With the same proactive approach that allowed the country to steer clear of the worst of the global economic crisis, Qatar's central bank is preparing the country's banks sector for regulatory pressures ahead, while ensuring they can meet the large-scale funding requirements that come with the country hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Having protected the country's economic stability throughout a period of intense economic and political turmoil, the Lebanese central bank is now tasked with boosting job creation and lowering the country's growing budget deficit.

Egypt'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.

Citi’s debt capital markets team switched nimbly between reopening Russian markets when risk appetite was high and placing Gulf state sukuk when investors searched for safety.

While European banks count the cost of the eurozone sovereign debt crisis, China is leading the emerging markets into a new era of banking dominance. But the established markets of the US and Japan should not be forgotten.

Qatar's impressive economic growth over the past few years, driven by the energy sector, looks set to slow down in 2012. However, the country's central bank governor is unfazed by such forecasts, as he says the private sector will now come to the fore in areas such as infrastructure, education, services and healthcare.

Qatar's infrastructure development projects – set to be worth $255bn over the next decade – and its hosting of football's World Cup in 2022 are set to provide a boon for banks already operating in the world's richest country by GDP per capita.