Saudi Dairy Firm Almarai Sells $347m Islamic Bond

The SAR1.3 billion issue attracted orders worth SAR2.4 billion from institutional investors inside Saudi Arabia.

UAE’s Gulf Capital Sees Assets Doubling In Five Years

Gulf Capital owns stake in firms such as healthcare chain Techno Scan and water engineering firm Metito Holdings.

Dubai Holding Unit’s 2012 Profit Surges On Lower Impairments

DHCOG posted a net profit of Dhs1.2 billion ($326.71 million) for 2012, compared with profit of Dhs204 million in 2011.

Emirates NBD Lists $750 Bond On Nasdaq Dubai

The issue was three and a half times oversubscribed with more than 160 orders received from regional and international investors.

Stocks: Kuwait Recovers Intraday Losses; Dubai At Two Month Low

Dubai’s bourse fell 0.9 per cent to a fresh two-month low of 1,829 points.

UAE’s Dana Gas Receives $73.7m From Iraq And Egypt This Year

The company also said that it’s on track to complete its sukuk refinancing in the second quarter of the year.

Qatar’s QInvest Plans Range Of Islamic Funds On New Platform

The investment bank plans to launch at least 30 Islamic funds over the next three years

UAE Central Bank Agrees On Mortgage Caps

The bank has given initial approval to a proposal by the country’s commercial banks on setting limits for residential mortgage loans.

Kuwait 10-Month Budget Surplus At $60.5bn

Robust oil income and lower-than-expected public spending boosted the surplus.

GCC Banks Continue To Outperform International Peers

The region’s biggest lenders reported single digit revenue and profit growth as well as a rise in loan loss provisions.

Arab Leaders Set Up $1bn Fund For Jerusalem

Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, said his country will contribute $250 million to the fund.

Egypt To Apply Gains Tax In QNB Bid For NSGB

Individual shareholders and investment funds holding minority stakes in NSGB will have to pay a 10 per cent tax on their gains.

Dubai’s Atlantis Operator Kerzner Signs $145m Loan Refinancing

Kerzner sold its stake in Dubai’s Atlantis resort to state-owned Istithmar World for $250 million.

Dubai Platform Hosts First Islamic Commodity Trade

The Dhs50 million facility was signed by Noor Islamic Bank and Commercial Bank of Dubai.

Oman’s Bank Dhofar Gets $68m After Court Ruling Overturned

The Omani bank lost a court case in June 2011 against Oman International Bank, Ali Redha Trading and Muttrah Holding.

Top 10 Biggest IPOs Of All Time

China holds the first and second biggest initial public offerings ever as Asian and U.S. companies go head-to-head.

Credit Card Use Boosts MENA’s GDP Growth

The UAE’s GDP saw a rise of $4.2 billion thanks to a rise in electronic payments. Saudi Arabia’s GDP saw growth of $4.7 billion.

Saudi Electricity Sets Initial Price Guidance For Sukuk

Meetings with fixed income investors are scheduled to conclude in London on Monday, having taken place in the United States last week.

Dubai’s Emirates NBD May Price Tier 2 Bond Monday

The dollar-denominated deal aims to boost the bank’s supplementary capital.

Banks To Sign $2bn Saudi Rabigh 2 Loan By End-March

A coalition of seven banks will back the dual-tranche, long-term loan, say sources.

Standard Chartered Seeks Egypt Acquisition, Plans Iraq Push

In the Gulf region, the bank will focus on lending opportunities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, says regional head.

Gulf Bonds’ Huge Order Books Not As Solid As They Seem

Recent bond issues have seen heavy bids but perform poorly in the secondary market.

GCC’s Islamic Banking Assets’ Growth Slows To 14%

Growth in 2012 was up on 2011, far outperforming conventional banking assets’ growth of 8.1 per cent.

US Imports Of Saudi Crude Oil Up Nearly 300,000 bpd Last Week

Shipments to the US from OPEC’s top producer had dipped earlier in the year.

Fitch Says Saudi Upgrade Likely, Outlook Positive

The country could get a one-notch upgrade if it makes more progress tackling unemployment and diversifying the economy.

Dubai’s DEWA Says No More Sukuk Issues Before 2015

DEWA’s $1 billion Islamic bond issued in February drew very strong demand.

Oman’s Bank Muscat To Price $500m Bond

Despite attracting more than $2.5 billion of demand so far the size of the bond will not be increased.

Abu Dhabi’s Al Hilal Bank To Issue Sukuk In Q3

The lender expects to obtain a credit rating in the coming two or three months.

Drake And Scull Wins Saudi, UAE Contracts Worth $100m

The contracts include Dhs287 million worth of work awarded by Al Rajhi Bank to construct facilities in Riyadh.

Investcorp Struggling To Sell Armacell Amid Lower Bids

Potential buyers Charterhouse, HgCapital and Pamplona were likely to submit bids 100 million euros under its price tag.