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Merrill Lynch Wealth Management appoints five financial advisors in the Middle East

Dubai - 6 February 2012, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management today announces that it has further strengthened its business in the Middle East with the appointment of Sahba Hadipour, Sandip Aggarwal, Zahoor Hussain, Ayad Hachem and Mustapha Sinno as financial advisors.

Mr. Hadipour has 27 years of experience in the banking and advisory business. Prior to taking up his new role, he was a private banker for Barclays Wealth in Dubai, where he worked closely with the Strategic Solutions Group offering private investment banking to high net worth individuals (HNWI) and ultra high net worth individuals (UHNWI) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Before that, he was director of Private Equity and Wealth Management for CIC Holding (Invesco Holding), where he developed strategic relationships with UHNWI, sovereign wealth funds and institutional investors.

Mr. Aggarwal has 20 years of banking experience. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, he was a senior relationship manager at HSBC Private Bank in Dubai, where he ran a relationship team, covering the ultra high net worth segment. Prior to that, he worked as a senior investment advisor for Citi Private Bank in Dubai, focusing on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) HNWI and UHNWI.

Mr. Hussain has 30 years of experience in Private Banking and Corporate Credit. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, he was an investment director for a Dubai based family office. Previously, Mr. Hussain worked at BNP Paribas as a senior wealth manager for International Wealth Management, focusing on HNWI, UHNWI, non-resident Indian and non-resident Pakistani clients in the GCC. Before that, he worked for Merrill Lynch International as a financial advisor in the Private Client Group.

Mr. Hachem was a relationship manager at HSBC Private Bank in Beirut before joining Merrill Lynch, and prior to that, he was a global account officer at HSBC Private Bank in Luxembourg, focusing on clients and prospects in the Levant region. Mr. Hachem started his professional career in New York as a customer relations and new business development manager at Track Data Corp, providing real-time market data and supervising day traders.

Mr. Sinno worked as a relationship manager at HSBC Private Bank focusing primarily on the UAE and Qatar markets. Before that, he worked as a senior investment advisor at Evolvence Capital, where he supervised different phases of GCC investment transactions.

Mr. Hadipour, Mr. Aggarwal, Mr. Hussain and Mr. Sinno will be based in Dubai. Mr. Hadipour and Mr. Aggarwal will report to Tamer Rashad, head of Middle East Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Mr. Hussain and Mr. Sinno will report to Ahmed Barakat, United Arab Emirates market manager. Mr. Hachem will be based in Beirut and reports to Leila Alameddine, Levant market manager.

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management has a long history in the Middle East. It established its presence in the region some 49 years ago, first opening an office in Beirut, Lebanon. The Middle East team operates in offices located in Bahrain, Beirut, Dubai, Geneva, London, Monte Carlo and Riyadh, offering clients solutions and services across wealth management, private banking, advisory, wealth structuring, brokerage and trusts.

Tamer Rashad, head of Middle East Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, said:

"These five new hires are a demonstration of our continued commitment to the Middle East. We are moving forward with our targeted regional growth strategy - attracting the best industry talent and delivering world class services and solutions to our clients. Sahba, Sandip, Zahoor, Ayad and Mustapha are outstanding wealth management professionals whose extensive regional experience will further strengthen our team."

-Ends-

Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management is a leading provider of comprehensive wealth management and investment services for individuals and businesses globally. With more than 17,300 Financial Advisors and more than $1.5 trillion in client balances as of December 31, 2011, it is among the largest businesses of its kind in the world. More than two-thirds of Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management relationships are with clients who have a net worth of $1 million or more. Within Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management, the Private Banking & Investment Group provides tailored solutions to ultra affluent clients, offering both the intimacy of a boutique and the resources of a premier global financial services company. These clients are served by more than 160 Private Wealth Advisor teams, along with experts in areas such as investment management, concentrated stock management and intergenerational wealth transfer strategies. Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management is part of Bank of America Corporation.

Sarah Aziz, Media Relations
Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
sara.aziz@baml.com
Tel: +971 4 4258331

Maie Ahmed
FTI Consulting
Maie.ahmed@fticonsulting.com
Tel: +971 04 332 8832

© Press Release 2012