Determined to avoid the pitfalls of their Western counterparts, Chinese banks have entered a phase of tightening, as regulators put the squeeze on credit and raise interest rates repetitively. 

With massive government support, Chengdu has emerged as the financial centre of western China. Important banking institutions have already moved into the new Chengdu Financial City – which is still under construction – while other economic initiatives look set to transform the region's landscape. 

Tianjin is now one of the fastest-growing banking regions in China and, as a result, its financial institutions are experiencing phenomenal growth as they continue to fund the metropolis's booming industrial development and satisfy increasing demand from foreign investors.

The collapse of its government earlier this year and subsequent political wrangling, together with less than optimistic trading figures, has left many fearing for the economic future of Lebanon. But the region has a long history of resilience in the face of adversity.

The conservative approach adopted by Lebanon's largely family-owned banking sector over the past decade has served it well in the post-crisis environment. Now its key players are increasingly eyeing an expansion into the frontier markets of eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. 

Riad Salameh, governor of the Banque du Liban, tells The Banker how the country's banks have been unaffected by the turbulence in the Middle East and north Africa, and explains why they have been performing so well of late.

Mohammad Al-Jasser, governor of Saudi Arabia’s central bank, discusses the huge potential of sukuk issuance in an interview with Stephen Timewell in Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia's banks largely enjoyed a profitable 2010 and are looking to 2011 with renewed optimism. Though the lessons of the past few years mean that a cautious approach will be adhered to, the sector's future certainly looks bright.

Saudi Arabia stuttered during the global financial crisis, but never plumbed the depths of the world's more developed economies. Now, the country's leaders are eyeing a more prosperous future, with a key focus being on educating and employing its youth and women.