Hussein Abaza, Commercial International Bank’s chief executive, on the rise of fintech during the pandemic.
Africa
Latest articles from Egypt

Egypt’s minister of planning looks to steady the ship
April 10, 2020Egypt’s minister of planning and economic development talks to The Banker about stabilising the economy and attracting foreign investment.

Egyptian banks explore multiple avenues to growth
April 1, 2020Egypt’s banks have emerged from a difficult decade with their appetite for expansion undimmed.

Buoyant Egyptian banks target SMEs and unbanked in growth push
April 1, 2019Egypt's banks enjoy good capital adequacy levels and low loan default rates. Many are eyeing the small business sector and an underbanked populace.

Is Egypt's tough reform programme paying off?
April 1, 2019The IMF is ready to launch the next tranche of a $12bn loan package for Egypt, following government attempts to push through economic reforms.

Egypt's banking sector narrows the gender gap
April 1, 2019Historically, women have been widely employed in Egypt's banks, with some now reaching top-level posts, including that of CEO.
Challenges persist for Egyptian lenders
October 23, 2018Since the revolution in 2011, the top Egyptian banks have been steadily strengthening their balance sheets. However, 2017 was not kind to the country’s two largest banks.

CIB positions itself at forefront of banking's tech revolution
October 1, 2018Egypt’s Commercial International Bank is one of the Middle East and north Africa region's star performers when it comes to returns on assets and capital. James King speaks to the bank's managing director, Hisham Ezz Al-Arab, to discover the secret behind its success.

Sisi's reforms start to pay off for Egypt
April 3, 2018President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has pushed through business-friendly reforms that would have been unthinkable in Egypt a few years ago, including cutting fuel subsidies. The results have been impressive, bringing praise from the IMF. So is the optimism prevailing in the country justified? James King reports.

Bouyant banks shape Egypt's vision for 2030
April 3, 2018Egypt’s banks are throwing their weight behind extending financial inclusion to small and micro businesses, as well as the country's wider population as part of the national Vision 2030 strategy, helped by changes to the bankruptcy system and hopes of lower interest rates. James King reports.