Country Report
Saudi Arabia’s Half-Court Press
The Saudi kingdom seems to be on a path of radical change, broadening options for women and opening to new sectors, but a ruling-family schism could derail the effort.
Middle East
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Capital Raising & Corporate Finance
Funding | Record Year For Investment In MENA Start-Ups
Last year was a record year for Middle East and North African (MENA) start-ups, with 260 deals attracting $410 million in investment, according to a report by Magnitt, a regional network for entrepreneurs and investors. The United Arab Emirates attracted ...
News
Protestors Demand Change In Iran’s Economic Priorities
The situation came to a head late last year when the Iran government proposed an austere budget for 2018. Subsidies on basic goods and services for the poor were subject to proposed cuts, as fuel prices were set to rise by as much as 50%.
Banking
The First Shariah-Compliant Fintech Consortium
Theconsortium, calledALGO, will enable Islamic member banks to create fintech solutions in acost-effective and fast manner.
News
AMC First In Line As Kingdom Allows Movie Theaters
As Saudi Arabia seeks to create a modern economy, entertainment is one of the industries being promoted as a replacement for oil.
Awards
World’s Best Private Bank Awards 2018 | Facing The Big Banks
Saod Obaidalla, executive vice president and head of Private Banking at Emirates NBD, speaks with Global Finance about the evolution of the regional economy and the bank’s plans to compete with global rivals.
Capital Raising & Corporate Finance
Qatar | Accounting Changes Double Reserves
Qatar’s reserves nearly doubled to $39 billion due to the change giving it more foreign-currency liquidity.
Country Report
Qatar | Economy Resilient Despite Blockade
Qatar has staved off disaster with new alliances. Still, the regional conflict must be resolved for long-term health.
Banking
Lebanon Needs infrastructure And Reserves: Central Bank Governor
Riad Salamé, governor, Banque du Liban, talks with Global Finance Magazine editor Andrea Fiano about Lebanon’s need to build infrastructure and reserves, and the central bank’s efforts to boost growth from around 2.5% to around 6% by boosting tech startups and entrepreneurship generally.
Data
Q&A With Central Bank Governor of Jordan
Dr. Ziad Fariz, governor of Jordan’s central bank since 2012, talks about the refugee problem, recovery from the financial crisis, and how his country is keeping its financial system on an even keel.
Data
Q&A With Central Bank Governor of Lebanon
Riad Salamé, governor of Lebanon’s central bank, discusses economic conditions for his country and the region in general, and how Lebanon benefits from its “strong, healthy and conservative banking sector.”
News
Top 50 Safest Banks In Middle East 2017
GCC banks still dominate, with First Abu Dhabi Bank firmly on top.