Bahrain’s Investcorp, Coller form $1bn European private equity fund

The deal also includes fresh capital for any follow-on investments and future investments

Saudi’s Riyad Bank selects Goldman to advise on merger talks with NCB

A merger between the banks would create a combined bank holding $183bn in assets

Licensed investments in Saudi ‘up 99% in 2018’ – report

The Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority also reported a 100 per cent increase in the number of investment expansion requests

Sharjah’s bailout of Invest Bank signals more restructuring, mergers among UAE lenders

Analysts expect more mergers given a slowing economy, slide in house prices, robust accounting standards and tougher competition

Foreign investors flock to Saudi bond sale

The order book for the $7.5bn sale of longer-term debt sale peaked at $27.5bn

Saudi Arabia tests demand for Gulf debt with dollar bond

The kingdom has sold $52bn in international bonds since its debut in 2016

Consortium led by Saudi’s ACWA Power to raise over $2bn for Dubai solar project

The loan will fund the $4.3bn Noor Energy 1 project, expected to become the world’s largest single-site concentrated solar power plant

Commercial Bank of Dubai to take control of Abraaj assets secured against loan

Dubai-based Abraaj, worth $13.6bn, collapsed last year following turmoil triggered by a row with investors

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim

The president of the World Bank resigns

Jim Yong Kim’s resignation takes effect from February 1

In pictures: Dubai’s ruler approves DIFC expansion plan

The new expansion will add a total of 13 million square feet of space to the DIFC

UAE’s largest bank FAB to repay customers for fee charged in error

Customers of First Abu Dhabi Bank were charged a Dhs175 fee in error

UAE start-up Yallacompare raises $8m in new funding round

The new funds will be used to grow the workforce by up to 50 per cent as the company expands to other regional markets

Deposits outvalue loans by $23bn at UAE-based banks

Figures from the UAE’s Central Bank covered the first 11 months of 2018

Dubai bank Emirates NBD to make it easier for VAT-registered SMEs to get loans

The new programme will cover home loans, auto loans and business loan products

First year of VAT in the UAE: FTA reveals the key details of implementation

The UAE implemented 5 per cent VAT on the supply of most goods and services on January 1, 2018

Hamad Buamim Dubai Chamber of Commerce

Power Letters 2019: Hamad Buamim, head of Dubai Chamber

The President and CEO of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry talks about plans to cement Dubai’s reputation as global business hub.

Saudisation of jobs in the grocery sector could cut expat remittances by $1.6bn – report

Nationalising the sector could also generate more than 35,000 jobs for Saudis

Saudi expat remittances drop 17.6% in November

New Saudisation rules have seen hundreds of thousands of legal foreign workers leave the country

Sharjah makes enhanced offer for struggling Invest Bank

Shareholders will vote on the deal on January 8

Sharjah government plans to invest $517m in Invest Bank

The government will buy 1.59 billion shares in the bank, which has struggled due to high levels of bad loans

Saudi Riyad bank shares rally after it begins merger talks with NCB

Analysts said Riyad could benefit from NCB’s strong balance sheet

Bahrain, Manama, Cityscape view of Bahrain World Trade Center and Bahrain Financial Harbor

Bahrain prepares for VAT introduction next year

Everything you need to know about VAT in Bahrain

Saudi Arabia’s biggest bank NCB in merger talks with rival Riyad

Both banks have a common shareholder in sovereign fund Public Investment Fund

Proposed bank merger in Abu Dhabi could lead to 1,000 job cuts – report

Merger talks between Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Union National Bank and Al Hilal Bank are reportedly at an advanced stage

Saudi bank stocks plunge on tax payments, Wall Street’s decline weighs on GCC markets

Saudi banks said they had reached a deal with tax authorities to resolve a dispute that would still result in big one-off payments

Standard Chartered appoints new Middle East CEO

New senior appointments also announced in Jordan and Oman

Dubai bank Emirates NBD to support Fitbit Pay and Garmin Pay

The UAE is seeing a rise in the use of contactless payment solutions

UAE, Bahrain follow US move to raise interest rates

The US Federal Reserve Board decided to hike rates by 25 basis points

Different Arab money

Franklin Templeton grabs more GCC corporate debt after downturn

The company’s GCC strategy generated total returns of 1 per cent this year

Foreign investment in Saudi more than doubled in 2018

Five sectors of the Saudi economy are prepared for privatisation in the first quarter of 2019