Who’s Who: Reema Al-Asmari, BNP Paribas head of territory for Saudi Arabia

Reema Al-Asmari

Reema Al-Asmari recently joined BNP Paribas as head of territory for Saudi Arabia, reinforcing BNP’s corporate and institutional banking (CIB) presence in the Kingdom.
In her new position, Al-Asmari will oversee the bank’s national commercial strategy, with a focus on strengthening relationships with strategic clients, multinational companies and government-related agencies.
She will also be responsible for expanding the bank’s product and service portfolio in all CIB segments, including sustainable finance.
Al-Asmari joined BNP Paribas from Natixis, where she held the position of CEO for Saudi Arabia.
Before joining Natixis, Reema worked for nine years with JPMorgan Chase & Co. in the Kingdom. Her last role in the US bank was treasury services country head. Before that, she was treasurer for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Johannesburg.
Discussing her anew position, Al-Asmari said: “I am honored to join BNP Paribas with the mission to grow the bank’s presence here in Saudi Arabia. As a dynamic bank which continues to evolve alongside Saudi’s ever-changing business environment, I am enthusiastic about the opportunities to build upon its current success.”
Al-Asmari takes over from Jean-Francois Sibille, who will become head of compliance for BNP Paribas Middle East and Africa.
She will work alongside Ammar Pharaon, who heads the BNP Paribas Regional Investment Company (BRIC), also located in Riyadh. BNP Paribas has operated in the Middle East and North Africa region for more than 45 years, offering corporate and institutional banking, and international financial services.