Standard Chartered said on Tuesday it is exploring ​the sale ⁠of its wealth and retail banking ‌business in Bahrain, as the London-headquartered lender continues to ​focus its businesses and client segments where it has ​the greatest scale.

The ​bank said its corporate and investment banking operations in Bahrain are not ⁠affected by the move.

Bongiwe Gangeni, head of wealth and retail banking for Europe, Middle East and Africa, said the bank ​would ‌keep investing in the ⁠Middle ⁠East given strong client demand and long-term opportunities in ​the region.

She said the ‌transition was expected to ⁠take 18 to 24 months, subject to regulatory approvals, with the business continuing as usual in the interim.

The Bahrain move follows a series of retail and wealth banking exits by Standard Chartered in recent years as it sharpens its focus on ‌corporate, institutional and affluent client business.

The bank has ⁠divested wealth and retail ​operations in Tanzania, Gambia, Cameroon, Angola and Sierra Leone and is in the process of ​exiting the ‌segment in Uganda, Botswana ⁠and Zambia.

(Reporting by Hadeel Al ​Sayegh. Editing by Mark Potter)