypt and as the Vice Chairman of the German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Yasser was elected Deputy Chairman in January 2024.
Gaby Fadel
ABA CEO
Arab Bankers’ Association
ABA board member since 2023 (and from 2004 until 2014)
Gaby was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Arab Bankers’ Association in April 2024, having served as Deputy CEO since early 2023. He is a seasoned banker with many years experience in international trade finance. He has been based in London since 1982. After graduating from Université Saint Joseph in Beirut, he began his banking career with Credit Lyonnais, and then joined Byblos Bank, first in Beirut and then in Brussels. From 1993 until 1999, he worked for Banque Française de l' Orient (part of Credit Agricole). From 1999, until he retired in 2022, he was General Manager of Byblos Bank's branch in London.
Rajeev Adrian
ABC International Bank Plc
ABA board member since 2022
Rajeev is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of ABC International Bank Plc (ABCIB), the London-based subsidiary of Bank ABC Group. Rajeev joined ABCIB in October 2014 as CFO and was subsequently also made Deputy CEO and a Board Director. Before joining ABCIB, Rajeev worked at Royal Bank of Scotland in various senior positions, including CFO of International Banking, Chief Administration Officer of Global Banking and Markets and Senior Strategist. Prior to RBS, Rajeev served at Lehman Brothers London in various roles. He began his career in Australia, working at the Office of the Auditor General and at the Australian Securities Commission. Rajeev holds a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and is a Fellow of the Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants (FCPA).
Bana Akkad Azhari
BNY Mellon
ABA board member since 2022
Bana is Head of Treasury Services for Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA), at BNY Mellon. She is based in London, having previously been based in Lebanon where she led the bank’s Treasury Services Relationship Management and Business Development for the Middle East, Africa and the Commonwealth of Independent States, and was the bank’s Chief Representative in Lebanon. Before joining BNY Mellon in 2006, Bana spent nine years with Citigroup where she held various senior positions. She is a member of BNY Mellon’s EMEA Executive Committee and the EMEA AML Oversight Committee.
Sophoklis Argyrou
Bank of Beirut
ABA board member since 2025
Sophoklis has been Managing Director and CEO of Bank of Beirut UK Ltd since January 2015, during which time he improved the bank’s relations with the PRA and the FCA, as well as enhancing its governance, compliance and risk management oversight, and developing and diversifying its business. The bank specialises in wholesale correspondent banking and export and import trade finance, as well as catering for the private banking needs of HNW non-UK residents. Prior to this he was country general manager of the UK branch of Laiki Bank (Cyprus Popular Bank), managing its closure following the EU bailout of 2013.
Bassem Boustany
National Bank of Kuwait
ABA board member since 2025
Bassem joined NBK International in London in 2021 and is currently the bank’s managing director. He first joined NBK in Kuwait in 2007, following a short career as a biomedical engineer. He held various senior positions in treasury and fixed income investments before heading the real estate and corporate business and covering the group’s overseas branches. He is also a member of the board of NBK France SA, TurkishBank and NBK Trustees (Jersey)
Vivien Davies
Fieldfisher
ABA board member since 2012
Vivien is a partner in the international law firm Fieldfisher, which is headquartered in London and has received two Law Firm of the Year Awards in the last 12 months. Vivien is head of the MENA Group at Fieldfisher and an Arabic speaker. Fieldfisher is also registered in the DIFC. During her career Vivien has specialised in company, banking and commercial disputes, including complex cross-border disputes and international arbitration. In addition to general commercial clients, Vivien regularly acts for foreign banks and enterprises from various industries. She also regularly acts for a host of MENA UHNWIs and is a trusted advisor.
Ayda Habboush
Towers & Hamlins
ABA board member since 2020
Ayda is a partner in the Corporate departments of Trowers & Hamlins LLP and is co-head of the firm's Hotel and Leisure Group. She has 15 years' experience as a corporate solicitor. During her career, Ayda has been involved in a broad range of work including mergers and acquisitions (both in the UK and abroad), with a particular focus on inward investment in UK real estate from the MENA and ASEAN regions, advising banks, institutional investors and ultra-high net worth investors. As a member of Trowers' Islamic Finance team, Ayda advises on the corporate structuring of Shari'ah-compliant acquisitions and the establishment of Shari'ah-compliant offshore funds. She is a fluent Arabic and French speaker.
Yasser Hassan
National Bank of Egypt (UK)
ABA board member since 2023
Yasser was appointed CEO and Managing Director of National Bank of Egypt (UK) in May 2019. He previously served as Managing Director and CEO of National Bank of Kuwait (Egypt) where, over the course of an 18-year tenure, he led a major transformation project that significantly increased the bank's market share. Earlier in his career, Yasser had worked for several banks including National Bank of Abu Dhabi and National Societe General Bank. Yasser is a director of the Egyptian British Chamber of Commerce in the UK and is a board member of the Association of Foreign Banks.
Haytham Kamhiyah
Europe Arab Bank
ABA board member since 2020
Haytham was appointed CEO of Europe Arab Bank in December 2018, prior to which he had been CEO of Emirates Development Bank in the UAE. Haytham started his career with Arthur Andresen and then joined Capital Bank of Jordan in 1996, where he progressed to become General Manager of the bank in May 2005. He has served as a director of several organisations, including Jordan International Investment Group, Ithmar Islamic Finance Company, Jordan International Insurance Company and Safwa Islamic Bank. Haytham holds a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting and Business Administration as well as professional qualifications from the Institute of Certified Management Accountants and from the Institute of Certified Public Accountants in the United States. In 2005, he obtained the Advanced Management Programme Diploma from INSEAD Business School.
Charbel Khazen
Gulf International Bank
ABA board member since 2014
Charbel Khazen is a Senior Vice President at Bahrain-based Gulf International Bank (GIB) and the manager of its London branch. He is based in London and has lived in the UK since 1985. Charbel joined GIB in 1995 and has held his current position since 2006. Before joining GIB, Charbel worked for Qatar National Bank and Europe Arab Bank (then known as Arab Bank) in London. Most of his banking career has focussed on corporate and institutional banking, with an emphasis on relationship management and business development.
Paul McDonagh
Qatar National Bank
Paul has been General Manager and CEO of QNB since December 2021.He
joined QNB following four years at Lloyds where he undertook a number of senior management roles across the mid corporate, large corporate and FI businesses. Prior to this Paul was with Santander from 2013 to 2018 where he headed the UK corporate and investment banking business. The majority of his career has been spent at RBS and NatWest. During his 24 years there, Paul held a number of senior management positions based in London, the US, the Middle East and globally. He is also a qualified member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers and an associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers.
Ralph Al Raheb
Morgan Stanley
ABA board member since 2016
Ralph is a Managing Director of Morgan Stanley and is Head of Emerging Markets Onshore & Offshore Sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa. He is a member of the Morgan Stanley MENA Management Committee, and the Cross-Divisional CEEMEA Management Committee. Ralph joined Morgan Stanley in Paris in 2003 as an analyst in fixed income sales covering French financial institutions. He transferred from Paris to London in July 2004 to cover the MENA region, and in 2020, he became head of Fixed Income Sales for MENA. In 2014, Ralph became the head of fixed income for MENA and in 2018 Head of Emerging Markets Onshore Coverage for the CEEMEA region. In 2020, he was made head of Emerging Markets Onshore & Offshore Sales for Europe, Middle East and Afiica. He was named Vice President in December 2007, Executive Diretor in December 2009 and Managing Director in January 2015. Ralph graduated from Paris IX in 2003 with a master's degree in economics and a master's degree in finance and asset management.
Hani Salem
ABA Treasurer
PwC
ABA board member since 2016
Hani is a Director in PwC's assurance practice based in the Channel Islands. He has extensive experience auditing and advising multinational banks, corporate service providers, sovereign wealth funds, real estate funds, and other financial services firms in the Channel Islands, the UK and the Middle East. Hani is a Chartered Accountant in the UK and is a Certified Public Accountant from the New Hampshire Board of Accountancy.
Sami Tamim
Ahli United Bank
ABA board member since 2018
Sami serves as the CEO and member of the board of of Ahli United Bank (UK) Plc, which he joined in 2014. He began his career in banking in 1985 with Banque de la Méditerranée in his native Lebanon, before moving to the UK where he led Corporate Banking at Banque de la Méditerranée (UK) Ltd. He subsequently joined Saudi American Bank (part of Citibank) in London where he led the Private Banking team, and then Coutts Bank in Geneva before returning to London in 2005 to join Citibank as a Director in its Private Banking division followed by UBS in a similar role. Sami has broad banking experience that includes commercial and corporate banking, trade finance, private banking and, in his current capacity at AUB UK, corporate governance and senior management oversight.