Managed by BBVA head of operations in the Middle East Pasha D’Silva, the representative office in Abu Dhabi will allow Middle East sovereign funds, institutional clients and corporate customers to profit from the bank’s strength in Asia, Europe and Latin America.

BBVA head of Asia which includes the Middle East Gonzalo Torano said that the bank is here to demonstrate a long-term commitment to the UAE and the Middle East region as a whole.

"Building solid, mutually rewarding and successful relationships over the coming years with local clients is one of our main goals in the UAE," Torano said.

BBVA has four representative offices in the area (Beijing, Shanghai, Mumbai and Sydney) and branches in Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo.