Kuwaiti banks are using their strong capital and liquidity position to expand in project financing and consumer banking. James King reports.

As Kuwait’s Islamic banks outperform their conventional peers, the country looks well on its way to becoming a financial hub for sharia-compliant financial services. James King reports.

Mohammad Al-Hashel, the governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait, talks to James King about his efforts to strengthen the bank's supervisory capacity, meet the challenges of adopting IFRS9 and ensure the continued stability of the banking system.

Dr Hamad Al-Hasawi, secretary general of the Kuwait Banking Association, talks to James King about the country’s drive to become an Islamic finance hub, and how PPP project financing will bring further opportunities. 

Despite low oil prices and flat economic growth, Saudi Arabia’s banks have remained active and stand in a strong position compared with their regional peers. James King reports.

Saudi Arabia's blueprint for the future, Vision 2030, aims to diversify the economy and cement the country's status as a Middle Eastern powerhouse. But the reforms necessary to modernise the country and attract investment will bring challenges as well as opportunities, as James King reports.

In line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 blueprint to diversify the country’s economy away from oil, its capital markets are being liberalised and broadened to include regional and foreign investors. James King reports.

The high-profile NBAD-FGB merger has failed to start a consolidation trend in the Gulf Co-operation Council countries, with M&A activity for 2016 otherwise flat and little movement expected in the coming months. James King reports.

African M&A was down in 2016 from the previous year as foreign investors stayed away, with only Egypt enjoying notable activity. However, economic headwinds are likely to drive consolidation, especially among smaller regional banks, in 2017. James King reports.

Lebanon was a hub of M&A activity in 2016, with the country's larger banks buying up smaller operators, while global lenders exited the scene. James King reports.