Foreigners sold net $1.1bn of Saudi stocks in week to Oct 18

The selloff came during a week when investors were rattled by the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi

UAE business loan demand up in Q3, personal loans fall

Demand for business loans is set to rise further in Q4

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank Q3 profit up 5.5%

The bank made a net profit of Dhs1.15bn ($313.1m) in the three months ending September 30

UAE set to introduce digital tax stamp scheme for tobacco products in 2019

The scheme follows the implementation of a 100 per cent excise tax on tobacco products in October 2017

Aberdeen appoints former Dubai Holding CEO as Middle East head

Alrafi left Dubai Holding in February

Abraaj founder denies moving $660m without investor knowledge

Abraaj’s provisional liquidation began earlier this year after controversy surrounding the use of investor money in a $1bn healthcare fund

Dubai’s Emirates NBD raises $2bn loan

ENBD will use part of the loan proceeds to refinance an existing $1.7bn term loan facility

Dubai’s DP World amends terms of $2bn ‘green’ loan

The facility has been extended by two years and is now due in 2023

Saudi-based ICD halts plan for $1bn fund with India’s IL&FS

The proposed fund would have financed small to mid-sized projects in ICD member countries

UAE issues law allowing federal debt issues

The long-awaited law also provides for the central government to establish a Public Debt Management Office

Bahrain’s digital currency exchange Rain eyes GCC launch next year

The platform will allow people to buy, sell, and store digital currency

Dubai’s Mashreq pays $40m to New York regulator over compliance issues

US officials said that bank did not comply with federal banking laws aimed at combating international money laundering and terrorist financing

Egypt’s EFG Hermes looks to Saudi business for expansion

It has already announced plans to expand its staff as it targets mandates in Saudi

Abraaj’s stake in $1bn healthcare fund to be split between investors

The move reflects a desire by some of the fund’s other investors to sever ties with Abraaj

UAE plans initial coin offerings to boost capital markets

ESCA is drafting regulations for ICOs with international advisers

Oman could announce US dollar sukuk sale this week

Oman has borrowed extensively in the international markets over the past few years to finance state spending

Bahrain’s parliament approves draft VAT law

The bill is yet to be approved by the parliament’s upper house, which is expected to hold a similar session later this week

Saudi fund PIF purchases $578.6m land plot in northern Riyadh

PIF bought the Al Ghadir plot at an auction of the property of late businessman Saleh Abdulaziz al-Rajhi

Saudi British Bank, Alawwal boards approve $5bn merger

The merger is still subject to shareholder and regulatory approval

Indian rupee likely to fall further against the UAE dirham

The rupee may touch 21 against the UAE dirham by the end of the year, says expert

Indian rupee at an all-time low against the dirham and dollar

A dirham yielded more than 20 rupees earlier this morning

First Abu Dhabi Bank launches sound-based payments

FAB said the system can be used to make payments using regular cash registers

Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala plans $6bn debt reorganisation

IPIC and Mubadala’s debt will sit under only one public investment vehicle

Saudi makes $200m grant to Yemen central bank

Yemen’s currency, the riyal, has lost more than half its value against the US dollar

GCC banks expected to stabilise in 2019 – S&P

The company said 2019 should mark the easing of three years of significant pressure on regional lenders

Saudi Aramco may borrow up to $50bn from banks for SABIC deal

The deal is expected to involve the purchase of all or nearly all of the 70 per cent stake in SABIC held by the PIF

Sharjah’s UAB, Invest Bank deny reports of three-way merger with Bank of Sharjah

Reports claimed the Sharjah government was mulling the merger to create a bank with about Dhs66.2bn in assets

Saudi expects $11bn inflows from JP Morgan bond index entry

Saudi, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar will enter JP Morgan’s emerging market government bond indexes next year

UAE’s Bank of Sharjah, Invest Bank, UAB in merger plan

Three Abu Dhabi banks are also currently in talks to merge

Bahrain, Saudi, UAE raise interest rates, Kuwait unchanged

Bahrain, Saudi and the emirates peg their currencies to the US dollar