Oman May Issue $518m Bonds

Oman plans to issue sovereign bonds worth OR200 million this year, but is waiting for the right time, according to officials.

Saudi Banks Post Rise In Q1 Net Profit

Al Rajhi Bank, SABB, Saudi Hollandi Bank and Banque Saudi Fransi recorded a rise in net profit during the first quarter of the year.

Kuwait To Launch $65.6m Trading System

The new system will help in the trading of financial instruments such as derivatives and Sukuks.

QNB Posts 17.4% Q1 Net Profit Rise

Qatar National Bank recorded a net profit of $549 million during the first quarter of the year.

Dubai Duty Free Picks Banks For Loan

The airport retailer has chosen Dubai Islamic Bank, HSBC and Emirates NBD to arrange its $1.1 billion loan facility.

Qatar’s Xstrata Stake Worth $2.65bn

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) currently holds a five per cent stake in global mining and metals company Xstrata.

UAE Banks Falling Short – Experts

UAE banks will have to stop ‘yesteryear’ practices if they are to survive future competition.

TAQA Sells Tesla Motors Stake

Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) booked a profit of $113 million on the sale.

Deutsche Bank’s Azzam Steps Down

Top finance guru Henry Azzam leaves MENA chairman role, citing no reasons.

DIC Reaches $2.5bn Debt Deal

Dubai International Capital, the private equity arm of Dubai Holding, has reached a final agreement with creditors for restructuring its debt.

Drydocks Gets Approval From 98% Of Creditors

Only one creditor has not yet accepted the $2.2 billion debt restructuring plan proposed by the Dubai-based shipbuilding unit.

New $1bn Islamic Bank In Doha

Saudi Arabia’s Islamic Development Bank and Dallah Albaraka Group have signed an agreement with Qatar to set up the new bank.

Foreign Access To Saudi Bourse Will Be Slow

The opening up of the Kingdom’s stock market to foreigners will be gradual, Saudi Arabia’s capital market regulator has said.

Majority Of UAE Workers Expect Pay Rise

According to a new survey, 63 per cent of employees in the UAE expect a wage hike in the next 12 months.

Poor Service Fails GCC Banks

While regional banks are reporting good growth rates, customer service has to improve, warns a new study.

Drydocks Files For Insolvency Protection

The move is expected to force all the creditors of the Dubai-based shipbuilding unit to agree to its $2.2 billion debt-restructuring plan.

$20m Boost For ME SMEs

RED, Abraaj’s small and mid-cap investment platform, has invested $20 million in the region so far this year.

DFM Suspends Trading In Al Mazaya

Update: The Kuwaiti developer’s shares have now resumed trading on Dubai Financial Market.

Kuwait’s Bourse Suspends Trade In 19 Firms

The companies, which failed to report earnings on time, join 12 other firms suspended earlier this year.

SEC Receives $1.4bn Loan

Saudi Electricity Company will use the amount, loaned by a group of international banks, to build a power plant in Rabigh.

HSBC Buys Lloyds Assets In UAE

The acquisition includes the retail, commercial and corporate banking businesses of Lloyds in the country.

DIB Repays $750 million Sukuk

The bank said that it repaid the five-year Sukuk from its own resources.

Tracing The Money Trail

As private investors from the GCC divest large portions of their wealth offshore, Aarti Nagraj investigates where the money is headed.

Dubai Drydocks To Restructure $2.2bn Loan

Dubai’s ship building unit will ask its syndicated lenders to sign a lock-up agreement.

JAFZA Eyes Loan Launch

Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone is planning to launch a syndicated loan to partly refinance its $2 billion Sukuk maturing in November.

Pension Fund Will Benefit UAE Expats

As officials in Dubai complete the study for an expatriate pension scheme, experts say that the move will protect workers and improve the economy.

Ex-Mumtalakat Head Joins PineBridge

Talal Al Zain, who recently resigned from Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, has been appointed as the CEO of PineBridge’s MENA operations.

RBS Shares Rise After Abu Dhabi Takeover Talks

Britain is reportedly holding talks with Abu Dhabi to sell a part of its stake in Royal Bank of Scotland.

Mubadala Buys $2bn Stake In Brazil’s EBX

The move marks the first significant direct investment by the Abu Dhabi fund in Brazil and Latin America, it said.

UAE Mulls Uniform Corporate Tax Rate

A study is being conducted to check the economic impact of the move, which will introduce a single tax rate across the seven emirates.