Khaled Abbas has been appointed group head of wholesale banking at Gulf International Bank (GIB). A seasoned banker with more than two decades of experience, Abbas assumes the role after having served as GIB’s country head in the UAE, where he oversaw growth in the market. Prior to joining GIB, Abbas was executive vice president and regional head of wholesale banking at the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank for eight years. He previously held senior positions at Samba Financial Group and Banque Saudi Fransi. Abbas has a bachelor’s degree in business studies from the Lebanese American University in Beirut and executive education degrees from both Darden Business School at the University of Virginia and INSEAD. Abdul Aziz Al-Helaissi, group CEO of GIB, said: “Abbas’ lengthy experience of building and managing wholesale banking divisions in the region supports GIB’s strategy and its continued focus on growth and diversification across the region. “While GIB has long been a leader in wholesale banking, and in serving large corporate clients and financial institutions, I am confident that under Abbas’ leadership, our position and the value we offer our clients and partners will continue to grow.”  GIB was established in Bahrain in 1975, and commenced operations the following year. In 2017, it became the first foreign domiciled bank to be granted approval from the Saudi Arabia Council of Ministers to establish a local commercial bank in the Kingdom. GIB is owned by the governments of Gulf Cooperation Council countries, with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund being the primary shareholder.