UAE top 10 banks see profits drop by 38.9% in H1 2020: KPMG

Non-performing loan ratio increases from 3.8% in December 2019 to 4.1% in June 2020

Oman’s top banks see 34.2% decline in profits: KPMG

Increase in non-performing loans squeezed banks’ profits in the GCC country

Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi Investment Office signs bilateral trade agreement with Israel Export Institute

ADIO will help connect Israeli companies with strategic entities and grant them access to resources in Abu Dhabi

Dubai

Dubai repays 10-year $750m bonds certificates

The 10-year Euro Medium Term Note Programme reached maturity on October 5

Emirates Islamic Nasdaq Dubai Sukuk

Emirates Islamic lists $500m sukuk on Nasdaq Dubai

The latest listing brings the bank’s current sukuk value on the exchange to $1.5bn

Dubai-based fintech Rise eases remittances with new app

Xare allows users share access to their account and credit card with friends and family

Emirates NBD

Dubai’s Emirates NBD launches new digital supply chain financing platform

The smartSCF platform will provide automated tools to optimise working capital and reduce transaction costs

HSBC’s role in the US lawsuit against Huawei called into question

Lawyers for Huawei argue HSBC improperly aided the US to indict CFO Meng Wanzhou

Majority of UAE customers would readily switch their bank: report

BCG survey says 87 per cent of respondents would consider a digital-only bank

Dubai’s DIFC FinTech Hive to host new accelerator for redundant employees

ASPIRE hopes to reach 5,000 participants in the next 12 months

KUWAIT-HEALTH-VIRUS-ECONOMY

Kuwait Central Bank denies plan to devalue, stands by peg

Kuwait is the only country in the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council that links its currency to a basket dominated by the US dollar, while the others are linked solely to the greenback

The growth trajectory of Oman’s startup sector

Oman’s startup and innovation ecosystem is picking up pace

Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala to invest $2bn in partnership with Silver Lake

Abu Dhabi’s sovereign investor to acquire minority stake in the US-based venture capital firm

Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC begins derivatives trading

The new offices of ADNOC’s trading entities are located in Abu Dhabi’s International Financial Centre

Shailesh Dash main

Phi Trends: Cloud computing and big data – the way forward

Rising global digitisation due to the pandemic has been a catalyst for companies in the cloud computing and data analytics space, opines entrepreneur and investor Shailesh Dash

Open Banking set to transform finance in the GCC

Gulf Business talks to Wissam Khoury, head of international at Finastra, on the state of Open Banking in the GCC

Egypt prepares to issue region’s first green sovereign bond

Egypt seeks to raise $500m from the offering

Abu Dhabi’s ADGM appoints administrators for NMC Health

The legal guardianship will protect the group from creditors’ actions

BinDawood acquisition

Saudi BinDawood delays listing to disclose related-party deals

With the offering already more than 50 times oversubscribed, the delay is not currently expected to significantly affect the final pricing

Dafza Israel

Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority signs agreement with Israeli Chamber of Commerce

DAFZA will provide incentives to Israeli companies wishing to establish their businesses within the emirate

Why GCC banks and fintech startups must realign their interests for greater good

Traditional lenders and fintech players can grow simultaneously, offering customers a myriad of services

Kuwait gets first Moody’s downgrade over ‘liquidity risks’

Moody’s now ranks Kuwait two steps lower than Fitch Ratings and one below S&P Global Ratings

Saudi Arabia is ‘assessing all options’ to stimulate economy

Saudi Arabia’s economy is expected to contract 4.8 per cent in 2020 before growing by 3.2 per cent next year

UAE banks avail Dhs44.72bn of TESS liquidity scheme by end July

A total of Dhs44.38bn has been withdrawn until end June

KBBO hires restructuring expert for $2bn debt revamp

The privately-held investment firm with assets in health care and food named Bruno Navarro as its chief restructuring officer

DP World, Bank Leumi to explore Israel logistics investments

The UAE last week signed an agreement to move toward establishing normal ties with Israel

Dubai’s Emirates Islamic closes $500m sukuk issuance

Bank ABC, Citigroup, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD Capital, and HSBC, among others acted as joint lead managers and bookrunners for the transaction

HSBC shares fall to 25-year low on China fears, banks report

Europe’s largest bank has been named as a possible candidate for China’s “unreliable entity list”

How the regional wealth management model is set to evolve?

The adoption rate for digital wealth management solutions has increased dramatically during the pandemic

The role of GCC banks in promoting regional economic growth

Evolution of the regional banking ecosystem has propelled economic growth in recent years, and continues to progress apace