07/12/2020
Offshore jurisdictions can soothe investor concerns
But increases in cost in such offshore investment hubs will need a close watch
Legal, Tax, Regulation & Compliance
07/12/2020
Emirates NBD’s capital issuance creates more buffer against impairments
Issuance of $750m AT1 capital increases ENBD’s Tier 1 capital ratio to 17.5 per cent
07/10/2020
Think tank skewers Dubai as hub for ‘dirty money’
UAE officials and regulators reportedly aware it is used as ‘conduit for illicit financial transactions’
07/10/2020
Qatar Participates in Global Summit to Discuss Impact of COVID-19 on Global Economy
The Assistant Undersecretary of Labor Affairs affirmed that the State of Qatar will continue its cooperation and joint work to achieve recovery and provide all assistance to tackle the economic repercussions of the crisis in order to secure and stabilize
07/10/2020
Mobile payment service PayBy ties up with uPay to extend its reach
Users can top up their digital wallets on uPay’s self-service kiosks in the UAE
07/10/2020
Fitch Affirms Gulf International Bank- Saudi Arabia at 'BBB+'; Stable Outlook
GIB's IDRs are driven by its 'BBB+' SRF, which reflects Fitch's view of a high probability of support for the bank, if needed, from the Saudi authorities
07/10/2020
UAE merges financial services regulators in government shake-up
This may mean that firms currently authorised and regulated by the IA and SCA will need to reapply for licences under the new regulatory framework, although it is unclear at this stage what the licensing framework will look like.
07/10/2020
Saudi Payments and Discover sign network alliance agreement
This strategic alliance enhances Saudi Payments’ strategy to grow the number of options available in the Kingdom’s digital payment environment providing more choices to consumers.
07/10/2020
UAE provided financial facilities worth Dhs5.8bn to non-profit organisations in Q1 2020
The Central Bank of the UAE has said that the support provided to non-profit organisations is expected to increase in 2020
07/09/2020
$8bn blow to Erdogan as investors flee Turkey
Externally, investors fled riskier assets like emerging markets during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
07/09/2020
DIFC Presidential Directive in response to COVID-19 ends on July 31
DIFC won't be extending the Presidential Directive beyond the emergency period
07/09/2020
Qatar Central Securities Depository registered QR600mn in treasury bills in June
The total number of shareholders registered by QCSD reached 387,769, while shareholders with bank accounts were 57,078.
07/09/2020
FAB Partners With Mohre to Deliver a Unified Payment Solution for UAE Domestic Workers Fully Integrated With Payit
FAB’s collaboration with MoHRE is the latest in a series of partnerships within the bank’s objective to drive more digital solutions across the UAE and wider region.
07/08/2020
UAE banks can withstand shocks of any size, says regulator
Important sectors of the UAE economy have reached a near standstill over the past few months because of virus containment measures while others, such as real estate, have been sluggish for years.
07/08/2020
Oman Investment Authority reviews its financial position
It approved procedures for amendments in boards of directors of OIA’s affiliated companies, besides endorsing a set of decisions pertaining to OIA’s governance measures.
07/08/2020
S&P Global expects sukuk issuance to touch $100bn in 2020
Despite this glimmer of optimism, total issuance volume for the full year2020 will be lower than in 2019 since corporates are holding on to cash, cutting capital expenditure, and using bank financing.
07/08/2020
Islamic Development Bank Group to respond to COVID-19 with USD 2.3 Billion package
A prime objective of the webinar was to discuss the challenges facing the Private Sector and Global Economy during the COVID-19 outbreak
07/08/2020
Saudi Ground Services signs $133.3mln murabaha with Saudi British Bank
The credit facility duration is 30 months
07/08/2020
Middle East Banks Pair Up to Weather Oil’s Plunge and Virus
Masraf Al Rayan and Al Khalij Commercial Bank entered initial negotiations in June to create an Islamic entity.
07/07/2020
Islamic Development Bank Group to respond to COVID-19 with USD 2.3 Billion package and to launch three supportive and robust initiatives in partnership with UAE Ministry of Economy and AIM
A prime goal behind the initiative is to promote and provide a robust platform for the investment and prosperous trade opportunities in Member Countries