BLOM Bank
A Lebanese banking group providing retail, commercial, corporate, private, investment and Islamic banking services alongside wealth management, capital-markets and insurance activities.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
4requests
1companies- Anthropic4
- Profile
- 2
- Controversies
- 2
- JSON · MD
- 0
- First read
- Nov 4, 2026
- Latest read
- Nov 4, 2026
From this site's server log
Overview
BLOM Bank is a Lebanese banking group established in Beirut in 1951 during a period of rapid growth in Lebanon’s banking sector. Its original name, Bank of Lebanon and the Middle East, reflected an international and regional orientation that became increasingly important as the institution expanded beyond Lebanon. The bank began its overseas expansion early, opening a branch in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 1953. During the Lebanese Civil War, its international operations became especially significant as the bank served Lebanese customers and diaspora communities outside the country. The group’s activities span commercial and corporate banking, retail banking, private banking, investment banking, Islamic banking, asset and wealth management, capital-market services and insurance products. Its customer base includes individuals, small and medium-sized enterprises, large companies, institutions and high-net-worth clients. Products and services include deposits, loans, cards, payments, trade finance, treasury services, investment products, advisory services and insurance-related offerings. The group has operated through direct branches and subsidiaries and has described its international footprint as extending to 11 countries. Leadership continuity has been a notable feature of BLOM Bank’s development. Syrian banker Naaman Azhari became general manager in 1962 and later served as chairman of the board and general manager from 1971. He became chairman of BLOM Bank Group in 2007 and honorary chairman in 2020. Saad Azhari subsequently became chairman of the board and general manager, maintaining the Azhari family’s central role in the institution’s governance. The brand adopted the name BLOM BANK in 2000. This shortened identity provided a unified commercial label for a group whose formal Arabic and French names refer to Lebanon and overseas operations. In 2017, BLOM Bank acquired the Lebanese subsidiary of HSBC Bank Middle East, strengthening its domestic franchise. In January 2021, it sold its Egyptian subsidiary to Bahrain-based Bank ABC for a reported transaction value of $427 million, a move that reduced its direct exposure to the Egyptian market while supporting a more focused group structure. BLOM Bank has historically ranked among Lebanon’s largest banks. Data cited for 2018 placed it second in Lebanon by total assets, behind Bank Audi. It has also been listed on the Beirut Stock Exchange and the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Like other Lebanese banks, BLOM Bank has operated in a difficult environment shaped by economic instability, sovereign and banking-sector stress, capital controls, currency disruption and heightened regulatory and legal scrutiny. Its international network, governance commitments and diversified banking model have been important elements of its public identity, although its operations and legal position have also attracted scrutiny in international litigation.
History
BLOM Bank began operations in Beirut in 1951, at a time when Lebanon was developing into a prominent regional financial centre. The institution was founded under the name Bank of Lebanon and the Middle East, known in French as Banque du Liban et d’Outre Mer. Hussein Al Oweini, a Lebanese politician and businessman, was among its founders. The bank’s early strategy combined a domestic Lebanese base with an outward-looking regional identity. The first major step in that international direction came in 1953, when BLOM Bank opened a branch in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This expansion connected the bank to commercial flows in the Gulf and to Lebanese customers working or living abroad. The importance of overseas operations increased during the Lebanese Civil War. As the conflict disrupted economic life inside Lebanon, BLOM’s foreign activities enabled it to continue serving customers and the Lebanese diaspora through locations outside the country. Over time, the group developed a network of banking and financial units operating directly or through subsidiaries, eventually reaching 11 countries according to the referenced account. Naaman Azhari became the bank’s general manager in 1962. He later assumed the combined positions of chairman of the board and general manager in 1971. His long tenure helped shape BLOM’s institutional culture and expansion. In 2007, he became chairman of BLOM Bank Group. In 2020, he was appointed honorary chairman, while his son Saad Azhari became chairman of the board and general manager. This transition preserved continuity in senior leadership while transferring day-to-day and board leadership to the next generation. The group adopted BLOM BANK as its principal brand name in 2000. The new name was shorter and more adaptable for an institution operating across different markets, while retaining an association with the bank’s original Lebanese and overseas identity. BLOM’s business scope developed into a broad universal-banking model. Alongside deposits and lending, the group offered commercial, corporate, private, investment, retail and Islamic banking. It also developed asset and wealth-management, capital-markets and insurance activities. Domestic consolidation was another important part of the group’s history. In 2017, BLOM Bank acquired the Lebanese subsidiary of HSBC Bank Middle East. The transaction strengthened its position in Lebanon and added the local operations of an internationally recognized banking brand to its franchise. In the opposite direction, the group later reduced its Egyptian presence. In January 2021, it sold its Egyptian subsidiary to Bank ABC of Bahrain for a reported $427 million. The sale illustrated a strategic effort to reshape the group’s international portfolio during a period of acute economic and financial pressure in Lebanon. BLOM Bank has been described as one of Lebanon’s largest banks. Data for 2018 ranked it second in the country by total assets, behind Bank Audi. Its shares have been listed on the Beirut Stock Exchange and the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Ownership has included institutional and family shareholders, with The Bank of New York, Banorabe S.A. SPF and members of the Azhari, Chaker, Saade, Jaroudi and Khoury families identified among major holders as of September 2023. The bank has also publicized governance and sustainability commitments. In December 2014, it joined the United Nations Global Compact and committed to the Compact’s principles, support for UN goals and annual progress reporting. It was also identified as the first bank in the Arab world to sign the Investors for Governance and Integrity Declaration, linking its corporate-governance program to the declaration’s rating guidelines and recommendations. BLOM’s recent public profile has been shaped not only by banking activity but also by litigation. In 2019, victims of Hamas attacks and their family members brought claims under the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act alleging that BLOM Bank provided financial services to Hamas and should be responsible for aiding and abetting terrorism. In 2024, BLOM Bank SAL v. Honickman became a US Supreme Court case. The Court’s review focused on judgment finality and Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b), rather than constituting a final determination of the underlying allegations. Oral arguments took place on March 3, 2025, according to the referenced material.
- 2025
Oral arguments in Honickman case
[1]The Supreme Court hears oral arguments on March 3, 2025.
- 2024
US Supreme Court grants review in Honickman case
[1]The US Supreme Court agrees to review BLOM Bank SAL v. Honickman, a procedural dispute arising from terrorism-related litigation.
- 2021
Sells Egyptian subsidiary to Bank ABC
[1]BLOM Bank sells its Egyptian subsidiary to Bank ABC of Bahrain in a reported $427 million transaction.
- 2020
Leadership transition to Saad Azhari
[1]Naaman Azhari becomes honorary chairman, while Saad Azhari becomes chairman of the board and general manager.
- 2017
Acquires HSBC’s Lebanese subsidiary
[1]The bank acquires the Lebanese subsidiary of HSBC Bank Middle East.
- 2014
Joins the UN Global Compact
[1]BLOM Bank joins the UN Global Compact and commits to its principles, UN goals and annual progress communication.
- 2007
Naaman Azhari becomes group chairman
[1]Naaman Azhari is appointed chairman of BLOM Bank Group.
- 2000
BLOM BANK brand adopted
[1]The group adopts BLOM BANK as its principal commercial brand name.
- 1971
Naaman Azhari becomes chairman and general manager
[1]Azhari assumes the combined roles of chairman of the board and general manager.
- 1962
Naaman Azhari becomes general manager
[1]Naaman Azhari takes over as general manager, beginning a leadership period that later extends to the chairmanship.
Products and positioning
A diversified Lebanese universal bank with regional and international reach, combining mass-market banking with corporate, private, investment and wealth-management services.
Consumer banking
Retail banking
BLOM Bank’s retail business serves individuals through deposit accounts, personal lending, payment cards, payments and other everyday banking services. The retail proposition forms the domestic customer-facing base of the group and complements its corporate, private and investment-banking activities.
Business banking
Corporate and commercial banking
The corporate and commercial businesses provide financing, deposits, cash-management, trade-finance and related services to companies and institutions. Their scope includes working-capital facilities, lending and financial services for businesses operating in Lebanon and the group’s wider network.
Wealth management
Private banking and wealth management
Private-banking and wealth-management services are designed for affluent and high-net-worth customers. The offering includes portfolio-related services, investment products, advisory capabilities and asset-management solutions, although the referenced material does not provide a full current product catalogue.
Investment banking
Investment and capital-market services
BLOM Bank provides investment-banking and capital-market services alongside its deposit-taking and lending businesses. These activities can include market transactions, advisory and financing support for companies and institutions; detailed current service specifications are not given in the supplied sources.
Islamic finance
Islamic banking
Islamic banking is part of the group’s stated business scope, extending its financial-services model to customers seeking Sharia-compliant products and structures. The supplied references identify the business category but do not enumerate specific current instruments.
Insurance
Insurance products
Insurance products form part of BLOM Bank’s broader financial-services offering. They complement banking, investment and wealth-management activities, although the supplied references do not identify individual policies, underwriting entities or product names.
Controversies
2024
BLOM Bank SAL v. Honickman reaches the US Supreme Court
The Supreme Court granted review in litigation connected to the JASTA claims. The question presented concerned judgment finality and Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b), while the underlying allegations remained disputed.
2019
JASTA litigation alleging financial support for Hamas
Victims of Hamas attacks and their family members sued BLOM Bank under the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, alleging that the bank provided financial services to Hamas and should be liable for aiding and abetting terrorism. The supplied material describes these as allegations, not an established finding of liability.
Marketing campaigns
- 2014UN Global Compact sustainability commitment
Lebanon · International group operations
BLOM Bank joined the UN Global Compact and committed to respecting its ten principles, supporting UN goals and reporting progress annually through a Communication on Progress.
Outcome. The commitment positioned sustainability and responsible business conduct as formal elements of the group’s public corporate-responsibility program.
- Investors for Governance and Integrity Declaration
Arab world
BLOM Bank signed the Investors for Governance and Integrity Declaration and committed to applying its governance and integrity rating guidelines and recommendations.
Outcome. The bank was identified as the first bank in the Arab world to sign the declaration.
Brand decisions
2021
Sale of Egyptian subsidiaryM&ABackground
The group reviewed its international portfolio during a period of severe financial pressure affecting Lebanon and its banking sector.
Action taken
BLOM Bank sold its Egyptian subsidiary to Bank ABC of Bahrain.
Aftermath
The sale reduced BLOM Bank’s direct Egyptian operations and was reported to have generated approximately $427 million.
Reported transaction value. $427 million (January 2021)
- Bank ABC — Bank ABC acquired BLOM Bank’s Egyptian subsidiary.
2017
Acquisition of HSBC’s Lebanese subsidiaryM&ABackground
BLOM Bank pursued greater scale in its home market.
Action taken
The bank acquired the Lebanese subsidiary of HSBC Bank Middle East.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded BLOM Bank’s Lebanese franchise.
2000
Adoption of the BLOM BANK brandStrategyBackground
The group operated under a longer formal name reflecting its Lebanese and overseas identity.
Action taken
It adopted BLOM BANK as its principal commercial brand name.
Aftermath
The shortened brand became the group’s principal public identity across its banking and financial-services network.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/blom-bank · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled