Saudi Aramco selects lead underwriters for $100bn IPO

JPMorgan Chase & Co, Morgan Stanley, and HSBC Holdings have reportedly been selected

Saudi sees first deflation in over a decade

Prices fell 0.4 per cent from a year earlier last month, their first drop since the early 2000s

Saudi issues request for proposals for international sukuk

The sovereign issued a debut $17.5bn bond in October last year

Saudi favours New York for Aramco IPO

Saudi officials expect the IPO to value Aramco at a minimum of $2 trillion

Qatari bank merger will ‘rebalance’ the market – Moody’s

Three Qatari banks – Masraf Al Rayan, Barwa Bank and International Bank of Qatar – are holding merger talks

Saudi’s Samba Financial Group appoints female CEO

Nashar is the first female CEO of a listed Saudi commercial bank

Dubai’s DIFC could have more than 1,000 firms by 2024

The state-owned financial free zone reached 447 financial firms in 2016

Saudi Stock Exchange appoints first female chairperson

Sarah Al-Suhaimi, the CEO of NCB Capital, has been appointed to the role

Saudi’s Tadawul to list seven companies on new SME market Nomu

The new market is set to open on February 26

Abu Dhabi’s new $125bn fund to start operating in May

The new firm has been formed by merging Mubadala and IPIC

Dubai expected to issue dollar bond this quarter

The size of the deal is likely to be larger than a benchmark issue

Oman considers taking early payments for oil to avoid new debt

Oman’s national oil company might get paid as much as two years before oil is delivered

Abu Dhabi growth “under pressure” as low oil prices hit spending – Moody's

Talks by UAE fund IPIC seeking $6.5bn from Malaysia’s 1MDB deadlocked

IPIC took its case to the London Court of International Arbitration last June

Abu Dhabi bourse suspends trading in TAQA, Qatar’s Ooredoo

The companies have not yet released their annual financial statements

Merger of Abu Dhabi banks NBAD, FGB to take place on April 1

Trading of the new shares following the merger will begin from April 2

Shuaa Capital in acquisition talks, has 3 IPOs in pipeline

Two of the IPOs are likely to be finalised within 2017

Saudi’s CMA approves listing of two companies on Saudi parallel bourse

Both offers will be confined to Qualified Investors

All six GCC nations plan simultaneous VAT adoption in January 2018

The Gulf states are aiming to introduce a 5 per cent value-added tax

Ras Al Khaimah has no plans to issue dollar bond in 2017

Ras Al Khaimah issued its latest international bond in 2015

Law firm White & Case advises Saudi Aramco on world’s biggest IPO

The IPO is expected to take place in 2018

Bahrain’s Investcorp targets US service sector, UK property

Investcorp expects its assets under management to rise to around $21bn in the first half of 2017

Saudi issues deadline for Saudisation of motor insurance sector

The kingdom also Saudised issued new rules for the Saudisation of the mobile shop sector last year

Saudi hires Jadwa Investment to advise on privatisation of football clubs

Late last year, the government approved plans to turn state-owned sports clubs into private companies

Salaries in the Middle East to see slight increase in 2017

The strongest salary growth of 3 per cent is expected in the procurement and supply chain sector

Lower liquidity not driving drop in GCC sukuk volumes

Complexity related to the sukuk issuance process is a major hindrance, says S&P

Saudi Aramco set to issue its first domestic sukuk

The Islamic bonds will be issued later this year to help fund Aramco’s activities

Qatar Holding invests $250m in Indian affordable housing fund

ArthVeda Fund Management said that Qatar Holding plans to invest in its low and middle income fund

Dubai government finalising $3bn airport expansion loan

The airport loan covers the first financing portion of the $35bn airport expansion

UAE banks NBAD, FGB appoint second-tier management ahead of merger

The combined bank is set to be one of the largest in the Middle East and Africa with assets of around $175bn

Credit insurer Coface expects easing in payment delays in Saudi

The number of delayed payments in the kingdom fell by 8 per cent between the first and second quarters of 2016