HSBC, Europe's biggest bank, plans to buy Lloyds Banking Group's retail operations in the UAE, four sources said on Thursday.     

HSBC was slated to make an announcement at 4:30pm on Thursday.     

Spokesmen at HSBC and Lloyd's declined to comment.     

Lloyds said in January that it was in talks to sell its operations in the UAE, its Middle Eastern hub with assets of 6.1 billion dirhams ($1.7 billion) in 2010. – Reuters