Middle East

Global Finance gives readers insight into the providers delivering Shariah-complaint solutions that meet the needs of sophisticated customers with complex needs.

Credit growth picks up: Wider interest margins lift bank earnings, but problem loans creep higher.

Islamic scholar in Indonesia says Bitcoin is compatible with Islamic law.

Egypt's new sovereign wealth fund is not all it's cracked up to be.

Across the Middle East, where more than half of the population is under the age of 24, educational systems are strained and unemployment rates are high. Even in the oil-rich Gulf, fiscal pressures from lower hydrocarbon revenues are forcing governments to cut back on the largesse their citizens have come to expect.

Amid talks of a merger between is bank and two others, Omar Bouhadiba, managing director International Bank of Qatar (IBQ), talks about the domestic market, mitigating impacts of the blockade, banking innovations and what-if scenarios.

Qatar National Bank (QNB) CEO Ali Ahmed Al-Kuwari says the bank’s sound economic fundamentals and regional diversification aspirations have helped it withstand the impact of Saudi sanctions on Qatar.

High-speed 5G networks and Cloud data centers are giving digital efforts across the region a big boost.

In late June, when women are finally allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, many observers predict an uptick in economic activity. 

Qatar, cornered by neighbors in a blockade, has since become more economically diversified and self-sufficient—and as a result, more independent.        

The Middle East is striving to adapt to rapid economic and social change—with some success. 

While other banks look abroad for growth, Boubyan Bank CEO and vice chairman Adel Al Majed says Boubyan focuses closer to home.

As Qatar diversifies its economy away from oil revenues, QInvest CEO Tamim Al-Kawari says it sees strong growth potential across a range of industry sectors ranging from healthcare, agriculture and education to industrials.

As the war in Syria enters its final stages, regional and international investors are eyeing postconflict economic opportunities. 

Digital banking, cryptocurrencies, ecommerce and fintech start-ups—2017 was a record year for digital investments in the MENA region. But there’s wide variation between countries.  

The war in neighboring Syria has taken its toll on Lebanon’s economy, which is demonstrating lackluster growth and high levels of public debt. Could the upcoming May parliamentary elections restore growth and investor confidence? 

Sunil Kaushal, Standard Chartered Bank’s regional chief executive of Africa and the Middle East, speaks with Global Finance about where he sees potential for growth in the high-risk region.

Bank Muscat CEO Abdul Razak Ali Issa discusses the unique challenges and opportunities of banking in Oman, and how his institution serves clients throughout the region.

Following a period of relatively subdued infrastructure and real estate activity, 2017 was a better year in the Middle East; and 2018 should record more improvement. Transport-related projects remain essential to the region’s growth, but the most crucial area remains ...

Egypt is leading the region’s economic rebound, with special attention paid to nurturing the strong growth potential of smaller businesses.