Arab Bank Switzerland has begun operating in ADGM through a new regional entity, Arab Bank Switzerland ME Ltd.

The unit holds a Financial Services Permission (FSP) from ADGM’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) and will advise clients on accessing, managing and planning the transfer of their digital asset holdings.

Its target clients include financial institutions, corporates, fintech companies, family offices and high-net-worth individuals, all served within ADGM’s regulatory framework.

Valérie Noël to lead the Abu Dhabi entity

Valérie Noël has been appointed chief executive of Arab Bank Switzerland ME Ltd. She brings more than 30 years of experience across financial markets, wealth management, asset management, trading and digital assets.

Noël started her career in Geneva and held senior roles at HSBC Private Bank before joining Syz Group. As head of trading there, she led multi-asset trading and the digitalisation of the bank’s trading infrastructure.

“Investments in this space are becoming an increasingly important part of how institutions and investors allocate capital, and they require the same discipline, transparency and rigorous standards as traditional asset classes,”

said Valérie Noël, Chief Executive Officer, Arab Bank Switzerland ME Ltd.

Arab Bank Switzerland’s digital asset track record

Arab Bank Switzerland began offering cryptocurrency custody and trading in 2019 and says it was the first FINMA-regulated private bank in Switzerland to do so. It has since added staking, lending and legacy planning services, and in 2022 introduced custody for NFTs.

The bank also runs Digital Explorer, a platform that gives clients a single view of their holdings and the market.

Two entities in the UAE

In June 2026, the group opened ABS (Middle East) Ltd in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). Led by CEO Samir Atitallah, that entity focuses on wealth management for entrepreneurs, family offices and high-net-worth individuals.

With the Abu Dhabi unit providing digital asset advisory services, the group can support clients across traditional wealth management and digital assets through its two UAE entities.

The group says its assets under management have risen to close to US$25 billion. It also acquired Gonet, a Swiss private bank founded in 1845.

Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News UAE, based on image by mrsiraphol via Magnific