The 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.
Africa
Latest articles from Egypt

Malaysia sets Islamic finance example
November 7, 2012Malaysia leads the world in providing a sharia-compliant environment for savings. CIMB Islamic's Badlisyah Abdul Ghani charts the rise of Islamic finance since its founding in the country 50 years ago.

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.

After the Arab Spring: the revival of north Africa's capital markets
September 3, 2012North African capital markets were hit hard in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings that cut through the region in 2011. Economic activity was left disjointed and north African bourses experienced sharp declines in trading. The Banker looks at whether the increased liberalisation of these countries' economies can encourage foreign investment and benefit their respective exchanges.

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.

Egypt's Commercial International Bank resilient in the aftermath of revolution
August 1, 2011Egypt’s banks faced the most trying of conditions early this year with the overthrow of president Hosni Mubarak and the subsequent economic collapse. But Hisham Ezz Al-Arab, head of the Commercial International Bank says that businesses should thrive in a more open political system.

Egypt's new prime minister faces up to the task ahead
June 30, 2011Egypt continues to be blighted by internal turmoil, but new prime minister Essam Sharaf says the future is bright, in spite of the challenges.
Egyptian stock market shows strong growth
May 5, 2010With the Egyptian stock exchange on a high, the EGX chairman, Maged Shakey, explains what is behind its new-found energy. Writer Daniel Maalo
Why Egypt is good to grow
May 5, 2010Egypt's strong performance throughout the financial crisis is testament to the strong framework put in place by finance minister Youssef Boutros-Ghali, which has left the country in a good position to move forward in the post-crisis world. Writer Daniel Maalo
Era of optimism prevails in Egypt
May 5, 2010Several years after a significant overhaul, Egypt's banking sector continues to show its promise in spite of the global financial crisis. Writer Daniel Maalo