First Gulf Bank To Set Up $1.07bn Sukuk In Malaysia

Funds from the programme will go toward expanding the bank’s day-to-day business.

Saudi IPO Market Set For Booming 2014 As Regulator, Issuers Eye Deals

The Kingdom’s stock market saw five IPOs in 2013 worth around $506 million, down in both volume and value from 2012.

Dubai World Prepays $284.5m To Creditors – Sources

The conglomerate obtained money for the prepayment from asset sales.

Bahrain To See Further Bank Mergers This Year – Central Bank Governor

In 2013, there were four separate examples of consolidation in the Bahraini banking sector.

Ras Al Khaimah Exploring Ceramics Sale

Ras Al Khaimah Ceramics has a market capitalisation of $781 million.

UAE’s Mubadala To Focus More On U.S., European Markets: COO

Mubadala shifted some of its focus to emerging markets after the global financial crisis hit the United States and Europe.

Inflation Rates In GCC Economies To Rise In 2014

Inflation rates will stay at manageable, low single-digit levels throughout the region, the report said.

UAE Firms Should Give “Realistic Pay Rises” During Boom Time

Unrealistic pay rises during boom time might prove counterproductive to a company’s growth, expert says.

NCB Capital Names First Female Saudi Investment Bank Head

Sarah Al-Suhaimi, currently head of asset management and chief investment officer at Jadwa Investment has reportedly been hired as CEO of National Commercial Bank.

Bahrain’s Al Salam Bank Launches Asian Islamic REIT Fund

The REIT will invest in between 15 and 35 properties and be managed by Swiss-based B&I Capital AG.

Revealed: Top 10 Billionaires In The GCC

Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed again ranks first in the region on Forbes’ annual list of the world’s billionaires.

Cybercrime Hits Financial Firms Hardest – Survey

Some 45 per cent of financial firms were victims of fraud last year, PwC’s 2014 global economic crime survey showed.

Kuwait Fines Ahli Bank Chairman $5.3m Over Insider Trade

The Court of First Instance fined Ahmed Yousef Behbehani after a complaint by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA).

Oman’s Bank Muscat Plans $1.3bn Islamic Bond Programme

The bank will seek shareholder approval for its sukuk programme at a meeting on March 19 and regulatory approval thereafter, local media reported.

Oil Jumps Over $2 As Ukraine Mobilises For War

Continued tensions in Ukraine have caused energy prices to rise and financial markets to decline.

Bahrain Eyes External Sharia Audits For Islamic Banks

Regulators around the world are increasing their scrutiny of Islamic finance, including the boards of sharia scholars who rule on whether activities follow religious principles.

Over One-Third Of Middle East Firms Are Corrupt

Local firms are losing billions of dollars through negligence.

Dubai’s Economic Zones World Launches Two Halal Zones

The Halal zones will be situated in Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (Jafza) and Technopark.

Oman’s Ominvest Won’t Proceed With Oman Arab Bank IPO

Omnivest had previously said that it was looking into the feasibility of the transaction.

Saudi Electricity Proposes 2013 Cash Dividend Of $0.19 Per Share

In January, the monopoly said its annual profit for 2013 rose 19 per cent to 3.04 billion riyals from a year earlier.

Dubai, Abu Dhabi Firms To Hike Housing Allowances In 2014

Around 22 per cent of Abu Dhabi employees and 33 per cent of Dubai employees will see a rise in housing allowances this year.

UAE’s ADCB Picks Banks For 5-Yr Benchmark Bond

ADCB has chosen Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, Barclays, ING and JP Morgan Chase to arrange the transaction.

Saudi Central Bank Expects Further Drop Of Inflation In Q1

Consumer price growth in the world’s top oil exporter has been easing gradually since hitting a peak of 4.0 per cent in April 2013.

Commercial Bank Of Qatar Signs Upsized $1bn Dual-Tranche Loan

Lenders joining the facility came from the Gulf, the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Different Arab money

Saudi Kingdom Holding To Pay $0.03 Per Share Dividend For Q4

The company posted a 10.3 per cent rise in fourth-quarter profit in January, mainly due to a rise in the value of its investments.

Qatar’s Al Khaliji Lifts Foreign Ownership Cap To 49%, No Bonds In 2014

Only 16.18 per cent of the firm is currently held by non-Qatari investors, according to bourse data.

Bahrain’s Gulf Finance House Doubles Q4 Profit On Investment Revenue

The investment firm made a net profit of $5.2 million in the three months to December 31.

Bahraini Islamic Bank Al Baraka Q4 Net Income Climbs 23%

The Islamic lender recorded a net attributable profit of $32 million in the three months to December 31, 2013.

Kuwait’s Burgan Bank Q4 Net Profit Slumps

The lender made a net profit of $8.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2013.

Nakheel Confirms Repayment Of Dhs2.35bn Bank Debt

The Dubai developer announced earlier this year that it would repay Dhs4 billion of its bank debt in 2014, ahead of maturity in September 2015.