Sandeep Sachdeva

'Our Premier banking service is for customers with more than $100,000 in deposits or investments with the bank,' explains Head of International Personal Banking Sandeep Sachdeva on a visit from the bank's headquarters in Jersey where he is based.

'The benefit is a dedicated relationship manager, lower bank charges and a free annual financial review and financial planning review. Also the suite itself offers a comfortable banking environment with no queues and a special reception area with tea and coffee, magazines and Bloomberg TV. We want to look after our best customers.'

But what about the advantage of buying investments through a trusted international bank like HSBC? Is this not a major selling point at a time when many expatriates have lost money with firms like Towry Law which they felt were trustworthy?

'This is a very good point indeed,' says Mr. Sachdeva who joined the bank from college in India 13 years ago. 'HSBC is one of the biggest financial services companies in the world and people can trust our brand. We have doubled our number of customers in Dubai in the past year.

'We stand or fall on our brand name. One important thing is that our financial advisors are employed by HSBC but do not only offer HSBC products. They have access to a full range of best-of-breed products from other companies but these will all be chosen very carefully by HSBC.

'Our customers have a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week call centre, and Internet banking. By the end of the year we will be offering e-statements instead of paper which is better for the security of personal records.

'We also specialize in expatriate requirements. If you wanted a million yen loan, for example, you could not ask many banks. But for us this would not be a problem.

'Offshore mortgages can also offer significant tax benefits, depending on individual circumstances, and this is another major specialization for us. We can lend you money in US dollars to buy a house in the UK if your income is in US dollars, so that you match your risk with the currency of your income.

'Similarly our range of cards in sterling, US dollars and euros is unmatched for the constantly mobile expatriate. It is all a matter of being specialized in offshore products.

Apart from its expanded Dubai office, Jersey-based HSBC International is present in South Africa where it has just opened in Cape Town as well as Johannesburg, and also has offices in Hong Kong and Singapore. But there are 200 Premier centres in 29 countries which are all accessible to Premier customers of HSBC International.