Islamabad: May 30, 2018. (PCP) International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox MP has appointed banker Simon Penney as new HM Trade Commissioner for South Asia and the Middle East. He will oversee trade promotion and investment while raising the profile of the region in the UK and building stronger and deeper trading relationships. Simon joins the Department for International Trade (DIT) following a career spent working in the Middle East and Africa, most recently as Head of Wholesale and International Banking at First Gulf Bank. Prior to that he was Middle East & Africa Chief Executive Officer at RBS. The new HM Trade Commissioner for South Asia and the Middle East, Simon Penney, said: “Having spent a significant part of my career working in the Middle East, I understand the great opportunities the markets present to British business. There is vast appetite for British goods and services in the region and huge numbers of Middle Eastern investors looking to invest in the UK. The UK’s trade relationship with the region is already strong, but its true potential has not yet been tapped. I look forward to getting back on the ground and making the case for UK PLC.” The appointment makes Simon the sixth HM Trade Commissioner to be announced by DIT and follows the appointment of Trade Commissioners for North America, China, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and South Asia. Pakistan is home to over 120 British businesses that operate in fields including retail, banking, beauty care products, children’s accessories, pharmaceuticals and publishing.