Middle East venture capital market

The Middle East’s booming venture capital market

The drive for economic diversification and state-backed initiatives together with financial support for startups is fuelling Middle East’s venture capital industry

RAKBANK

RAKBANK more than doubles net profit to Dhs450m in Q1 2023

RAKBANK reported a record total income of Dhs1.07bn for the first quarter

Mashreq Bank CEO Ahmed Abdelaal

Mashreq’s Q1 2023 net profit soars to Dhs1.6bn

The bank reported an operating profit of Dhs1.8bn, up 96 per cent compared to the same period a year earlier

Emirates NBD q1 2023 results

Emirates NBD profit more than doubles to Dhs6bn in Q1 2023

Emirates NBD also enjoyed a record quarter for income, which exceeded Dhs10bn for the first time ever

ADIB net profit Q1 2023

ADIB’s Q1 2023 profit surges to $299m on higher margins

The Islamic bank made a profit of Dhs1.1bn in the three months to March 31, up from Dhs715m in the same period last year

UAE’s First Abu Dhabi Bank branch

First Abu Dhabi Bank’s Q1 2023 net profit up 70%

The banking group’s operating income jumped 51 per cent YoY to reach Dhs6.7bn compared to Dhs4.5bn in the first quarter of 2022

UAE T-Sukuk dirham denominated

UAE to sell Dhs1.1bn dirham-denominated treasury sukuk

The T-Sukuk will first be issued in two, three and five-year tranches, followed by a 10-year tenure sukuk at a later date

Added Wio bank photo courtesy WAM

Wio Bank, Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development partner to supports SMEs

This partnership will help fast-track the account opening process for SMEs and deliver seamless banking services through the Wio Business app

UAE to offer corporate tax relief to ‘public benefit’ entities

Organisations that qualify for the exemption include entities that focus on activities such as philanthropy, community services and corporate social responsibility

EDB, Emirates Islamic partnership

Emirates Development Bank, Emirates Islamic partner to support SMEs

The Islamic lender is the 11th commercial bank to join EDB’s credit guarantee scheme platform

Ray Dalio, hedge fund billionaire, opens family office in Abu Dhabi

Ray Dalio set to open branch of family office in Abu Dhabi

The Dalio Family Office helps handle the billionaire’s private investments as well as his philanthropic donations

Dubai Islamic Bank branch

Dubai Islamic Bank posts 12% surge in quarterly profit on higher revenue

The bank’s balance sheet expanded by 1.3 per cent YTD to Dhs292bn while customer deposits settled at Dhs198bn

ADCB Group Q1 2023 results

ADCB’s Q1 2023 profit surges to $509m on higher net interest

The bank’s net interest income rose by 33 per cent to Dhs2.85bn while non-interest income surged by 34 per cent to reach Dhs1.06bn

UAE central bank

UAE banks record Dhs245.5bn in saving deposits by January-end

The central bank said saving deposits in the banking system have increased in recent years, from Dhs152bn in 2018 to Dhs241.8bn in 2021

EFG Hermes exit Oman

EFG Hermes shuts Oman operations

The universal bank said the move comes in light of its efforts to drive shareholders’ value by optimising its operations and improving the return on equity metric

Oman Ahli United Bank, Bank Dhofar merger

Oman’s Ahli Bank rejects merger offer from Bank Dhofar

The board of directors studied the non-binding proposal from Bank Dhofar and decided not to accept it

ADX and Mashreq Signing Ceremony 1

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, Mashreq to offer instant trading access to customers

The agreement streamlines the digital onboarding process for Mashreq customers, allowing them to instantly obtain a national investor number

UAE corporate tax exemptions

UAE reveals list of entities exempted from corporate tax

The Ministry of Finance said government entities, government-controlled entities as well as extractive businesses are exempted from corporate tax

Salik approve $134m dividend

Salik shareholders approve $134m dividend

The company’s full-year revenue jumped 11.8 per cent to $517m, driven by an increase in revenue from toll usage fees

ADCB denies reports about NPLs

ADCB denies report of talks to sell $3.7bn of bad loans

The bank said it continuously explores opportunities to boost shareholder value but does not foresee any transaction of this nature materialising in 2023

New Dhs1000 banknote April 2023 photo WAM

UAE’s new Dhs1,000 banknote issued, highlights space ambitions, energy diversification

The new banknote will be available at banks and exchange houses starting from April 10

National Bonds_Group CEO

National Bonds sees 15% growth in 2022, investment portfolio rises to Dhs13.7bn

National Bonds attributed the strong growth to solutions such as the Golden Pension Plan, Global Savings Club and Sukuk Al Waqf

Dubai is centre for wealth creation

Why Dubai is the new wealth and asset management global hotspot

Dubai is home to more than 55,000 high net-worth individuals and over $3tn of private wealth is within an hour’s flight of the city

Emirates REIT dubai-silicon-oasis

Emirates REIT records 30% rise in net profit in 2022

Occupancy across the REIT’s portfolio increased to 85 per cent, reflecting a 13 percentage point increase year-on-year

SABB rebrands as SAB – الأول

SABB rebrands as Saudi Awwal Bank after merger with Alawwal

The bank will operate as ‘Saudi Awwal Bank’ after obtaining the necessary regulatory and shareholders’ approvals

UAE banks' net profits

Top 5 UAE banks’ combined annual net profit rises to $11.5bn in 2022

The sector is expected to maintain a stable outlook in 2023 driven by growing demand for digital services and industry competitiveness

uae-FDI-ranking -adobe-stock

UAE ranks 18th globally in FDI confidence index

The GCC countries were high in the emerging markets ranking with Qatar ranking fourth and Saudi Arabia ranking sixth globally

IsDB - bank signs off on $403m

Islamic Development Bank approves three projects valued at $403m

The bank signed off on EUR318m ($344.5m) towards the financing of Phase I of the Electric Express Train Project in Egypt

Regional banks

Should regional banks buy or build their innovations?

In the early years of the digital era, building was the only option, but today the region is strewn with fintechs

Dubizzle owner mulls UAE IPO

Dubai-based owner of Dubizzle mulls UAE IPO

Emerging Markets Property Group is set to hire Rothschild & Co. for the potential IPO in Dubai or Abu Dhabi