Ali-Abbas Merali

Spear’s Review

Ali-Abbas Merali is a partner at Azura Partners’ Middle East office in Dubai with partner Mohamed Virani, whom the firm says ‘is regarded as an industry-leading expert in Islamic finance’.

The office, according to the company, has been thriving since opening in 2021. This was further evidenced by Azura’s announcement in April 2025 that Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based alternative investment manager with more than $110 billion in assets under management, would acquire a stake in the firm. 

Merali is a former Julius Baer banker who used to advise key clients from the Swiss bank’s emerging markets desk. He has spent 15 years of his 20-year career in the UAE, having held UHNW client-facing positions at Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC Global Private Banking and Citi.

An LSE alumnus with a degree in management, he has specialised knowledge in Islamic finance and strategic investments. 

Adviser Profile

Ali-Abbas Merali is a Partner at Azura Partners and is based in Dubai.

With over 20 years of experience, Ali-Abbas has worked with UBS, Citigroup, HSBC and Julius Baer. During his tenure at Julius Baer from 2014 to 2021, Ali-Abbas held the role of Head of Key Clients EMEA. He achieved recognition as being among the top 20 global performers in the organisation.

‘With over $3.1 trillion in assets under management, family offices are becoming a major force in private wealth, shaping investment strategies and influencing markets worldwide. At Azura Partners we specialise in guiding investors through this shifting landscape, offering bespoke solutions across both private and public markets,’ Ali-Abbas says.