Oman Investment Firm Eyes Stake Sales In Banking Arm

Ominvest also has plans to list part of Oman Arab Bank on the Muscat bourse.

ENBD Frontrunner For BNP Paribas Egypt Arm

Emirates NBD’s offer was highest in a second round of bidding that took place in December.

Banque Saudi Fransi Closes $507m Sukuk

The Saudi lender’s issue was around 2.2 times covered by investors.

Green Shoots For Private Equity Sector

Interest in deals is up say experts, but closing deals is still lacking as billions of dollars in dry powder lies waiting.

UAE’s Central Bank Delays New Exposure Rules

Following complaints from several banks, requirements on liquid assets have been postponed.

Islamic Bank Of Britain Takeover Deadline Extended

Qatar’s Masraf Al Rayan will have until the new year to decide on a proposed takeover of the lender.

QNB Buys Egypt Arm Of Societe Generale For $2bn

The sale is expected to be completed in the first half of 2013.

Jaguar Land Rover Signs Deal With Saudi

As part of the partnership, the car manufacturer will explore the viability of setting up an automotive facility in the Kingdom.

HSBC Slapped With $1.9 Billion Fine

HSBC Holdings will pay the biggest fine in banking history after violating US rules aimed at preventing money laundering.

UAE’s NBAD Plans Acquisitions In Expansion Abroad

National Bank of Abu Dhabi aims to be in 41 countries by 2021, compared with 14 right now, said a senior manager.

Global Islamic Banking Assets To Hit $1.8 Trillion In 2013

Saudi is currently the world’s largest market for Islamic assets, says new report by Ernst &Young.

New Online Trading Platform Offers Bespoke Service

Tradable allows users to download crowd-sourced apps tailored specifically to suit their needs.

Abu Dhabi’s Falcon Bank Eyes More Buys After Clariden Deal

Falcon Private Bank plans to acquire wealth management boutiques that manage between $500 million and $4 billion in assets.

Russia’s Largest Bank Signs Deal With Invest AD

The agreement between the Abu Dhabi financial services firm and Sberbank is expected to facilitate more investment in both the regions.

Moody’s Downgrades Three Dubai Banks

The international agency has cut ratings for three lenders in the emirate, and put a fourth on review.

Top 10 Global Cities For Hotel Investment In 2012

Dubai features among the top 25 global destinations for hotel investment in 2012, according to a new report.

Dancing With The Dragon: China And The UAE

UAE banks are gunning for a slice of the growing Chinese economy.

StanChart Sees $330m Iran Fine, Profit Rise Erodes

The lender already paid $340 million to New York’s Department of Financial Services in Q3 2012.

Where To Invest In 2013 – With Merrill Lynch

Johannes Jooste, head of strategy for EMEA at Merrill Lynch, advises equities over fixed income.

BofA Names Nomura’s Ghafur As MENA Head

Bank of America Merrill Lynch is looking to improve its regional banking operations.

US Investigation Into Saudi Banking Licenses

The US Department of Justice is investigating if the alleged Barclays’ bribes were replicated at other banks.

TAQA, GIB To Price Bonds In Late-Year Gulf Flurry

Abu Dhabi National Energy Co (TAQA) has $1.75 billion in bond maturities next year.

Qatar Reduces NYSE’s Stake In Local Bourse

Qatar Holding now owns 88 per cent of the bourse, with NYSE Euronext holding the remaining 12 per cent.

Goldman Hires Barclays Banker For Saudi Business

The Saudi national will take up the role of co-chief exectuive and head of investment.

Revealed: Top 10 UAE Bank Profits In Q3 2012

Gulf Business brings you the top 10 banks in the UAE with the heftiest third quarter profits this year.

Dubai Says Funds Available For Mega Projects

A senior Dubai government official says the UAE has adequate funds to build its multi-billion dollar projects.

EXCLUSIVE: Noor CEO: UAE Rule On Lending “Challenging”

Hussain Al Qemzi says that it’s not easy to adhere to the central bank’s regulations on lending to GREs.

Five QInvest Senior Managers Leave After CEO Departure

Former CEO Shahzad Shahbaz left the Qatari investment bank last week.

Abu Dhabi’s IPIC To Raise $2.9bn In Bond

International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) plans to issue a dual-curency bond spread across two tranches.

‘UAE Economy Strong’ – Central Bank Governor

Sultan bin Nasser Al Suwaidi says that the banking sector in the country has stabilised and lenders have a solid capital base.