title: Ayoub-Farid Michel Saab
text: # Ayoub-Farid Michel Saab
  
  Ayoub-Farid Michel Saab (or just Farid Saab) (born 14 July 1939) is a Lebanese banker.
  
  ## Early life
  
  Saab was born 14 July 1939 in Tehran, Iran and moved to Lebanon at the age of 12. He studied economics at the American University of Beirut and speaks English, French, Arabic, Russian, Persian and Armenian.
  
  ## Career
  
  Farid Saab was appointed vice president at Federal Bank of Lebanon (FBL) founded in 1952, by his father, Michel Ayoub Saab and his uncle Joseph Ayoub Saab. FBL was amongst the 20 first banks to be established in Lebanon. He served FBL as vice president from 1982 to 1991 and chairman from 1991 to date.
  
  Farid Saab together with his father Michel Ayoub Saab and his brother Fadi Michel Saab founded FBME Bank Ltd (formerly known as Federal Bank of the Middle East). The bank was the oldest offshore bank operating in Cyprus. Farid Saab was appointed FBME's Executive Director at inception from 1982 until 1991. FBME's first Board of Directors comprised Michel Ayoub Saab, Ayoub-Farid Michel Saab and Fadi Michel Saab. Farid Saab continues to serve FBME Bank as Non-Executive Chairman to date.
  
  Arab Financial Services (AFS), one of the Arab world's largest financial services companies, was incorporated in Bahrain in 1982 by the Union of Arab Banks. At inception Farid Saab was elected a member of the Board of Directors of AFS and acted as one of AFS's three founder executive directors. He served the Board of Directors of AFS up to the year 2000.
  
  Farid Saab served as a Member of the Board of Directors of Visa International, EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) from 1986 to 1996.
  
  Upon inception of Visa international's new Region, CEMEA (Central, Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa), Farid Saab was elected Deputy-Chairman of the Board of Directors of this new region.
  
  Farid Saab was appointed member of the Board of Directors of Visa International, in San Mateo, in California, and served on this Board from 1989 to 1996. He served on the regional boards from 1986 to 1996.
  
  