Deutsche Bank expands Middle East investment banking business with key Dubai appointments
The appointments form part of Deutsche Bank’s broader expansion of its Middle East investment-banking capabilities.
Deutsche Bank is strengthening its investment banking presence in Dubai with three senior appointments covering debt capital markets, distressed credit and institutional clients, as the German lender expands its capacity to serve businesses and investors across the Middle East.
Ilya Korobov has moved from Deutsche Bank’s London office to Dubai as Director of Debt Capital Markets for Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (CEEMEA). The move places him closer to clients across the Middle East and Africa, where he will focus on debt capital markets coverage.
Korobov joined Deutsche Bank in November 2025 after previously working at Barclays in London, where he advised sovereigns, financial institutions, and companies across the CEEMEA region on bond issuance, liability management and structured financing. His move to Dubai follows more than a decade covering the region from London.
Deutsche Bank is also moving Adel Taleb from London to Dubai to support the expansion of its Distressed Products Group in the Middle East. As a director in the group, Taleb will focus on developing the bank’s distressed and special-situations capabilities across the region. Deutsche Bank’s management said the bank has been investing in special situations and distressed credit opportunities in the Middle East for several years and is strengthening its regional presence as local capital markets develop.
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A third appointment strengthens the bank’s institutional client business. Nitin Sawhney was appointed Head of Institutional Client Group for the Middle East and North Africa last month and is based in Dubai. He has more than 20 years of experience advising clients and providing financing, hedging, and investment solutions across emerging markets, including a previous role as Head of MENA Financing at UBS.
Why Dubai?
The appointments give a clearer picture of how Deutsche Bank is building its investment banking business in the region. The bank is not adding senior capacity in just one area. The new roles cover debt financing, distressed and special-situations opportunities, and relationships with institutional investors.
That matters because these businesses require close contact with companies, financial institutions, sovereign borrowers, and investors. By placing senior bankers in Dubai, Deutsche Bank is putting more of that regional coverage directly in the market rather than managing it primarily from London.
The bank’s own regional structure supports that interpretation. Deutsche Bank describes its Dubai International Financial Centre branch as its regional hub for the Middle East and Africa, through which clients can access investment banking, asset management, private wealth management, and global transaction banking services. The bank also says it has more than doubled its capital commitment to the Middle East and Africa since 2010.
Debt capital markets are an important part of that platform. Deutsche Bank’s investment banking business provides debt origination, structuring, syndication, and issuance services to corporate, financial institutions, sovereign, and agency clients.
The latest appointments suggest that Deutsche Bank is seeking to deepen its investment-banking coverage from within the region. By placing senior bankers in Dubai across debt capital markets, distressed products, and institutional clients, the bank is increasing its specialist capacity closer to the companies, financial institutions, and investors it serves across the Middle East.
Dubai’s role in Deutsche Bank’s regional strategy
The appointments also come after a series of moves by Deutsche Bank to strengthen its Middle East platform. In July, the bank announced the establishment of a Research Centre of Excellence in Qatar, saying continued investment momentum and capital flows were increasing the importance of connecting global investors with opportunities in the region.
Deutsche Bank has also continued to develop its presence in the UAE. The bank’s UAE operation dates back to 1999, while its DIFC branch was established in 2005. Its regional website identifies Dubai as the hub for its Middle East and Africa operations.
For Dubai’s financial sector, the moves add another major international bank to the list of institutions placing senior investment-banking professionals closer to clients in the region. For Deutsche Bank, the strategy means expanding the capabilities of its existing Dubai hub while positioning more senior bankers within the market they cover.
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