Kuwait’s NIG To Repay $475m Sukuk On Time

National Industries Group Holding said that it has raised enough finance to repay the Sukuk when it matures on August 16.

Dubai Trade Licences Up 17 %

Dubai trade licences saw a significant jump as UAE confidence steadily rebounds.

Kingdom Holding’s Prince Al Waleed Survives Car Crash

Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal, CEO of Kingdom Holding, escaped harm as his car was written off in Saudi Arabia this weekend.

Local Equities Pick Up Pace

Amid growing investor concern about the Eurozone, Riad Meliti, CEO, Arqaam Capital, remains firmly bullish.

Saudi Is Spending More Than It Should – IMF

The Kingdom boosted spending to a record SAR804 billion in 2011, 23 per cent higher than in 2010.

Standard Chartered Questions New York Action

New York’s top bank regulator has threatened to revoke the bank’s state licence over alleged Iran ties.

Qatar Holding Plans To Raise Stake In Qatar Insurance

The Qatari sovereign wealth fund currently owns around 12 per cent of Qatar Insurance.

Saudi Grants Licence To Chinese Bank ICBC

The Kingdom’s cabinet has given a licence to the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) to open one branch in Saudi.

New Investment Funds Regulation In The UAE

DIFC may no longer provide a gateway to the UAE financial market.

Standard Chartered May Lose NY Licence Over Iran Ties

New York’s top bank regulator has accused the UK-based bank of hiding $250 billion in transactions tied to Iran.

Oman’s Bank Muscat $251m Rights Issue 128% Covered

The capital raised will be used to fund credit growth and the lender’s upcoming venture into Islamic finance.

UAE Bank Deposits Drop 1.6% In June

Total bank deposits in the country fell from Dhs1.125 trillion in May to Dhs1.107 trillion at the end of June.

Kuwait Posts Record $47bn Budget Surplus Last Fiscal Year

The Gulf state’s surplus for 2011/2012 was boosted by increased oil income and lower spending.

Dubai Financial Market Q2 Profit Drops 31%

DFM’s net profit fell to Dhs10.2 million during the second quarter of the year, as revenues reduced.

Egypt Invites IMF Officials To Resume Loan Talks

A $3.2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund will help Egypt handle a balance of payments crisis.

UAE’s ADIB Q2 Profit Rises 2.3%, Warns On Year

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank said Eurozone pressures and new regulations in the UAE will hit earnings for the rest of 2012.

Saudi Leads Rise in M&A Deals

Saudi Arabia led the region’s M&A activity in July with two mega deals, followed by Jordan and Oman.

Dubai Collects Dhs2bn Via Online Payments In H1 2012

The amount collected by the Dubai government’s online payment services in the first half of 2012 increased 21 per cent year-on-year.

Bahrain’s Investcorp Slumps On Euro Crisis

Bahrain-based investment company net income shrinks in face of Euro woes and asset depreciation.

Dubai’s DIFC Authority To Split Into Two Entities

Dubai International Centre will split into DIFCA and DIFC Property arms to boost its development.

Arab Bank Posts 10% Rise In H1 Net Profit

The Jordanian bank saw increased profits due to lower provisions and a rise in operational income.

Egypt’s EFG Hermes Confident Of QInvest Deal By October

The Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority had rejected the decision, asking EFG to provide additional information.

GCC Shouldn’t Delay Single Currency– Qatar Official

The Gulf countries should learn from the Euro experience but create a monetary union soon, a Qatari central bank official has said.

Azerbaijani Bank Plans Qatar Presence

International Bank of Azerbaijan, the country’s largest lender, hopes to start operating in Qatar in the first quarter of 2013.

Deutsche Bank: “Sukuk Premium Disappeared”

The Islamic premium no longer exists says one banking professional, stimulating greater issuance and longer tenors.

DIFC Benefits From “Safe Haven” Status

The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) economy posted a ‘GDP’ of $3.13 billion in 2011, up seven per cent from 2010.

Abraaj Capital Exits IHH Healthcare Amid IPO

The region’s biggest investment firm leaves as the healthcare provider launches third biggest offering of the year.

Dubai’s DEWA Says No Plans For Bond

The utility company is not planning to issue a bond despite a drop in borrowing costs, its CEO has said.

Top UAE Lenders Beat Q2 Estimates

Three of the country’s largest banks have all posted positive results with First Gulf Bank reporting a 14 per cent profit rise.

ADCB Q2 Profit Beats Estimates

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank posted a net profit of Dhs733 million for the second quarter of the year.