Oman’s Bank Nizwa Obtains Investment Banking Licence

The lender, Oman’s first full-fledged Islamic bank, launched operations in January.

Kuwait’s Global Says Completes $1.7bn Restructuring

Under the deal, Global separated its core fee business from other parts of the company.

First Gulf Bank Reports 15% Rise In Q2 Net Profit

The lender is rapidly diversifying its presence, both domestically and internationally.

National Bank Of Abu Dhabi H1 Profit Up 25.6%

The UAE’s largest lender made a net profit of Dhs2.6 billion in the first half of the year, on the back on increased revenues.

Qatari Lender CBQ Posts 5.6% Drop In Q2 Profit

The bank attributed the fall in profit to a provision against a domestic real estate loan.

Kuwait’s NBK Reports 19% Rise In Q2 Profit, Misses Estimates

National Bank of Kuwait posted a net profit of $165.7 million in the second quarter of the year.

Dubai’s Emirates NBD Beats Forecasts As Q2 Profits Surge 50%

The lender made a net profit of Dhs972 million in the three months to June 30.

Dubai Islamic Bank Reshuffles Management, Appoints New CEO

Adnan Chilwan, who was previously deputy CEO at the bank, replaces Abdullah Al Hamli as the new chief executive.

Nasdaq Dubai Appoints Hamed Ali As CEO

Ali has held the role of acting CEO since August 2012 following the departure of previous CEO Jeff Singer.

Egypt Gets $2bn Saudi Payment To Fix Crumbling Finances

The funds from the KIngdom were given in the form of a five-year interest-free deposit at Egypt’s central bank.

Dubai Financial Market Q2 Profit Soars On Higher Trading

The firm made a net profit of Dhs69.5 million in the three months to June 30, compared with Dhs10.2 million in the same period of 2012.

Saudi’s SABIC Q2 Net Profit Up 14%

SABIC’s net income for the three months to June 30 was 6.04 billion Saudi riyals compared with 5.3 billion riyals in the same period last year.

Bank Sohar To Consider Bank Dhofar Merger Offer

Bank Dhofar, the larger of the two lenders, said last week that it had approached Bank Sohar with regards to a merger proposal.

Kingdom Holding Posts Small Q2 Profit Rise

Net profit for the first six months of 2013 was 291.3 million riyals, 4.1 per cent up on the 279.7 million riyals made last year.

Sheikh Mansour Sells 6% Stake In Barclays

The Manchester City owner sold all of his stake in the British bank after helping to rescue the lender during the financial crisis.

UAE Transferred $3bn In Aid To Egypt, Saudi To Follow

Gulf Arab oil producers have promised aid packages worth $12 billion to Egypt since the overthrow of president Mohamed Mursi.

Qatar Reveals Plan To Become Region’s Financial Hub

The tiny Gulf state will take on Abu Dhabi and Dubai as it looks to become the region’s financial powerhouse.

National Bank Of Oman Posts Flat Q2 Net Profit

Net profit for the first half of the year was 18.77 million rials compared with 19.92 million rials in the prior year period.

UAE’s Air Arabia Surges To Near 5-Year High

Air Arabia is the top trader on the UAE bourse after jumping 8.3 per cent to reach its highest levels since October 2008.

Bahrain Sovereign Fund Mumtalakat 2012 Net Loss Narrows

Mumtalakat made a net loss of 181.7 million dinars versus a net loss of 270.6 million a year earlier.

UAE Financial Sector To Freeze Hiring in H2 2013

The UAE’s financial sector is poised for expansion in the second half of 2013 but hiring depends largely on winning new projects.

Qatar Islamic Bank Q2 Net Profit Drops 2.9%

Net profit for the three months to June 30 was 339 million riyals versus a profit of 348.9 million riyals in the second quarter of 2012.

Oman’s Bank Dhofar Aims For Merger Talks With Bank Sohar

The new entity would have total assets worth 4.13 billion rials and a market capitalisation of around $1.76 billion.

Dubai Exchange Volumes Grow 101% In H1 2013

The sharp increase in first-half trading stems from a rise in currency volumes.

UAE Banks Seek Five-Year Grace Period

In April last year, the central bank set limits for how much commercial banks could lend to state-linked borrowers, in an effort to reduce risks.

UAE Central Bank Asks Lenders About Exposure To Turkey

The UAE’s financial ties to Turkey have expanded in recent years as banks look to diversify out of the region’s oil-focused economy.

Bank Muscat Q2 Net Profit Up 8.9%

Oman’s biggest lender by market value reported a net profit of 63.1 million rials in the first half of 2013, down from the prior-year period.

Saudi Q1 GDP Growth Slows To 2.1%

The drop from 6.5 per cent a year earlier reflects a fall in Saudi crude oil output over the year.

DeVere Group Eyes Gulf Market Post Acuma Buyout

DeVere Group CEO believes that the acquisition of Acuma, a UAE-based wealth management firm, will help further their presence in the Gulf market.

Mashreq’s Retail Banking Profit To Double

The Dubai lender’s retail arm made a net profit of Dhs240 million last year.