Qatar Islamic Q2 Net Profit Down

The bank dropped almost 35 million riyals in the second quarter in comparison to the same period last year.

Tamweel Q2 Profit Down 33%

The Dubai Islamic Bank-owned mortgage lender posted its second straight quarterly profit fall.

Qatar’s Budget Surplus Triples

Booming revenues from liquefied natural gas will assist the country’s infrastructure revamp.

Banks Quit Dubai Group Talks

RBS, Commerzbank and Standard Bank are all threatening legal action against the Dubai Group.

Taking Over In Growth Markets

Abraaj Capital founder and group CEO, Arif Naqvi, tells Alicia Buller about his hopes for the private equity sector.

Gulf Air Weighs On Bahrain Fund

SWF Mumtalakat, which has shares in the airline, made a net loss of $717.68 million last year.

Ship Finance Running Dry

Lending to the shipping industry is facing stormy waters amid a difficult global backdrop.

Dubai Duty Free Gets $1.75bn Loan

The Dubai airport retailer will use funds from the international credit facility to finance on-going expansion.

KSA Investors Move Quickly

Analysts are not revising share price forecasts following a surge in banking shares after mortgage law approval.

Qatar Banks Should Issue More Bonds

Slowing deposit growth means Qatari banks need other sources to avoid funding issues.

Emirates Islamic Bank Prices Sukuk

The $500 million Sukuk, EIB’s second issue this year, is priced at par and is due to mature in January 2018.

Gulf Deposits In Jersey Hit $33bn

The Gulf States account for 14 per cent of the total deposits in the island, according to official data.

UAE Bank Deposits Drop In May

Total deposits in the country decreased by 1.2 per cent during the month to close at Dhs1.1 trillion.

Exclusive Interview: Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, Mashreq CEO

Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair is the man behind Mashreq, the UAE’s largest privately owned bank. In a rare interview he opens up to Alicia Buller on the greed culture that engulfed the UAE’s
banks and lurched the industry into crisis.

UAE Car Dealer To Invest Dhs900m

Al Nabooda, the distributor of Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen in Dubai, plans major investment push.

Qatar Plans $4bn Sukuk

The Gulf state is reportedly setting up two companies through an official decree to issue the Islamic bonds.

Indian Remittance Tax Unclear

UAE exchanges say there is still no clarity regarding the Indian government’s proposed service tax on remittances.

GCC IPOs Pick Up In Q2 2012

Four IPOs, valued at over $1.1 billion were issued in the GCC during the second quarter of 2012.

Bahrain Bank Merger Gets Nod

Shareholders of Capital Management House, Capivest and Elaf Bank approve the three-way merger.

UAE Firms May Go On Credit Card Strike

Restaurants and shops consider rejecting premium credit cards as Network International hikes fees.

Tycoon Nears Deal for Drydocks’ Stake

A firm linked to billionaire Robert Kuok is set to take a stake in Drydock’s Southeast Asia operations, say sources.

Former Alkhair CEO Found Guilty

Majid Al-Refai will serve four years in jail for a number of crimes during his tenure as CEO of Bank Alkhair.

Bahrain Eyes 10 Year Bond

The Arab state will need to attract conventional rather than Islamic investors due to the lack of sukuk.

ADIA Values Emerging Equities

Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund expects emerging market stocks to outperform in the long-term.

Bank Muscat Plans $251m Stake Sale

The Omani bank plans to use the proceeds from the sale to fund credit expansion and its foray into Islamic finance.

UAE Mall Developer Picks Banks

Majid Al Futtaim has begun choosing banks to arrange investor meetings ahead of a second bond issue.

Dubai’s Daman Sells 22.7% Stake

The investment company, which plans to launch an IPO, raised Dhs100 million from the sale.

JAFZA Repays $2.04bn Sukuk

The free zone has repaid the Islamic loan five months early and consequently received a rating upgrade from Fitch.

Gulf Seen Muted After MSCI Move

The UAE and Qatar have not been upgraded to emerging markets status by index compiler MSCI.

KSA IPOs Strong Despite Outlook

Although the stock market is down 14 per cent from this year’s high, investors are positive on earnings.