Middle East Archives

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Banking

GCC: Abu Dhabi’s New Financial Center

REGIONAL SUPERSECTION — STEPPING UP THE COMPETITION By Gordon Platt Does the Gulf Cooperation Council need yet another international financial center? Oil-rich Abu Dhabi thinks it does. The United Arab Emirates is about to open its second ...

Banking

GCC: Infrastructure Investment

REGIONAL SUPERSECTION — SEEKING A NEW MODEL By Anita Hawser As the infrastructure boom continues, it may be time for GCC countries to reevaluate how they select and fund new projects. “Abu Dhabi cannot rely solely on ...

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

GCC: Oil Prices And Regional Stability

REGIONAL SUPERSECTION — SHALE OIL BOOM RATTLES GCC ECONOMIES By Gordon Platt As US shale oil and gas production continues to grow, it could have an impact on GCC economies over both the short and long term. ...

Banking

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): Change Is In The Air

REGIONAL SUPERSECTION The six nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE—have a common need to adjust to a changing global oil market as a result of the surge in US oil ...

Banking

Israel: Wanted—Central Bank Leader

NEWSMAKERS By David Lipkin The succession of Stanley Fischer, governor of Israel’s central bank, has turned into a melodrama. Two of the appointed candidates for the job withdrew in a matter of days. The last candidate of prime ...

Award Winners

World’s Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks in Middle East & Africa 2013

Global Finance names the 2013 World’s Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks in Middle East/Africa NEW YORK, July 23, 2013 Global Finance...

Awards

World’s Best Consumer Internet Banks in Middle East & Africa 2013

Global Finance names the 2013 World’s Best Consumer Internet Banks in Middle East/Africa NEW YORK, July 18, 2013 Global Finance...

Award Winners

Awards: Best Islamic Banks 2013

A DEFINING MOMENT By Anita Hawser Global Finance presents the winners of its awards for the World’s Best Islamic Financial Insititutions 2013. With Islamic banking assets predicted to pass the $1.1 trillion mark in 2012 and Islamic ...

Banking

Country Report: Egypt

WAITING FOR THE RENAISSANCE By Gordon Platt Egypt’s elections promised much in terms of building a modern and democratic state. But the realities of governing for the Muslim Brotherhood are proving more difficult than initially thought—and some economic ...

Banking

Milestones: Private-Sector Banks Rake In Profits In Iraq

MILESTONES: IRAQ By Gordon Platt The five largest nongovernmental banks in Iraq posted a 207% increase in aggregate earnings between 2010 and 2012, thanks to the country’s strong economic growth and increasing demand for credit, according to a report on ...

Banking

Debt: Saudi Sukuk Market Heats Up

CORPORATE FINANCING NEWS: CORPORATE DEBT By Gordon Platt A series of three major sukuk issues in Saudi Arabia in the first week of April demonstrated the growing depth of the debt capital markets in the kingdom, where corporations are ...

Banking

Emerging Markets Roundup: Middle East

CLIFFORD CHANCE TO OPEN SAUDI PARTNERSHIP By Gordon Platt Clifford Chance is the first global law firm to receive approval from Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry to create a Saudi-foreign legal partnership in the kingdom. Photo ...