Hana Al Rostamani

Hana Al Rostamani became Group CEO of First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) in 2021, becoming the first woman to lead a major bank in the UAE. FAB was formed through the 2017 merger of National Bank of Abu Dhabi and First Gulf Bank, creating the UAE's largest bank and one of the top-three in the Middle East by total assets (exceeding $300 billion). The bank is majority-owned by Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth funds and royal family entities. Al Rostamani's strategic priorities include growing FAB's corporate and investment banking franchise across the MENA region, building a regional wealth management platform, expanding international presence (particularly in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other high-growth markets), and investing in digital banking transformation. FAB benefits from Abu Dhabi's vast oil wealth and the broader UAE economic diversification strategy, which drives demand for banking services in real estate, infrastructure, tourism, and technology sectors. Her key challenges include managing concentration risk in Abu Dhabi's government-related entities, competing with Emirates NBD and Saudi banks for regional corporate mandates, navigating the interest rate environment's impact on the bank's large fixed-income portfolio, and driving efficiency improvements in a merged institution. Al Rostamani's decisions on international expansion, digital investment, credit growth targets, and capital return policies are the primary stock drivers on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.