I believe HSBC have bought down the requirements for a status account, which reduces fees and comes with a personnal rep to which you can call. I just changed over recently and it's worth a look. The on line banking is reasonable, but I know they have big problems with the call centers in India. I haven't had to drive to Deira for years and that's the only reason I haven't switched. The less direct interface with a bank the better.
I hear NBAD is pretty good, with lower fees and a soild on line banking option as well. The problem is that the entire ME is weak when it comes to banking options. What to do...