Country Report
Asia’s Big-Project Funding Gap
<strong>ASIA |TheAsian Infrastructure Investment Bankbegan its efforts tofinance Asia’s vast need for infrastructure this year. What are the prospects?</strong>
Author: Mark Townsend
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Data
Gulf Nations Must Develop Soft Infrastructure
Sparkling office towers won’t draw business without the right policies.
Data
Kuwait Takes Action
Striving to shake its oil dependence, Kuwait is opening up to foreign ownership. Will investors bite?
News
Philippine President Sparks Market Jitters
<strong>Philippines</strong><br />
Investor unease over the future of the Philippines, one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing economies, has soared following Rodrigo Duterte’s landslide victory in the May presidential election.
Economics, Policy & Regulation
Investor Unease Ahead Of Philippines Election
On May 9, voters in the Philippines will elect a new president amid growing concerns over whether the strong legacy of president Benigno Aquino III will continue.
Banking
Intent On A Global Footprint: Ali Ahmed Al-Kuwari, Qatar National Bank
By any measure QNB has major ambitions. It is the largest bank in Qatar and one of the leading financial institutions in the Middle East and Africa. It does not stop there. QNB has set its sights on becoming a global bank by 2030. QNB’s group chief executive discusses with Global Finance the regional downturn, success in Africa and its plans for a global presence.
Banking
A High-Stakes Poker Game
The Middle East is no stranger to political and economic uncertainty, but simmering religious and political tensions and stubbornly low oil prices have dealt the region a difficult hand. The question now is: How will countries play in order to win?
News
Banking On Talent: Abdulrazak Ali Issa, Bank Muscat
Now that some sanctions have been lifted against Iran, Oman’s governmental policy of neutrality could come to the fore in the banking sector. Bank Muscat is gearing up to enter the Iranian market, placing it ahead of many of its banking counterparts in the Gulf. Bank Muscat’s CEO answers questions from Global Finance about the move, and the bank’s challenges in an epoch of austerity.
News
Branching Out: Adel El-Labban, Ahli United Bank
Despite tightening liquidity in the Gulf banking sector, Bahrain’s largest lender reported robust profits in 2015. After leading a slew of product launches, AUB’s group CEO and managing director believes the bank’s prudent risk management will underpin its expansion. He spoke to Global Finance at the bank’s headquarters in Bahrain.
News
Driving Momentum: Shayne Nelson, Emirates NBD
Emirates NBD returned a stellar performance in 2015, but this year looks to be an entirely different proposition. Shayne Nelson, Emirates NBD Group’s CEO, tells Global Finance how the bank plans to drive growth and why consolidation is needed in the UAE banking sector.
News
Fast Follower: Tirad Al-Mahmoud, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank was the first Islamic bank established in Abu Dhabi, in 1997, and has evolved to become one of the largest retail banks in the United Arab Emirates, with one of the strongest digital footprints of any bank in the UAE. ADIB increased full-year net profits by 10.5% in 2015 to reach 1.9 billion dirhams ($520 million). Global Finance sat down with ADIB’s CEO at the bank’s head office in Abu Dhabi.
News
Iran Elections Stir Optimism
<strong>Milestones | Iran</strong><br />
A strong showing by moderates in February’s elections to Iran’s parliament and assembly of experts (the constitutional body that appoints and dismisses the supreme leader) has boosted prospects for the Islamic republic’s reintegration into the global economy and reassured foreign investors that reforms will continue.