Qatar is fostering a project finance partnership with the international finance community via establishment of the Qatar Financial Centre and the approval of new laws. Stephen Timewell reports from Doha.

Stephen Timewell reports on FT Business’s seminar on new opportunities in Bahrain as it develops its Islamic banking sector and regulatory powers.

Saudi Arabia’s banks are enjoying the spoils of buoyant markets, with record-breaking profits spurring ground-breaking deals. Stephen Timewell reports.

This year will be remembered for Saudi Arabia’s embrace of project finance after watching from the sidelines, write Kevin Godier and Jon Marks.

Credit cards are becoming more popular in Mexico but banks have barely scratched the surface of the potential customer base. Monica Campbell reports from Mexico City on how lenders are grabbing a share of this huge market.
While Mexicans do not yet face the blizzard of credit card deals seen in wealthier nations, the credit card culture there is catching on fast and commercial banks are jockeying to get their share of the action.

Uruguay is bouncing back from the economic downturn caused by its over-reliance on Argentina. Tighter banking supervision will be key to maintaining the country’s growth. Jason Mitchell reports from Montevideo.
Uruguayan authorities need to tighten banking supervision if the country is to regain its reputation as a sound financial centre.

HSBC in India is preparing for an expected boom in the SME sector by targeting smaller businesses that have growth potential. Kala Rao reports from Mumbai.
No customer is too small for HSBC, says Subir Mehra, who heads the bank’s small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) business in India. That is what prompted it to mine its retail banking customers in India, looking for small businesses that are poised to grow dramatically in a fast-expanding economy.

State-owned Kiwibank may be small but it is gaining popular support, writes Virginia Marsh in Wellington.

For a country that looks economically healthy, New Zealand’s finance minister Michael Cullen has much work to do. Hugh O’Shaughnessy, in Wellington, speaks to him about the importance of foreign investment and encouraging domestic saving.

Since Viktor Yushchenko was elected president, a gold rush has begun in banking as foreign institutions begin to move in. Ben Aris reports from Kiev.