Home to some of Africa's largest banks, Morocco has weathered both the financial crisis and regional political upheaval. Now its financial institutions are beginning to extend their reach into the rest of the continent.

A plunge in oil prices has brought uncertainty to Algeria's banking sector, which is facing declining profitability and tightening liquidity, leading to calls for far-reaching reforms.

The countries of north Africa have been proving attractive for lenders from the Gulf region for decades, but in recent years this activity has picked up, with Egypt a particularly popular destination. Tom Stevenson looks at the reasons why Gulf banks are heading west.