Nabil Bank

Nabil Bank is a Nepalese commercial bank headquartered at Durbar Marg in Kathmandu. Established in 1984 as Nepal Arab Bank Limited, it was the first commercial bank in Nepal founded with multinational, primarily foreign, investment. The institution was created to bring modern and internationally oriented banking services to Nepalese businesses and customers at a time when the country's commercial banking sector was still developing. The bank provides a broad range of financial services through a nationwide operating network. Its activities include conventional branch banking, deposits and lending, treasury operations, trade finance, payment cards, remittance services, digital banking, and other services for individuals, businesses, and institutions. It also maintains correspondent banking relationships outside Nepal, supporting cross-border payments, trade-related transactions, and international financial connectivity. The bank's reach includes provincial offices, branches, automated teller machines, point-of-sale terminals, and remittance agents distributed across Nepal. A major ownership transition occurred in 1995, when the Dubai government-owned majority stake was acquired by Binod Chaudhary. This transaction made the bank part of the business interests associated with Nepalese industrialist Binod Chaudhary, although the bank remains a publicly listed institution with shares held by promoter groups and the general public. The bank's ownership structure reported for fiscal year 2023/24 consisted of 58.44 percent promoter holdings and 41.56 percent public holdings. Nabil has expanded beyond conventional commercial banking through affiliated businesses. Its investment-banking activities are conducted through Nabil Investment Banking Limited, while Nabil Stock Dealer operates as another subsidiary. These entities broaden the group's role in investment banking and securities-related services. The bank also strengthened its domestic scale through the acquisition of Nepal Bangladesh Bank in July 2022, a transaction that expanded its customer, branch, and market presence. Digital transformation has become another important part of the brand's development. On 22 December 2022, Nabil introduced nBank, described as a neo-banking service operating as a virtual branch. The service represents an effort to provide banking access through digital channels rather than relying solely on physical branches. Nabil Bank operates throughout Nepal and maintains an international banking infrastructure through more than 200 correspondent relationships. The bank's reported network includes approximately 268 branches and more than 300 ATMs, although network totals can change over time. Its head office remains at Nabil Center on Kathmandu's Durbar Marg. In July 2022, Gyanendra Dhungana became chief executive officer after the end of Anil Keshary Shah's tenure. Nabil's current identity therefore combines the legacy of Nepal's first foreign joint-venture commercial bank with a nationwide retail and corporate banking platform, investment-banking subsidiaries, post-acquisition scale, and newer digital services.

Nabil Bank began operations in 1984 under the name Nepal Arab Bank Limited. It was established as Nepal's first commercial bank founded with multinational, primarily foreign, investment, and its original purpose was to introduce modern banking practices and internationally oriented financial services to Nepalese businesses. The bank's creation marked an important stage in the development of Nepal's commercial banking system, which at the time had a more limited range of private and internationally connected institutions. The bank's early identity was closely associated with its foreign joint-venture structure. In 1995, a majority shareholding owned by the Dubai government was acquired by Binod Chaudhary, described in the reference material as Nepal's only billionaire businessman. The change altered the bank's ownership profile while preserving its role as a commercial banking institution operating in Nepal. The bank subsequently became widely known as Nabil Bank and developed a substantial national presence. Its business expanded from conventional branch banking into a broad platform covering deposits, lending, treasury, trade finance, payment cards, remittance, and related services. Nabil also built international connectivity through correspondent banking relationships, allowing it to support cross-border settlements and trade-linked transactions. Within Nepal, its infrastructure grew to include offices in all seven provinces, branches, ATMs, point-of-sale terminals, and remittance agents. The head office has been located at Nabil Center on Durbar Marg in Kathmandu, one of the capital's principal commercial avenues. Nabil developed specialist financial activities through subsidiaries. Nabil Investment Banking Limited became the vehicle for the group's investment-banking business, while Nabil Stock Dealer added a securities-dealing operation. These subsidiaries extended the brand beyond deposit-taking and lending into capital-markets-related services. A significant later turning point was the acquisition of Nepal Bangladesh Bank in July 2022. The transaction increased Nabil's scale in the domestic banking market and contributed to the bank's extensive branch and service network. Leadership also changed during the same period: Gyanendra Dhungana was appointed chief executive officer on 1 July 2022 after Anil Keshary Shah's tenure ended. Digital banking became more prominent with the launch of nBank on 22 December 2022. Presented as a neo-banking service and virtual branch, nBank reflects the bank's effort to deliver services through digital channels alongside its physical distribution network. Nabil therefore combines a long-established commercial-bank franchise with specialist subsidiaries, nationwide coverage, international correspondent relationships, and newer digital delivery models. For fiscal year 2023/24, the bank's reported paid-up capital was NPR 27.06 billion. The reported ownership structure comprised 58.44 percent promoter holdings and 41.56 percent public holdings. The bank remains active and publicly listed on the Nepal Stock Exchange, serving retail customers, businesses, institutions, and customers requiring remittance or international banking services.

• 2024

  Reported fiscal-year ownership and capital structure

  [1]Nabil Banken.wikipedia.org

  For fiscal year 2023/24, the reference material reported paid-up capital of NPR 27.06 billion, with promoter shareholders holding 58.44 percent and the general public holding 41.56 percent.

• 2022

  Nepal Bangladesh Bank acquisition

  [1]Nabil Banken.wikipedia.org

  Nabil Bank acquired Nepal Bangladesh Bank in July, strengthening its domestic scale.

• 2022

  New chief executive appointed

  [1]Nabil Banken.wikipedia.org

  Gyanendra Dhungana became chief executive officer on 1 July after Anil Keshary Shah's tenure ended.

• 2022

  nBank launched

  [1]Nabil Banken.wikipedia.org

  The bank introduced nBank on 22 December as a digital neo-banking service operating as a virtual branch.

• 1995

  Majority ownership changed

  [1]Nabil Banken.wikipedia.org

  A majority shareholding previously owned by the Dubai government was acquired by Binod Chaudhary.

• 1984

  Nepal Arab Bank was established

  [1]Nabil Banken.wikipedia.org

  The institution was incorporated on 12 July 1984 as Nepal Arab Bank Limited, becoming Nepal's first foreign joint-venture commercial bank.

A nationwide, full-service Nepalese commercial bank combining an early foreign-joint-venture heritage with retail, corporate, trade, remittance, investment-banking, and digital capabilities.

• Banking

  Retail banking

  Nabil's retail banking activities serve individual customers through deposits, savings products, personal credit facilities, payment cards, remittance access, branch services, ATMs, and digital channels. The offering is delivered through a large Nepal-wide physical network supplemented by electronic banking services.

• Banking · 1984

  Corporate and commercial banking

  The bank provides commercial banking services for businesses and institutions, including lending, deposits, cash-management-related banking, trade finance, and other services intended to support domestic commercial activity and international transactions.

• Financial services

  Treasury and trade finance

  Treasury and trade activities form part of Nabil's full-service banking platform. They support foreign-exchange and liquidity-related banking functions as well as import, export, and other cross-border commercial transactions through the bank's international correspondent network.

• Digital banking · 2022

  nBank

  nBank is Nabil Bank's neo-banking service, launched in December 2022. It is designed as a virtual branch, extending the bank's service model through digital access rather than depending exclusively on physical branches and counters.

• Investment banking

  Nabil Investment Banking Limited

  Nabil Investment Banking Limited is the group's investment-banking subsidiary. It extends the Nabil brand into investment-banking services alongside the parent bank's deposit-taking, lending, treasury, and transaction-banking activities.

• Securities

  Nabil Stock Dealer

  Nabil Stock Dealer is a subsidiary associated with the group's securities-related activities. Its presence gives the wider Nabil group an additional connection to Nepal's capital-markets ecosystem.

• 2022

  Acquisition of Nepal Bangladesh BankM&A

  Background

  Nabil Bank pursued greater scale in Nepal's commercial banking market.

  Action taken

  Nabil Bank acquired Nepal Bangladesh Bank in July 2022.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition expanded Nabil's domestic banking footprint and contributed to its extensive branch and service network.

  Source

• 2022

  Launch of nBankProduct launch

  Background

  Customers increasingly expected banking access through digital channels in addition to conventional branches.

  Action taken

  Nabil launched nBank on 22 December 2022 as a neo-banking service functioning as a virtual branch.

  Aftermath

  The launch extended Nabil's service model into digital banking and supported a more technology-led customer-access strategy.

  Source

• 1995

  Acquisition of the Dubai government-owned majority stakeM&A

  Background

  The bank had been established with a foreign joint-venture structure and a majority shareholding associated with the Dubai government.

  Action taken

  Binod Chaudhary acquired the majority shareholding in 1995.

  Aftermath

  The transaction changed the bank's ownership profile while it continued operating as a Nepalese commercial bank.

  Source

1. 1Nabil Banken.wikipedia.org