Bank Audi (, previously Bank Audi- Saradar) is a

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

-based

universal bank A universal bank is a type of bank which participates in many kinds of banking activities and is both a commercial bank and an investment bank as well as providing other financial services such as insurance. These are also called full-service ...

and

financial services Financial services are service (economics), economic services tied to finance provided by financial institutions. Financial services encompass a broad range of tertiary sector of the economy, service sector activities, especially as concerns finan ...

company headquartered in

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

, offering financial products and services in

personal banking Retail banking, also known as consumer banking or personal banking, is the provision of services by a bank to the general public, rather than to companies, corporations or other banks, which are often described as wholesale banking (corporate ba ...

business banking A commercial bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and gives loans for the purposes of consumption and investment to make a profit. It can also refer to a bank or a division of a larger bank that deals with wholesa ...

private banking Private banking is a general description for banking, investment and other financial services provided by banks and financial institutions primarily serving high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) – those with very high income or substantial asset ...

and

Treasury A treasury is either *A government department related to finance and taxation, a finance ministry; in a business context, corporate treasury. *A place or location where treasure, such as currency or precious items are kept. These can be ...

and

Capital Markets A capital market is a financial market in which long-term debt (over a year) or equity-backed securities are bought and sold, in contrast to a money market where short-term debt is bought and sold. Capital markets channel the wealth of savers t ...

segments. Bank Audi operates principally in Lebanon, Europe and the

MENA The Middle East and North Africa (MENA), also referred to as West Asia and North Africa (WANA) or South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA), is a geographic region which comprises the Middle East (also called West Asia) and North Africa together ...

region.

As at end-March 2025, Bank Audi’s consolidated assets reached LBP 1,311,298 billion, principally driven by private customers’ deposits of LBP 1,115,003 billion, with shareholders’ equity reaching LBP 84,097 billion. Bank Audi’s group staff headcount exceeds 1,650 employees and its shareholders’ base encompasses more than 1,500 holders of common shares and/or holders of Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) representing common shares.

History

Bank Audi was founded in 1830, but was only incorporated as a bank in 1962. 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 Common stock is a form of corporate equity ownership, a type of security. The terms voting share and ordinary share are also used frequently outside of the United States. They are known as equity shares or ordinary shares in the UK and other Com ...

and

Global Depository Receipts A global depository receipt (GDR and sometimes spelled ''depositary'') is a general name for a depositary receipt where a certificate issued by a depository bank, which purchases shares of foreign companies, creates a security on a local excha ...

. 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 six 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 The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, commonly known as BNY, is an American international financial services company headquartered in New York City. It was established in its current form in July 2007 by the merger of the Bank of New York an ...

is named the successor depositary bank for its global depositary receipt programme, replacing Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas as Depositary. After former

Central Bank of Lebanon ''Banque du Liban'' (; English language, English: Bank of Lebanon) is the central bank of Lebanon. It was established on August 1, 1963, and became fully operational on April 1, 1964. In 2023, Wassim Mansouri stepped up as interim governor of ...

governor Riad Salameh was charged with embezzling $330 million in public funds, the Swiss financial regulator

FINMA The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) is the Swiss government body responsible for financial regulation. This includes the supervision of banks, insurance companies, stock exchanges and securities dealers, as well as other fin ...

launched investigations into Lebanese banks with operations in Switzerland and in 2024 censured Bank Audi for serious money laundering violations.

Operations

Board of directors

* Mr. Samir N. Hanna, Chairman of the Board of Directors * Dr. Khalil M. Bitar * Mrs. Sherine R. Audi * Mr. Mutlaq Hamad Al-Morished * Janaudi Holding sal represented by Marc J. Audi * FRH Investment Holding salU Chain - Directors Ltd. represented by Maher G. Merehbi * Mr. Khalil I. El Debs (General Manager And Chief Executive Officer) * Mr. Farid F. Lahoud, (Chief Compliance And Governance Officer)

Banking services

Retail and personal banking

Personal banking at Bank Audi consists of the services and products offered to the individuals.

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, and SME banking.

Private banking

Bank Audi Private Bank began its operations in 1976 and has been handling it through two main booking centers based in Switzerland and United Arab Emirates.

Major shareholders

FRH Investment Holding sal holds the greatest shares, followed by Audi family, heirs of Sheikha Suad Hamad Al Saleh Al Homaizi, Sheikh Dhiab Bin Zayed Al Nehayan, Al Sabbah family, and others.

Main subsidiaries

Bank Audi sal subsidiaries include Odea Bank – Turkey, Banque Audi – Switzerland, Audi Private Bank sal, Audi Capital – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bank Audi – Qatar, Bank Audi France sa, 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 the

NCR Corporation NCR Voyix Corporation, previously known as NCR Corporation and National Cash Register, is a global software, consulting and technology company providing several professional services and Electronics, electronic products. It manufactured Self-c ...

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

near-field communication Near-field communication (NFC) is a set of communication protocols that enables communication between two electronic devices over a distance of or less. NFC offers a low-speed connection through a simple setup that can be used for the boots ...

mobile payment service in Lebanon and the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

Culture

Audi foundation

Founded in 2000 by Raymond Audi, the Audi Foundation aims at preserving the culture, heritage and craftsmanship of

Sidon Sidon ( ) or better known as Saida ( ; ) is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast in the South Governorate, Lebanon, South Governorate, of which it is the capital. Tyre, Lebanon, Tyre, t ...

, Lebanon. In 2018, World Music Day was celebrated by the Audi Foundation with two concerts, and the Swiss World Cup matches were transmitted on the terraces, in an event.

Corporate art collection

Bank Audi created a comprehensive corporate art collection, located in three of the bank's buildings.

Corporate social responsibility

Bank Audi started its

corporate social responsibility Corporate social responsibility (CSR) or corporate social impact is a form of international private business industry self-regulation, self-regulation which aims to contribute to societal goals of a philanthropy, philanthropic, activist, or chari ...

initiatives in 2012. Its CSR policy currently contributes to five pillars:

corporate governance Corporate governance refers to the mechanisms, processes, practices, and relations by which corporations are controlled and operated by their boards of directors, managers, shareholders, and stakeholders. Definitions "Corporate governance" may ...

economic development In economics, economic development (or economic and social development) is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and object ...

community development The United Nations defines community development as "a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems." It is a broad concept, applied to the practices of civic leaders, activist ...

human development Human development may refer to: * Development of the human body ** This includes physical developments such as growth, and also development of the brain * Developmental psychology * Development theory * Human development (economics) * Human Develo ...

and

environmental protection Environmental protection, or environment protection, refers to the taking of measures to protecting the natural environment, prevent pollution and maintain ecological balance. Action may be taken by individuals, advocacy groups and governments. ...

. In 2017,

Sponsorship

Bank Audi sponsored the More Than Money program by Injaz Lebanon that aims at educating children in school about earning, spending, tracking, and investing cash. Bank Audi launched Beyond Banking Hackathon to nurture Lebanon's

fintech Financial technology (abbreviated as fintech) refers to the application of innovative technologies to products and services in the financial industry. This broad term encompasses a wide array of technological advancements in financial services, ...

and banking sectors by creating an environment for participants to test their ideas prior to launching.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bank Audi 1830 establishments in the Ottoman Empire Banks established in 1830 Banks of Lebanon Companies based in Beirut Lebanese brands Companies listed on the Beirut Stock Exchange