Banque Bemo sal is a joint-stock company established in 1994 as “Banque Europeenne pour le Moyen Orient Sal” registered in the Beirut Commercial Registry under No. 93. It has been listed on the Beirut Stock Exchange since 1999 under No 1111.

Banque Bemo sal is a commercial bank whose services and activities cover both the Lebanese and regional markets. The Bank offers a full range of commercial banking services through eight branches that are located in Lebanon with a concentration on the Greater Beirut area, one branch located in Limassol, Cyprus, and an offshore entity in the Free Zone area of Damascus, Syria. The Bank’s domestic branches service its Lebanese client base, while a dedicated team of roaming bankers, the Cypriot branch, and the Syrian offshore branch cover the Arab neighboring markets.

Major shareholders of the Bank include the Obegi family and Banque Saudi Fransi, which acquired a 10% stake in the Bank in 2003. The Obegi family has a long and successful banking history, having founded “Credit Libanais S.A.L.” in 1961, one of Lebanon’s leading commercial banks, and “Banque de l’Europe Meridionale S.A.” in 1973, with offices and operations in Paris and Luxembourg.

Over the past few years, the Bank’s strategic direction was redefined and refocused towards the creation of a specialized quality bank, catering to high net worth individuals and corporations. On the regional front, the Bank, has expanded its reach by tapping into the virgin Syrian market through a joint venture with Banque Saudi Fransi in 2003 establishing Banque Bemo Saudi Fransi in Damascus, as well as expanding relations in the broader Gulf and Arab markets.

The management of the Bank is composed of seasoned bankers with hard-earned experience in the Lebanese and Arab markets, as well as from leading international banking and financial institutions. The large network of international banking correspondents provides the Bank with a competitive advantage in servicing the trading and credit needs of its clients worldwide.

Starting 2003, the Bank has aggressively revamped its operations to better cater to its clients’ banking needs by emphasizing quality services and professional know-how through promoting cross-functionality and synergies among the various divisions of the Bank, thus allowing for additional creation of value from resources and client base. For this purpose, the Bank’s Senior Management and major divisions have relocated to the high profile Beirut Central District, allowing for ease of access to clients and providing staff with an efficient and large workspace.

The Bank is known for its competency in product delivery, high quality service and its customer satisfaction orientation. Products and services are focused on private individuals, medium and large sized local companies, international and subsidiaries of multinationals, banks and financial institutions. To maintain its sound position, the Bank is keen to focus on Risk Management, which has been integral in maintaining its strong balance sheet. This is coupled with its conservative foundations, which has provided the Bank with a solid platform to build up its value and market position.