Dubai’s Shuaa Capital Q1 Net Profit Dhs8.2m Vs Net Loss

Dubai-based investment bank Shuaa Capital reported Dhs8.2 million ($2.2 million) in first-quarter net profit on Sunday, driven by lending and investment banking fees.

This compares to a net loss of Dhs5.9 million in the same quarter last year, the company said in a bourse statement. Revenues rose 77 per cent to Dhs64 million.

Shuaa, once a symbol of the investment banking sector’s potential in the region, was hit hard by the financial crisis that weighed on Dubai between 2009 and 2011.

The company, like many other regional investment firms, struggled to stay afloat after a slump in the value of its investment portfolio.

Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Al Maktoum, Shuaa’s executive chairman, attributed the higher revenues to a strong recovery in the capital markets, a pick-up in the local market for initial public offers, and asset management business.