Goldman hires Citigroup, HSBC as West Asia biz grows

Goldman Sachs Group is hiring bankers from rival firms Citigroup and HSBC Holdings as the US lender seeks to expand its business in the West Asia amid a surge in deals from the region. Jassim Alsane, a senior Citigroup banker, will join Goldman Sachs’ Dubai office in November as managing director and the co-head of investment banking operations for the Middle East and North Africa. Also, Omar Alzaim is joining the bank as an executive director and the head of investment banking for Saudi Arabia, according to a spokesman for the bank. The hirings come as deal activity picks up in the Middle East, fueled by governments and stateowned firms looking for new ways to raise money and diversify their economies after last year’s slump in revenue from oil sales.