Many analysts in the West are predicting the worst for China’s economy, pointing to a slowdown in growth and claiming a meltdown is on its way. However, as Stephen Timewell discovers, the mood within the country is more prosaic, with the feeling being that the economy is simply maturing to a level that will make its growth more sustainable.

As Chinese banks enter a new era of lower but more sustainable profit growth, they are increasingly eyeing new markets and models to maintain their upward trajectory.

The deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China, Yi Gang, sees positives in the slowing of China’s economy, and is looking to a healthier, more sustainable future for the country’s financial sector.

Over the past seven years, the Postal Savings Bank of China has emerged out of nowhere to establish the largest banking network in the world. Stephen Timewell assesses its meteoric rise.

As the internationalisation of the renminbi continues at a break-neck pace, Stephen Timewell and Xenia Xie look at the opportunities this will open up for both domestic and foreign banks.

There are commentators within the country who claim that the Saudi Arabian economy and its banking environment may well be the best in the world, with strong profits, a high level of capital investment and robust demographics. But there are concerns that small and medium enterprises do not have enough access to lending, providing a new focus for bank efforts.

The naming of the first woman CEO at a Saudi investment bank is one of several signs that the country's banking sector is redressing its gender imbalance.

Despite a drop in oil revenues, Saudi Arabia’s economy remains the envy of most countries in the world, boosted by government spending and the vibrant non-oil private sector. Not satisfied with this, the government is instigating major social reforms in the labour market and in education. 

In a career that has spanned more than 50 years, Ibrahim Dabdoub has transformed the National Bank of Kuwait from a small local player into a global force. Now that he has chosen to step down from his position as chief executive, The Banker reflects on the legacy that he will leave behind.

India may be one of the most populous countries on earth, but a small proportion of its population has access to a bank branch. As the case for financial inclusion grows, lenders are clamouring to take advantage of what has been described as 'the largest banking opportunity in the world'.