While enjoying massive success, Islamic finance has developed in a piecemeal fashion, with many warning that global standardisation is needed if it is to avoid fragmentation and successfully push into frontier markets. James King reports.
Middle East
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Citi EMEA chief positions for seamless Brexit
July 3, 2017Having established a Dublin headquarters, Citi's Europe, Middle East and Africa operations are well prepared for Brexit. And a strategic overhaul four years ago tightened up its risk management, leaving it leaner and safer, as the US bank's EMEA head, Jim Cowles, tells Stefanie Linhardt.
LeumiTech CEO looks to make life easier for tech start-ups
June 1, 2017Understanding the financial needs of tech companies that lose money but grow fast is LeumiTech’s signature business, its CEO explains to Joy Macknight.
Home or away? Qatari banks look to build on their success
June 1, 2017Low oil prices have dented Qatar's economic success story of late but its banks are thriving. Some are looking to domestic consolidation for the next phase of growth, others to foreign acquisitions, while a deal that will create the region’s biggest Islamic bank is in the pipeline. Kit Gillet reports.
Qatar pursues its non-oil goal
June 1, 2017Qatar’s economy is already feeling the benefits from being crowned host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Can the country’s non-hydrocarbon growth assist in maintaining the upward trajectory? Kit Gillet reports.
Central bank governor steers Qatar through narrower straits
June 1, 2017Qatar Central Bank governor Sheikh Abdulla Bin Saoud Al-Thani believes good management has afforded the country's banking sector some protection in a challenging economic environment. Kit Gillet reports.
Lebanon's banks advance with caution despite impressive results
June 1, 2017The environment in which Lebanon's banks have been operating has been challenging, meaning that despite their steady growth a backdrop of uncertainty is influencing policy. And they are also having to contend with a public backlash regarding profits from a central bank swap offer, writes Edward Russell-Walling.
New president, new hope for Lebanon
June 1, 2017The long-awaited election of a new president in Lebanon has been welcomed both at home and abroad. However, the political process in the country is still moving at a snail's pace, and issues such as the influx of Syrian refugees and an eye-watering debt-to-GDP ratio continue to loom large, as Edward Russell-Walling reports.
Are Lebanon’s Salamé days coming to an end?
June 1, 2017Long-serving governor Riad Salamé is coming to the end of his fourth term at the helm of the Banque du Liban, Lebanon's central bank. Speculation is rife about whether he will be replaced but, as he tells Edward Russell-Walling, the decision is out of his hands.
Kuwait’s oil and gas faces an uncertain future
April 3, 2017A global deal to cut oil production and rebalance the market is good news for Kuwait – but it expires after six months. Can the country’s oil business expand its way to stability? Kit Gillet reports.