Not satisfied with being the number one bank in the Middle East, Qatar National Bank is looking further afield as it seeks higher growth opportunities outside Qatar. Its acting group chief executive speaks to James King.
Latest articles from James King

The global spread of sukuk
July 1, 2014With the UK, Luxembourg, Hong Kong and South Africa all preparing to issue, the popularity of sukuk is going global. And though each is likely to be limited in size, they will bring with them greater international awareness of sharia-compliant financing options.
Top 1000 World Banks – Japanese lenders endure a challenging year
June 30, 2014Despite increasing profits, the performance of Japan's banks continues to suffer across most metrics.
Top 1000 World Banks – Asian banks show strength in numbers
June 30, 2014The Asia-Pacific (excluding China and Japan) region is once again led by Australian institutions, although this year's rankings underscore the strength of the region as a whole, with a high number of new entrants in each category.
Top 1000 World Banks – Gulf banks lead the Middle East's charge
June 30, 2014Gulf lenders continue to drive the performance of Middle Eastern banks, recording impressive growth in this year's rankings. Elsewhere, Iranian banks are making sizeable gains.

Qatar's CBG tries to stay ahead of the game
June 2, 2014Growth may be buoyant but that by no means makes managing the Qatari economy an easy task. Central bank governor Sheikh Abdulla Bin Saoud Al-Thani describes the steps that he has taken to make sure that such growth is sustained in the medium and long term.

CIMB Islamic chief predicts a good year for sukuk
June 2, 2014Observers are already predicting that 2014 will be a record-breaking year for sukuk issuance. While the majority of deals are currently coming out of Malaysia, CIMB Islamic's CEO believes that developments in the pipeline will see the asset class grow its international presence.

Finance minister looks to restructure Qatar
June 2, 2014Qatar's gross domestic product growth may be envied by much of the rest of the world, but the country's finance minister is not blinkered by the country's current economic success. As he explains to The Banker, the need to diversify the hydrocarbon-reliant economy is great, which is why he has just announced a record-breaking budget to this end.

Leaner strategies help Qatari banks remain healthy
June 2, 2014As the Qatari economy has contracted in recent years, the country's banks have developed their own niches in order to remain profitable in what has become an increasingly competitive market.

Bahrain’s banking sector rises to domestic challenges
May 1, 2014Bahrain's central bank has steered the country's banking sector through a period of economic and political turbulence. With strong fundamentals and ample growth prospects, particularly in the Islamic finance segment, the country's lenders are now in a good position, but their future growth still hinges on the country maintaining social stability.