Business plans for 2010 are in place, and sentiment around the Middle Eastern financial sector has taken a more positive slant. However, recruitment in the first month of this year remained relatively muted.

Arab Banking Corporation has unveiled Dr Khaled Kawan as its new deputy chief executive. He will have responsibility for the group’s wholesale banking, universal banking and group operations.

The Bahrain Financial Exchange has named Salah Al Abdulla as chief corporate officer as it continues to build its management team.

BNY Mellon, the asset management and securities servicing firm, has been shuffling its Middle East team. Tarek Elrefai will be relocating to Dubai as head of client management for MENA, while Janet Johnstone, currently chief administrative officer for the region, has been named as senior executive officer for the DIFC branch. Hani Kablawi will move from Dubai to London to take the post of head of client management for EMEA.

Citigroup has a new chief executive officer for the Middle East in Atiq ur Rehman, who moves from the position of co-head of capital markets origination for EMEA. He will be based in Dubai.

Citi Private Bank has hired Daniel Gay as a senior private banker to focus on high-net-worth individuals in Abu-Dhabi. He joins from UBS.

GMG, the brokerage arm of Swiss fund of hedge fund manager G2, has kick started its Middle East operations with a new office in the DIFC.

Mint, the London-based agency broker has opened a Dubai office, which will be headed by Larry Fernando who currently runs its precious metals broking team. The new operation is an attempt to be closer to Asian time zones.

The National Bank of Oman has named Salam Al Shaksy as its new chief executive. He was formerly CEO at Dubai Bank, which is currently on the hunt for a replacement.

PricewaterhouseCoopers has promoted Omar Al-Sharif to partner in Oman, making him the first national to attain such a position in the Sultanate.

Punjab National Bank, the Indian financial services firm, has opened an office in the DIFC. It intends to offer corporate finance and investment banking services to clients in the region.

Rothschild, the independent investment bank, has opened a Doha office in a bid to be closer to Qatari clients. The new venture will be headed by Christopher Hawley.

Takafulhous, a subsidiary of Islamic insurance firm Mawarid Finance, has appointed Ayman Yousif Al Ajmi as its new chief executive officer.

Zurich, the insurance firm which has been building its Middle Eastern team of late, has appointed Mark Hartigan as chief executive officer for its life business in the region.