Bank Audi
Bank Audi is a Lebanon-based universal bank and financial services company headquartered in Beirut. It is the largest bank in Lebanon by total assets and offers financial products and services in personal banking, business banking, private banking and Treasury and Capital Markets segments.
Bank Audi is listed on the Beirut Stock Exchange and London Stock Exchange.
Bank Audi has a network of 203 branches and 492 ATMs, and worldwide correspondents in 29 cities around the world. It operates principally in Lebanon, the MENA region, Jordan and Turkey. As at End-June 2019, Bank Audi's private customers’ deposits reached USD 31.8 billion, with shareholders’ equity reaching US$3.8 billion, assets totalling US$47.5 billion and a net profit of US$250 million.
Bank Audi was Global Finance’s best bank in Lebanon in 2017. It currently ranks 1,415 on Forbes Global 2000 List.
History
Bank Audi was founded in 1830, but was only incorporated as a bank in 1962. It is registered on the Beirut Commercial Registry under number 11347 and on the Lebanese List of Banks of Banque du Liban under number 56.Members of the Audi family, as well as Kuwaiti investors, were the first shareholders. Since 1983, the shareholder base has expanded and currently consists of more than 1,500 holders of Common Shares and Global Depository Receipts.
In 2004, Bank Audi signed a merger agreement with Banque Saradar, entitling Saradar Holding to become one of the largest shareholders of Bank Audi sal-Audi Saradar Group. After 6 years of managing the Audi Saradar Group Private Banking, both banks de-merged, and Bank Audi continued privately on its own.
On 20 February 2019, Bank Audi announced a new deposit agreement by which The Bank of New York Mellon is named the successor depositary bank for its global depositary receipt programme, replacing Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas as Depositary.
Operations
Board of directors
- Mr. Samir N. Hanna
- Dr. Marwan M. Ghandour
- Mr. Marc J. Audi
- Sheikha Mariam N. Al Sabbah
- Dr. Imad I. Itani
- Mr. Abdullah I. Al Hubayb
- Dr. Khalil M. Bitar
- Mrs. Sherine R. Audi
- Mr. Carlos A. Obeid
- Mr. Aristidis I. Vourakis
- Mr. Farid F. Lahoud
Banking services
Retail and personal banking
Personal banking at Bank Audi consists of the services and products offered to the individuals. They are accounts, cards, loans, services and specific loans for military generals and employees in the public sector.Commercial and corporate banking
Business Banking at Bank Audi is the set of services offered to businesses and corporations in Lebanon. It includes corporate banking, commercial banking, SME banking and cards for managers of those businesses.Private banking
began its operations in 1976 and has been handling it through three main booking centers based in Switzerland, Jordan and United Arab Emirates. It offers services to high net worth clients with full access to major markets worldwide and global investment products.Major shareholders
FRH Investment Holding sal holds the highest shares, followed by Audi family, Heirs of Late Sheikha Suad Hamad Al Saleh Al Homaizi, Sheikh Dhiab Bin Zayed Al Nehayan, Al Sabbah family, and others. In 2018, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development acquired 2.51% of Bank Audi's total common shares outstanding.Main subsidiaries
Bank Audi sal subsidiaries include Odea Bank – Turkey, Bank Audi sae – Egypt, Banque Audi – Switzerland, Audi Private Bank sal, Audi Capital – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bank Audi – Qatar, Bank Audi France sa, Audi Investment Bank sal, SOLIFAC and Audi Investments Holding.Innovative services
In 2011, Bank Audi introduced NOVO spaces in selected locations to allow live video chat with tellers and to provide an advisory room for expert consultancies.Bank Audi introduced Interactive Teller Machines by NCR in 2014. Their concept revolve around allowing customers to talk live to a personal teller for transfers, deposits, cashing cheques and making different types of payments.
In 2014, Bank Audi introduced Tap2Pay, the first NFC mobile payment service in Lebanon and the Middle East.
Panama papers scandal
On 5 April 2004, the Luxembourger company COMIUM S.A. founded an offshore company in the British Virgin Islands called C-MOBILE GROUP HOLDING LTD. according to the Panama Papers. Bank Audi became a shareholder of C-MOBILE GROUP HOLDING LTD. on 17 September 2008. On the same day, COMIUM GROUP HOLDING S.A., a company from Luxembourg, became a shareholder and COMIUM S.A. was no longer a shareholder of C-MOBILE GROUP HOLDING LTD. At that time Bank Audi was still merged with Banque Saradar so both Saradar Group and Bank Audi were shareholders of C-MOBILE GROUP HOLDING LTD. On 24 March 2009, COMIUM GROUP HOLDING S.A. was no longer a shareholder of the company and a company from Luxembourg called COMIUM GROUP HOLDING LIMITED became a shareholder of C-MOBILE GROUP HOLDING LTD. On 25 March 2010, Banque Saradar separated from Bank Audi so the share of C-MOBILE GROUP HOLDING LTD. goes to Bank Audi.Culture
Audi foundation
Founded in 2000 by Raymond Audi, the Audi Foundation aims at preserving the culture, heritage and craftsmanship of Sidon, Lebanon's third largest city and the capital of Southern Lebanon. The foundation is based in a traditional Lebanese house in Sidon, where there is also an old soap factory restored into a museum, a kitchen and café, and an artisan soap boutique.In 2018, World Music Day was celebrated in Audi Foundation with two concerts, and the Swiss World Cup matches were transmitted on the terraces, in an event organized by the Embassy of Switzerland in Lebanon.
Corporate art collection
Bank Audi created a comprehensive corporate art collection, located in three of the bank's buildings. The villa, or historical headquarters situated steps from the Rue Sursock in the Achrafieh neighborhood of Beirut shelters mosaics and other pieces from Antiquity. The current headquarters, designed by Kevin Dash in Beirut Central District, houses modern and contemporary art from Europe and Lebanon. The Geneva headquarters has an ensemble of Old Master paintings.Corporate social responsibility
Bank Audi started its CSR initiatives in 2012. Its CSR policy currently contributes to five pillars: corporate governance, economic development, community development, human development and environmental protection. In 2017, Bank Audi worked mainly on highlighting the SME business line as empowerment to the Lebanon's economic infrastructure, launching the “Let’s Talk Money” quiz, enhancing accessibility to ATM's and branches for the physically disabled, taking part in the Lebanon Climate Act – Climate Change Champion, pledging Goal Leader to SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth – at UN GCNL and engaging millennials in the Corporate Volunteer Program through the “Spring” account.Sponsorship
Bank Audi sponsored More Than Money program by Injaz Lebanon that aims at educating children in school about money: earning it, spending it, sharing it, tracking it and investing it. The program was delivered to 400 students in six public schools across Lebanon, and consisted of 12 classes given as part of Global money Week activities that extended from 12 to 18 March 2018. Employees from Bank Audi volunteered to give those classes.Bank Audi also partnered with , and collaborated with the to sponsor , which is an entrepreneurship competition that awards three startups for their business idea. The competition was held 6 times, the last of which being in 2017.
Bank Audi launched Beyond Banking Hackathon to nurture Lebanon's fintech and banking sectors by creating an environment for participants to test their ideas prior to launching.