Swiss Julius Baer to open advisory office in QFC

Julius Baer, the leading Swiss wealth management group, is setting up an advisory office in the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) as part of the strategies to expand its regional footprint in the Middle East.

The bank is currently working closely with both the QFC Authority and the QFC Regulatory Authority (QFCRA) for the incorporation and application process.Julius Baer has hired Slim Bouker (pictured) to support its ambition to expand into Qatar and lead the advisory office, once all regulatory approvals for the office and for his appointment are in place.He joins Julius Baer from Doha Bank’s wealth management arm where he was Head of Private Banking. In his role at Julius Baer, he will report to Alireza Valizadeh, chief executive officer, Julius Baer (Middle East)."Over many years, Qatar’s story of growth has been as impressive as it has been successful, creating a diversified national economy supported by its natural resources. In addition, the country has made great strides in its efforts to become a sports and education hub in the Middle East, while promoting an ambitious art programme through its cultural institutions," said Régis Burger, Global Head Middle East and Africa at Julius Baer.Alireza Valizadeh, chief executive, Julius Baer (Middle East) said Julius Baer is an established name in the Middle East with a strong position in the region."Currently, we’re seeing the emergence of the next generation of clients – a generation that likes to look beyond the traditional ways of wealth preservation, especially in Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries such as Qatar," he said.Through its local presence, plus long history in wealth management and wealth transfer between generations, it is perfectly suited to meet the needs and requirements of this new client group, according him.Julius Baer is present in over 25 countries and more than 60 locations. Assets under management amounted to 457bn Swiss francs at the end of April 2022.Headquartered in Zurich, it has offices in key locations including Bangkok, Dubai, Dublin, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Mexico City, Milan, Monaco, Mumbai, Santiago de Chile, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, Tel Aviv and Tokyo.