| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Traded as | (TASE: FIBI) |
| Industry | Banking |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Headquarters | Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Key people | Smadar Barber-Tsadik, CEO |
| Net income | ₪ 484.0 million (2010) |
| Total equity | ₪ 5787.0 million (2010) |
| Employees | 5,173 |
| Parent | FIBI Holdings Ltd. |
| Website | www.fibi.co.il |
The First International Bank of Israel (TASE: FIBI) (known in Hebrew as HaBeinleumi Bank) is the fifth largest bank in Israel. Its commercial base consists primarily of large corporate clients as well as ordinary citizens.[1]
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The bank was founded in 1972 through the merger of several smaller banks.[2]
Edmond Safra (through his uncle Jacques Nasser) acquired control of FIBI in the 1980s: after Edmond Safra's death, the Safra Group sold off its business interests in Israel. As of 2010, FIBI's largest current shareholder is the FIBI Holding Company Ltd, whose largest shareholder is the Bino-Liberman Group; in addition, the Israel Discount Bank holds a significant block of shares.[1]
The bank opened branches in London in 1981, and in Zurich in 1984. In 2006 it acquired a 68% interest in Bank Otsar Ha-Hayal for NIS 702 million. It is notable for being the only major bank in Israel which did not participate in the bank stock scandal in Israel in the 1980s and as such was the only prominent bank in the country not nationalized as result of the crisis.[1]
For a long time, FIBI was unique among Israeli banks in offering complete paperwork in English even to ordinary customers: as a result, it was patronized by many English-speaking immigrants.
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