Barclays has continued to bolster its trade and working capital offering across Asia Pacific and the Middle East with two senior hires. 

Selima Mehiri joins as head of trade and working capital for Apac and the Middle East, taking up the position this month. She reports to the bank’s global head of trade and working capital James Binns. 

Mehiri previously spent five years at UAE-based Rakbank, most recently as head of energy and natural resources, and has also held roles at Natixis in both Europe and the Middle East, as well as at ABN Amro and energy giant Total. 

Barclays says Mehiri has built a strong track record with several key institutions across both regions. 

Fatenah El Danab (pictured) has also been appointed head of trade and working capital for the Middle East, after the region’s previous trade head, Sereen Ahmed, took up the same role for the Americas. 

Reporting to Mehiri, El Danab joins after nearly seven years at Bank of America, where she held the position of director for Mena financial institutions and corporate trade sales. 

Dubai-based El Danab previously spent more than four years as an associate director at HSBC, and has held roles at QInvest, Global Investment House and Gulf Bank. She also chairs the Middle East regional committee at the International Trade and Forfaiting Association. 

She is tasked with boosting Barclays’ traditional trade and working capital solutions offerings in the region, as well as its export and agency finance business. 

Binns says: “We have a laser focus on supporting clients with their trade and working capital needs across our franchise as we continue to invest in our business and roll out a new trade platform.”