Natixis Opens Office in Saudi Arabia, Names Reema Al-Asmari as CEO

Natixis, a French corporate and investment bank, recently announced that it has opened a Corporate & Investment Banking office, Natixis Saudi Arabia Investment Company, in Saudi Arabia.

Reema Al-Asmari has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the new office, which has been established in Riyadh, located at the Al Faisaliah Tower. The new entity was opened after it secured a license from the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) of Saudi Arabia.

In the statement released on Sunday, Natixis said that the CME-licensed subsidiary offers tailor-made capital markets products and investment banking services. Already, the company has worked with clients from or with interests in the country.

However, by establishing a local presence, the investment bank hopes to deepen its relationship with its existing clients, such as corporates, sovereign wealth funds, and financial institutions, as well as serve new clients such as family offices.

Reema Al-Asmari joined Natixis in 2019

Reema Al-Asmari has been with Natixis since August of 2019, originally joining as an advisor to the company’s branch in Dubai. As the CEO of Natixis Saudi Arabia Investment Company, she will report to Simon Eedle, Regional Head, Middle East, Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking.

Commenting on the announcement, Simon Eedle said in the statement: “Natixis’ commitment to the Middle East dates back over 20 years and is based on a conviction that our areas of expertise are closely aligned with the needs of our clients operating in the region.

“This is very much the case for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, notably in the context of Vision 2030, and we are delighted to have established a local presence in order to better serve our clients at this pivotal time for the Kingdom.”

Reema’s career spans almost two decades, in which she has spent the majority working in well-known investment banks. Namely, before joining Natixis, she spent nine years with JPMorgan Chase & Co. Her last position with the bank was Treasury Services Country Head, her LinkedIn states.

During her career, Reema has also spent time at Deutsche Bank, where she was the Head of Money Market and Trading Desk, and at Banque Saudi Fransi, where she was the Senior Dealer, Money Market Desk.