After 30 years at the helm, making him one of the world’s longest serving bank execs, Dabdoub announced plans to retire last year, coming into effect on the date of NBK’s 2014 annual general meeting. He guided the bank through the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 as well as local and global financial crises, helping transform NBK from a local bank into a major regional lender with offices in 16 countries. Dabdoub will continue to work as a consultant to the board of directors and in a number of senior advisory roles across the Arab world.