| Middle East Bank Kenya Limited | |
| Type: | Private |
| Location: | Mebank Tower Jakaya Kikwete Road Nairobi, Kenya |
| Key People: | A.A.K. Esmail (Chairman), Isaac N. Mwige (Managing Director) |
| Industry: | Banking |
| Assets: | US$ 100m (Kes 11.02 billion) (2020) |
[1] Middle East Bank Kenya is a commercial bank in Kenya. It is licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya, the central bank and national banking regulator.[2]
The bank is a small retail bank, that focuses on meeting the needs of large corporations and high-net-worth individuals., the bank was ranked number 41, by assets, out of a total of 43 commercial banks in Kenya.[3], the bank's total assets were valued at about US$100 million (KES:11.02 billion), with shareholders' equity of approximately US$13 million (KES:1.124 billion).[4]
Middle East Bank Kenya Ltd started operations in Kenya in August 1981, after receiving a banking license from the Central Bank of Kenya, the national banking regulator.[5] The initial shareholders in the bank were the Al-Futtaim Group, affiliated with the Middle East Bank Group of United Arab Emirates. In 1991, the Al-Futtaim Group divested from the bank, leaving shareholding in Kenyan hands.[6]
In 1995, Banque Belgolaise, a Belgian financial institution acquired 25% shareholding in Middle East Bank Kenya, becoming the single largest shareholder. As a result of multiple bank mergers and acquisitions, that 25% shareholding subsequently came to be owned by BNP Paribas Fortis. 75% shareholding remains in private Kenyan hands.[7]
The shares of stock of Middle East Bank Kenya are privately held. The largest single shareholder, with 25% shareholding, is BNP Paribas Fortis, a Belgian financial services provider that is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, a French banking conglomerate that is the largest banking group in the world. Shareholding in Meddle East Bank is depicted in the table below:
| 1 | BNP Paribas Fortis of Belgium | 25.00 |
| 2 | Institutional and Individual Kenyan Investors | 75.00 |
| Total | 100.00 | |
, the bank maintains its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya's capital and largest city. It has three branches; two in Nairobi and another in Mombasa, Kenya's second-largest city.[8]