Dubai Financial Market planning to allow short-selling

The move could increase trading liquidity in the market

Oman 2017 budget projects smaller deficit as govt plans tax hikes

The government is mulling changes to income tax and changes to fees charged for hiring foreign workers

Saudi wealth fund PIF denies plans to buy stake in UAE’s Utico

On Wednesday, Utico CEO said that PIF planned to buy a “significant minority stake” in the utility

UAE motorists may have to pay more for car insurance under new law

The new tariff system is anticipated to particularly impact drivers of vehicles worth Dhs50,000 or less

Saudi bank deposits rise to their highest this year in November

Deposits fell earlier this year as the government placed less money with domestic banks

Saudi sovereign fund to buy stake in UAE utility firm Utico

Public Investment Fund (PIF) has entered into a binding agreement with the private utility provider

Four senior staff to leave Abu Dhabi bank NBAD ahead of merger with FGB

The lender’s deputy group CEO is among those leaving, according to sources

Kuwait’s NBK, KAMCO invited to participate in sovereign bond issue

Kuwait plans to sell as much as $10bn of US dollar-denominated bonds in international markets

Abu Dhabi bourse to introduce short-selling in Q1 2017 – CEO

The move is hoped to help ADX boost liquidity and attract more foreign investors

Dubai’s Shuaa buys 14% of Bahrain’s Khaleeji Commercial Bank

The stake will be used to support the bank’s expansion, said Shuaa

Saudi has no immediate plans to tax expat remittances

The kingdom is reportedly discussing plans to impose a tax of between 2 to 6 per cent on remittances

New bank for Overseas Filipino Workers coming to Saudi

A merger of two state-owned firms will create a new bank for OFWs

UAE eyes stricter regulation of infamous 25-year savings plans

The country is seeking to clamp down on commission-led products, according to Globaleye

Deal-making to drive 2017 Middle Eastern banking fees

Fees from the Middle East reached $581m during the first nine months of 2016

Qatari bank trio in talks for potential $44bn merger

The new bank would be run in compliance with Islamic banking principles

Careem closes first part of $500m funding round

Careem said the cash would be used to help with its expansion plans

Oman’s National Gas Company terminates CEO

Oman only GCC state that has not hiked interest rates

Oman’s central bank says it will not “blindly follow the Federal Reserve’s decision”

Lombard Odier’s Patrick Odier on the future of private banking

The chairman and senior managing partner of one of Switzerland’s largest private banks talks investing in 2016, wealth management trends, Brexit and how technology is changing the industry

Saudi to boost the capital of its Industrial Development Fund

The added funding will help finance the kingdom’s entry into new industries

UAE banking sector could see more mergers – Al Ghurair

Mashreq CEO Abdulaziz al-Ghurair said the banking sector was open to mergers such as the NBAD and FGB deal

Different Arab money

Saudi, Kuwait and Bahrain’s central banks hike rates after Fed move

The riyal and most other Gulf Arab currencies are pegged to the U.S. dollar

Dubai’s Al Ramz acquires minority stake in Marka Holding

Al Ramz said it had acquired 25 million Marka shares

Qatar wealth fund QIA mulls $10bn investment in US infrastructure

The QIA had previously said it intended to invest $35bn in the US between 2016 and 2021

Dubai working with HSBC on $7bn financing for Expo 2020

The financing will come from bank loans and from various export credit agencies

Japan’s Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi to open branch in Saudi

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi is the first Japanese bank to establish a presence in the kingdom

Saudi to launch new currency today

The first set of new banknotes and coins were delivered to King Salman yesterday

VAT to generate $25bn in annual revenues for GCC countries

VAT will be introduced in the region from 2018

Dubai Investments to close $300m loan by year-end

CEO Bin Kalban said there are also plans to list 30 per cent of Dubai-based Emirates District Cooling (Emicool)

NBAD, FGB shareholders approve merger

The combined banks will create the UAE’s largest lender

Consortium to pay $1.12bn for Oger’s stake in Jordan’s Arab Bank

Saudi Oger has been seeking to shed assets to try to meet its debt