France’s BNP Paribas to cut Dubai jobs amid global restructuring

BNP Paribas, France’s largest bank, will close one of its three offices in Dubai by the middle of 2016 as it slashes jobs in the Middle East region, an unnamed source close to the matter told Argaam. 

The source, refusing to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue, said there are currently no plans to close any of its Bahrain offices or other bank branches. Bahrain serves as the company’s hub for the wider Middle East region.

The affected jobs in Dubai were described as back-office and “support-type” positions in an operational office, the source added. The bank’s head office and Wealth Management division will remain open.

The move is part of BNP Paribas’ global strategy to restructure its corporate and institutional banking (CIB) division with the aim of reducing costs. The restructuring plan, which will be formally announced in April 2016, involves reducing its global headcount by 20 percent over the next four years.

The bank is looking to merge its CIB businesses to a central location within Europe, which would handle the Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

Such changes have become more apparent across the global banking sector in recent months.

Last month, Abu-Dhabi-based First Gulf Bank (FGB) said it cut nearly 100 jobs in the United Arab Emirates as part of cost-cutting measures. Earlier in November, British banks Standard Chartered and HSBC also laid off some of their UAE-based staff as part of restructuring plans.

Write to Joumana Saad at joumana.saad@argaamplus.com