Different Arab money

Middle East Investment Banking Fees Up 20% In 2013

Total fees rose to $722 million in 2013, the highest since 2010.

Sager Is Frontrunner To Succeed Dabdoub At Kuwait’s NBK

Isam al-Sager, 58, is currently the deputy chief executive of National Bank of Kuwait.

Saudi’s Al Rajhi Bank Halves H2 Dividend After Q4 Profit Drop

Al Rajhi reported a 19.1 per cent drop in fourth-quarter net profit.

Investcorp Sells UK-based TDX Group to Equifax for $327m

TDX is the UK’s largest debt placement services and debt management platform company.

Dubai Launches Entrepreneurship Academy

The academy aims to equip entrepreneurs with practical skills and knowledge they need to become future businesspeople.

UAE Attracts Top Talent Ahead Of Expo 2020

Around 49,000 LinkedIn members have moved to the UAE in the last 12 months.

Dubai Group Signs $10bn Debt Restructuring Deal

Ahmed al-Qassim was appointed chief executive of Dubai Group last week.

UAE To Attract $14.4bn FDI In 2014

The UAE attracted FDIs worth $12 billion in 2013 owing to increased government spending and resurgence in some service sectors.

Qatar’s Masraf Al Rayan Buys Islamic Bank Of Britain

IBB was majority-owned by another Qatari lender, Qatar International Islamic Bank.

Qatar Holding Deal Maker Fakhroo Leaves For Govt-Linked Role

Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, a Qatari national and a director at the fund’s mergers and acquisitions team, left late last year.

MENA IPOs Raise $726.2m In Q4 2013

IPOs in the MENA region recorded a 133 per cent increase in terms of volume and 114 per cent increase in terms of value compared to Q4 2012.

Saudi’s Samba Q4 Profit Up 15.8%

Samba attributed the profit rise to an increase in operating income.

Saudi’s Mobily Q4 Profit Rises 8.6%, Beats Forecasts

The company said more income from data and business clients were the reason for the quarterly and annual profit increases.

Middle East Online Job Postings Rise 13% In December

Job openings in the banking, financial services and insurance industry grew 42 per cent year-on-year in December, recording the highest growth among industries in 2013.

Bank Muscat Meets Q4 Forecasts With 42% Profit Hike

Results were boosted by the $38.8 million payout from insurers after the bank was the victim of a major cyber fraud case.

Islamic Banking Evolves

Sharia-compliant lenders are growing but non-core assets will become less visible.

Qatar’s QNB Q4 Profit Up 13.7%

The bank reported a net profit of 2.4 billion riyals ($659 million) for the final three months of 2013.

Hong Kong Exchange CEO: “We Are Not Ready For China’s Boom”

Dr Li Xiaojia urges Hong Kong to boost its capabilities before it loses out to other international finance centres.

Saudi Arabia Replaces Public Sector Expat Workers

All jobs previously occupied by expats will be considered vacant until qualified Saudi citizens can fill them, the ministry said.

Abu Dhabi’s Inflation Rate Rises 1.3% In 2013

Food and non-alcoholic beverages accounted for the largest rise in the emirate’s consumer price index, rising 25.9 per cent last year.

Qatar Central Bank To Sell $6.6bn In Bonds, Sukuk

The conventional bonds will be worth QAR13 billion, while the rest of the issuance will be in the form of sukuk.

Saudi’s Yansab Q4 Profit Drops 31% On Plant Shutdown

The firm made a net profit of $117.9 million in the three-month period to December 31.

Dubai Debt Deal Imminent – Bankers

The emirate was one of the first issuers from the Gulf in 2013 with a dual tranche 10-year sukuk and 30-year conventional note.

Dubai’s Shuaa Swings To 2013 Net Profit Of Dhs2.8m

The investment bank’s annual net profit increased by Dhs62 million from a net loss of Dhs59 million in 2012.

Saudi British Bank Q4 Net Profit Jumps 20%, Beating Forecasts

SABB attributed its profit rise to higher operating income.

Gulf Markets Seen Steady Following Early-Year Surge

Markets in the United Arab Emirates are closed on Sunday for a religious holiday.

EFG Hermes Approves $144m Share Buyback Plan

The Egyptian bank’s shares rose almost 10 per cent after the announcement of the plan.

Saudi Hollandi Bank Q4 Net Profit 347.3m Riyals

The bank’s net profit for the quarter was boosted by a 22 per cent jump in total operating income to 671.1 million riyals.

Emirate Of Sharjah Raises Profile With Sovereign Credit Rating

Moody’s assigned an A3 government bond rating to the Sharjah government on Wednesday, while Standard & Poor’s rated it A.

Saudi’s Riyad Bank Posts 27.2% Q4 Net Profit Jump

Saudi Arabia’s third-largest lender by assets saw Q4 profit grow as income rose and expenses declined.