New Edmond de Rothschild Dubai office ‘complimentary part of global strategy,’ says market lead

“The DIFC office that we just opened is really a complimentary part of our global coverage strategy. It is in addition to our existing offices that we have in Switzerland and in Europe, from where we’ve been historically covering the region,” he explained.

Habibian was also quick to point to the bank’s long history, noting that it probably “is one of the banks with the longest history when it comes to banking.”

“When it comes to investments, we know the family has over a 250-year history being in that sector. The bank itself operates mainly within the private banking and asset management space,” he said.

“We are bold builders of the future … We are made out of entrepreneurs and we love to have an impact. We love to look at the vision, opportunities, and mega trends that we see in the market.”

On these trends, Habibian noted the importance of green energy for the Middle East, stating that, “non traditional energy opportunities” is one area that he is looking to for investments.

“When you look at what’s happening in the interest rate environment, what’s happening with the inflationary environment, obviously, that creates a lot of some challenges, but also a lot of opportunities which are typically short term,” he explained.

Habibian has been travelling to Dubai for over 20 years, and calls the city’s development over that time frame “phenomenal” and that he’s: very impressed every year when I see how it continues to grow.”

The overwhelming success of the city is down to three factors he said, beginning with stability, stating: “There’s a lot of stability here.”

Secondly, Dubai is positioned with a “very business-friendly environment,” and thirdly, the ability the city has to continue to overcome challenges and “come back stronger and more innovative.”