RBC Wealth Management, a part of the Royal Bank of Canada, has appointed Yousif Banayoti as a the new director for its London-based Middle East & Levant desk.

As a relationship manager, Banayoti will be tasked with extending the business’ reach into the Middle Eastern markets, with a specific focus on the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar, said the bank in its statement.

Banayoti moves to London from the UAE, where he established a book of high net worth and ultra high net worth individuals in the UAE, Egypt and Kuwait for Credit Suisse Private Banking.

He previously worked as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch in London, also focusing on the Middle East market. He will report to Neena Shah, Head of the Middle East & Levant desk.

Mike Moodie, the head of RBC Wealth Management-UK said, “We have made a considerable investment into our Middle East & Levant desk as part of our strategy to grow our London team of relationship managers.'

'We are seeing an increase in inquiries from the region as individuals continue to seek out our world-class access to a broad range of banking, investment and trust solutions. Yousif brings with him significant market insight and will be a great addition to a growing team,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service