One of the few countries to remain largely unaffected by the global financial downturn, Saudi Arabia's economy is growing at a pace and, despite its expansionary fiscal policy, it continues to post a budgetary surplus. It has now started to put this capital to work in tackling pressing social issues, such as its high unemployment rate and housing shortage.
Middle East
Latest articles from Saudi Arabia
Saudi's banks enjoy an enviable position
May 1, 2013Government spending has kept the Saudi Arabian economy buoyant over the past few years, allowing the country's banks to maintain a healthy profit level in 2012. And their prosperity is showing no signs of waning, with an ambitious home ownership target spurring growth in the mortgage market and momentum building in the small and medium-sized enterprise space.
Saudi Arabia's investment banking industry picks up the pace
May 1, 2013Saudi Arabia's investment banking industry is gaining momentum, thanks in large part to a region-wide uptick in bond issuance, in mergers and acquisitions and growing demand for project finance. But the evolution of this sector is far from over, as the country's bankers turn their minds to deepening the markets and encouraging the liberalisation of the stock exchange.
Islamic finance in 2013: beyond the growth
March 1, 2013Year upon year, the Islamic finance industry posts stellar growth figures. However, as large Western lenders withdraw from the sector, is Islamic finance in as healthy a shape as the figures suggest? The Banker asks a number of experts in the field what the future holds for sharia-compliant banking.
Islamic finance looks to pastures new
November 7, 2012To maintain its phenomenal growth rates, Islamic finance is increasingly looking beyond sukuk and property investment to growth areas such as renewable energy and healthcare.
The struggle to find the right Islamic banking model
November 7, 2012The steady growth of sharia-compliant assets suggests banks believe in the future of the sector, but the dismantling of the largest cross-border Islamic window raises questions about whether global banking groups can make a success of the business.
Top Arab banks ranking, 2012
October 1, 2012Arab banks offset the turmoil of the Arab Spring and offered a robust performance in 2011 with impressive growth across the key financial indicators. And with minimal exposure to the eurozone crisis, the region's banks are expected to continue their recovery from the global financial crisis.
Cause for optimism in Lebanon's banking sector
September 3, 2012After performing admirably in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, the growth of Lebanon's banks dramatically slowed. The Arab Spring uprisings in the Middle East and north Africa last year further unsettled the country's financial sector, but, as leading figures from its banks explain, there is still a great deal of room for optimism.
Rebuilding Egypt: how the country's banks have fared since the Arab Spring
July 2, 2012Egypt's tumultuous political landscape of the past 18 months has, predictably, had an impact on it banks. However, the sector has shown impressive resilience since the Arab Spring uprisings, focusing on SME lending and commercial activities with some degree of success. But with foreign investors staying away and further political upheaval still a possibility, the country's rebuilding process still has some way to go.
Citi makes the most of emerging debt volatility
July 2, 2012Citi’s debt capital markets team switched nimbly between reopening Russian markets when risk appetite was high and placing Gulf state sukuk when investors searched for safety.