Latest articles from Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's investment banking industry picks up the pace

May 1, 2013

Saudi Arabia's investment banking industry is gaining momentum, thanks in large part to a region-wide uptick in bond issuance, in mergers and acquisitions and growing demand for project finance. But the evolution of this sector is far from over, as the country's bankers turn their minds to deepening the markets and encouraging the liberalisation of the stock exchange.

Islamic finance in 2013

Islamic finance in 2013: beyond the growth

March 1, 2013

Year upon year, the Islamic finance industry posts stellar growth figures. However, as large Western lenders withdraw from the sector, is Islamic finance in as healthy a shape as the figures suggest? The Banker asks a number of experts in the field what the future holds for sharia-compliant banking.

Islamic finance looks to pastures new

Islamic finance looks to pastures new

November 7, 2012

To maintain its phenomenal growth rates, Islamic finance is increasingly looking beyond sukuk and property investment to growth areas such as renewable energy and healthcare. 

TopIslamicTeaser

The struggle to find the right Islamic banking model

November 7, 2012

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.

Resilience underpins Arab banks

Top Arab banks ranking, 2012

October 1, 2012

Arab 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.

Cause for optimism in Lebanon's banking sector

September 3, 2012

After performing admirably in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, the growth of Lebanon's banks dramatically slowed. The Arab Spring uprisings in the Middle East and north Africa last year further unsettled the country's financial sector, but, as leading figures from its banks explain, there is still a great deal of room for optimism.

Rebuilding Egypt

Rebuilding Egypt: how the country's banks have fared since the Arab Spring

July 2, 2012

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 central and eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa debt capital markets team: (from left) Ignacio Temerlin, Peter Charles, Blazej Dankowski, William Weaver and Vassiliy Tengayev

Citi makes the most of emerging debt volatility

July 2, 2012

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.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's banks look to build on boom

May 1, 2012

With significant potential for growth in the country's real estate, retail and capital markets, Saudi Arabia's banks, which are already highly liquid and rapidly increasing their profitability, are making bold projections for their future successes.

Middle Eastern banks look to move up a gear

Middle Eastern banks look to move up a gear

May 1, 2012

Armed with deep pools of liquidity, many Middle Eastern banks are exploring new avenues of growth, from expanding their regional presence to concentrating on innovation within the Islamic finance sphere.

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