Banking & Finance

UAE’s MoF receives leading Federal Entity excellence award

ًinning the award is an incentive to continue on the path of excellence

Oman achieves a budget surplus of 18 million riyals

Production and oil and gas prices contributed to strengthening the budget figures

Saudi Arabia’s actual budget deficit lower than 2021 estimations

Non-oil sector constituted 88% of the total increase in actual revenues

Washington bans any dealings with the Russian “Central Bank”

Norway removes Russian assets from $1.3 trillion wealth fund

Europe does not agree to ban Russia from “Swift”

Moscow plans to borrow less and use national wealth funds

SEBA Bank secures financial services permission from ADGM  

Dedicated office and expanded regional headcount to drive growth  

Oman’s banks confront challenges, to play role in “Vision 2040”  

The IMF welcomes financial sector’s resilience and ongoing reforms

UAE: Imposing income tax not currently on the table

The corporate tax on profits will replace several fees businesses currently pay

Gulf countries’ US bonds investments distribution at end 2021

The total amounted to $221.7 billion, with Saudi and Kuwait leading

Gulf funds reportedly bidding for stake in Starbucks Mideast

Two Abu Dhabi state funds and 2 private sector investors in the running

BNPL changing payment habits in UAE, Saudi, globally

BNPL is framed as an interest-free alternative to credit card payments

Federal Reserve raising interest rates quicker if necessary

Next could be the fastest rate of price increases since the 1980s

Digital banks secure an advanced position in the Gulf

76% of Arab central banks considering issuing digital currencies

Higher interest rates to raise UAE Banks’ profitability

S&P Global economists expect the Fed to raise rates six times this year

Will Saudi’s PIF issue green bonds soon?

PIF’s ranking rose to sixth in the world, having compiled assets worth $580 billion

EFG Hermes delivers advisory on Macro Group Pharmaceuticals’ IPO

The IPO is the premiere listing of Egyptian cosmeceutical players

FAB proposes majority stake acquisition for EFG Hermes

Transaction conditional upon the completion of a comprehensive due diligence

Can Kuwait achieve its first budget surplus in years?

Fitch: Even without a debt law, the government meets its financing obligations

UAE SPACs ready to raise money: Blank checks arrive

In 2015, 20 SPACs raised $3.9 billion in funds globally

UAE’s corporate tax in sync with global practices

Al Saidi to “Economy Middle East”: It will boost tax revenues, transparency

Are Sukuk markets impacted by interest rates, Omicron?

Total Sukuk issuances would range between $145-150 billion in 2022