Amir Merchant
Chief Executive Officer, Sovereign Gulf Partners
Amir Merchant
Chief Executive Officer, Sovereign Gulf Partners
Amir Merchant is a British-born financial markets executive with 35 years of experience building and leading financial institutions across London and the Middle East. He is the founder and CEO of Sovereign Gulf Partners, a Dubai-based investment advisory firm focused on financial institution strategy, business development, and investment guidance for global clients.
Amir’s career includes senior Managing Director roles at HSBC Investment Bank and Crédit Agricole CIB. At HSBC, he founded the bank’s Capital Markets and Financial Institutions business in the Middle East from inception, growing it into a multi-million dollar fee-generating franchise recognised as Best Debt House in the Middle East by Euromoney. At Crédit Agricole CIB, he served as Regional Head of Investment Banking Coverage and Financial Institutions, responsible for 70% of the bank’s Middle East balance sheet, and steered the business through the 2008 global financial crisis to deliver 115% of budgeted target.
He currently serves on the boards of Panga Capital, Asia’s leading Web3 and blockchain fund advising sovereign wealth funds on digital asset strategy, and several other institutional and family-office platforms across the Gulf. Amir has deep expertise in Islamic finance and Sukuk structuring, and has delivered technical training to senior teams at institutions including Kuwait Finance House, Qatar Investment Authority, Qatar Islamic Bank, and Qatar Financial Centre.
He holds a BSc in Mathematics and Electronic Engineering from the University of Nottingham and an MBA from Cass Business School, London. He is based in Dubai.