Five Saudi stocks to be closed to foreign investors -bourse

The Capital Markets Authority did not specify the reason for these stocks to be off-limits to foreign investors.

Saudi lost $49bn of foreign reserves in 4 months due to low oil prices

The kingdom’s foreign reserves fell to $683 billion in April, from $732 billion at the end of 2014, a new report shows.

IMF lifts outlook for Saudi GDP, sees bigger budget gap this year

Economic growth is expected to slow in 2016 as lower oil revenues hit state spending, the IMF said.

Abu Dhabi fund ADIA manages more of its billions in-house

The proportion of its assets managed by external fund managers fell to 65 per cent last year from 75 per cent in 2013, the authority said.

Saudi bourse opening could fuel international partnerships – JP Morgan

The market opening could lead to a flurry of foreign funds, paving way for more partnerships among local and international firms.

Emaar Misr cuts price of its Egypt IPO to $353m

The company had previously aimed to price the shares at 4.70 Egyptian pounds.

Real estate ranked as favoured asset class by UAE investors – survey

Stocks and precious metals were the other favoured asset classes among UAE investors, a Franklin Templeton survey found.

Saudi central bank net foreign assets drop 1.7% on month in April

Assets dropped 6.8 per cent from a year earlier to their lowest level since May 2013, central bank data showed.

UAE’s Rakbank buys 79.23% of RAK National Insurance in tender offer

The lender acquired 87.15 million shares at a total value of Dhs317.2 million ($86.37 million), it said in a bourse filing on Thursday.

UAE bank ADIB eyes capital-boosting measures to back growth

The bank will convene shareholders soon to vote on a rights issue worth Dhs504 million and raise its sukuk limit to $3 billion from the existing $2 billion ceiling.

Stock News: Qatar drops on FIFA World Cup probe, arrests

The Doha index dropped 2.3 per cent to a one-month low of 12,123 points in a broad sell-off.

Abu Dhabi fund ADIA names Pandtle head of US internal equities

Pandtle, who previously worked at Eagle Asset Management, will oversee the management of US-focused equity portfolios run by the fund.

Bahrain sovereign fund Mumtalakat 2014 net profit up 10.8%

The fund holds stakes in Bahraini companies including Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), Gulf Air and Batelco.

Dubai Aerospace sells US aircraft maintenance firm StandardAero

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed but earlier reports hinted that the sale was worth at least $1.8 billion.

Oman cuts defence, subsidy spending, keeps investing as oil sags

Spending on “participation and support”, which includes subsidies, fell 48 per cent to OMR189.0 million in the first quarter of this year.

Dubai’s Marka to invest Dhs250m in 2015, eyes two deals

The company is looking to close deals in the UAE’s hospitality and retail sectors, officials said.

Bahrain to cut subsidies for expats as oil slump bites

The government will redirect subsidy policies to benefit local citizens only, an official said.

Saudi regulator to raise IPO allocations to institutional investors

The Kingdom’s stock market is dominated by retail investors in terms of daily trading volumes.

Dubai’s bourse to add trading-at-last session

The new trading-at-last session will start 20 seconds after 1355, allowing investors to place orders based on the already calculated closing prices of securities.

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank eyes UAE expats as industry growth slows

UAE banking sector revenues rose nearly 14 per cent last year but expansion shows signs of decelerating due to factors including oil price drop and a cooling of real estate markets.

Abu Dhabi’s Gulf Capital says eyes four deals in Egypt

The company aims to hold $5 billion in assets under management by 2018, CEO Karim El Solh said.

UAE banks discuss plan for centralised Islamic finance board

The banks said that it is working closely with the central bank in setting up a Higher Sharia Authority that would complement and oversee the work of individual sharia boards.

Kuwait’s Burgan Bank to consider expanding in UAE, Saudi, Egypt

The bank did not expect to make any acquisitions this year, but said that it would at some later date as a number of foreign banks in the Middle East pulled out.

Oman refinery firm borrows $910m from local, Gulf banks

The money will be used to “meet general corporate requirements and certain projects currently being considered”, the company said.

Gulf banks increase lending footprints in Asia, Africa

Previously Gulf banks largely participated as junior partners in international syndicated loans but that picture is changing gradually.

Kuwait’s Al Ahli Bank buying Egyptian unit of Greece’s Piraeus Bank for $150m

The transaction, which requires approvals from the central banks of Kuwait and Egypt, stands to benefit both lenders.

Dubai’s Amlak Finance shares to resume trade on June 2 after 6-year suspension

Trading in Amlak was halted as credit markets dried up and the emirate’s real estate prices began a near-50 per cent tumble from their peak.

Dubai’s Amanat buys 4.14% stake in Al Noor Hospitals

Amanat was set up to invest in education and healthcare businesses in the UAE and other Gulf states.

Saudi regulator cancels Arabian Contracting float at company request

Last week, approval was issued for the sale of a 30 per cent stake in Arabian Contracting, with the offer set to run between June 10 and 16.

DFSA fines United Investment Bank Limited $56,000

The financial freezone regulator said the bank was guilty of flouting anti-money laundering rules.