Latest articles from Middle East

Salah Al-Fulaij, NBK’s chief executive officer for Kuwait.

National Bank of Kuwait remains confident despite weakening oil backdrop

March 29, 2023

NBK’s chief executive officer for Kuwait talks about the challenges facing the country’s banking sector, the lender’s international expansion, and digital banking brand Weyay.

A man withdraws cash from an ATM at a Kuwait Finance House branch.

Kuwaiti banks reap the rewards of economic boom year

March 27, 2023

KFH’s long-trailed acquisition of Bahrain’s AUB has further concentrated banking in the hands of the country’s two largest institutions.

dubai and tech

Dubai’s new virtual asset regulations set a high standard

March 10, 2023

After a year of chaos in the crypto sphere, the Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority’s framework represents a shift in the regulatory approach to virtual assets. 

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The Banker Shorts March 3

The Banker Shorts – March 3, 2023

March 6, 2023

Your quick guide to the week ending March 3, 2023, on TheBanker.com.

A portrait of Ibrahim Sultan Al Haddad, CEO, Salik.

Salik’s road to IPO success

February 28, 2023

In its first foray into the market, the sole operator of Dubai’s automated road toll collection system saw its retail tranche 190 times oversubscribed.

A woman sitting in a branch of NBB, pointing to a leaflet.

Bahraini lenders eye mortgage boost

February 27, 2023

Having benefited from high government spending during the pandemic, Bahrain’s banks are looking to the retail sector to support growth in the coming year.

Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi at dusk, with an inset portrait image of Huda Al-Lawati, CEO of Aliph Capital.

Female-founded private equity fund forges path in the Middle East

February 22, 2023

Huda Al-Lawati, founder and CEO of Aliph Capital, the first female-founded private equity fund in the Middle East, speaks to The Banker.

A busy Bahraini market street, with stalls selling a variety of foodstuffs.

Bahrain’s economy enjoys respite despite long-term challenges

February 20, 2023

The country faces an uphill battle to prepare for a future beyond oil.

Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi

Digitisation can drive a global trade revolution

February 17, 2023

This post-pandemic moment is the perfect time to modernise the global trading system, writes UAE minister of state for foreign trade, Thani Al Zeyoudi.

The facade of a branch of Bank Sohar in Oman.

Vibrant tech sector cushions fall in Middle East deals

February 14, 2023

Surging sovereign wealth fund coffers sustained Middle East deal-making in 2022, while banking consolidation slowed to a trickle.