Samer Alabed is a seasoned veteran with over 25 years of international banking and financial services experience, with a career spanning the GCC and global financial markets. He holds a degree in economics management and has been a CFA Charterholder since 2001. Alabed graduated with a degree in economics management and holds professional certifications in financial analysis.
Career history
- Chief Executive Officer, United Gulf Bank (UGB), Bahrain – appointed in May 2026
- Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, Kuwait – appointed 2020; oversaw wholesale banking operations and solidified HSBC's status as the largest foreign bank in the country
- Head of Institutional Sales for Global Markets, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited (Dubai) – following a 15-year tenure in Dubai with HSBC Middle East Limited
- Vice President, Morgan Stanley, London – joined HSBC in 2005
- Assistant Vice President, Bahrain Middle East Bank BSC
At HSBC, Alabed led institutional sales for global markets across the Mena region, managing treasury products including fixed income, foreign exchange, and equities. His institutional sales expertise spans managing teams focused on serving Financial Institutions, Non-Bank Financial Institutions, Sovereign Wealth Funds, Islamic accounts, and Central Banks. He demonstrated a proven ability to grow derivative financing products and helped implement regulatory changes including MIFID II, Dodd Frank, and EMIR (LCH clearing).
What Samer Alabed could bring to his new role at United Gulf Bank: Drawing on more than two decades of wholesale banking, treasury, and institutional sales leadership across the GCC and global markets, Alabed brings deep expertise in regulatory compliance, complex financial products, and international client relationship management. His track record of stabilizing and expanding banking operations in competitive markets, combined with his CFA designation and institutional sales acumen, positions him to drive strategic transformation and sustainable growth at UGB.
Facts compiled by Executive Moves from publicly available news and press releases on 1 June 2026. Spotted an inaccuracy? Email us and we'll review within 1 business day.
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