Having been upgraded from frontier to emerging market status by Morgan Stanley Capital International, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are certain to see increasing levels of investor interest, but they are also likely to be confronted with some new challenges.
Libya's banks face an uphill battle
August 1, 2014Awash with hydrocarbons and boasting a highly liquid banking sector, Libya's potential is vast. However, continued political and social unrest, combined with the dominant position of state-owned banks, mean that the country's private sector banks have numerous obstacles preventing them from realising this potential.
A global Islamic asset management boom
August 1, 2014Islamic finance asset management is booming globally, with countries in south-east Asia and the Gulf spearheading growth, thanks in part to improved investor confidence, regulations and infrastructure.
Access Bank plays the long game
July 17, 2014With Nigeria’s banks battling regulatory headwinds, Access Bank is weathering the storm admirably, with a growing presence in the retail sector positioning the bank well for long-term growth.
Ali Ahmed Al-Kuwari: no pause for breath for QNB
July 1, 2014Not 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.
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.