Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor received a courtesy call from two senior HSBC executives. Simon Cooper, HSBC’s Regional CEO and Deputy Chairman of HSBC Bank Middle East visited the Al Habtoor Group Chairman at his office on Al Wasl Road on Tuesday September 17, 2013. Joining Mr. Cooper on his visit was Mr. Abdulfattah Sharaf, CEO, HSBC UAE. Also present at the meeting was Mohammed Al Habtoor, Vice Chairman and CEO of the Al Habtoor Group and former British banker Paul Rayner, Advisor to the Chairman.
Cooper has been recently posted to London to take on a new appointment as head of HSBC’s commercial banking arm. He has been in the UAE since May 2009. The move comes after the bank revamped its global investment banking operations in July, separating responsibilities for products and client coverage in an effort to drive business growth.
Al Habtoor congratulated Mr. Cooper on his new position in London, “I wish Mr. Cooper all the best for the future.”
He added, “We have a longstanding business relationship with HSBC. As our business expands overseas and our banking requirements are much higher, the speed we operate in needs to be much faster. It is important for us to be ensured a quick turnaround to allow us to compete with global competitors.”