Paul Keating

$260 Billion Opportunity: Are Banks Ready to Unlock SME Growth in the UAE & Saudi Arabia? SMEs are the backbone of the region's economy, yet they face a massive $260 billion financing gap. Our new whitepaper, “Unlocking SME Potential: A Digital Blueprint for Banks,” dives into how banks can bridge this gap with tailored digital and Sharia-compliant solutions. 🔑 Discover strategies to: • Address the SME financing gap • Overcome key barriers to financial access • Lead in SME banking with digital transformation Don’t miss out on this growth opportunity. Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eQXp5Rhp

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Mashreq has successfully priced a $500 million Additional Tier 1 bond offering with a 7.125% coupon on June 3, 2024. This marks our return to the debt capital markets since 2022, achieving the largest price tightening by any UAE bank for an Additional Tier 1 issuance in the last five years. Key points: 🔹 Orderbook exceeded $2.1 billion early on. 🔹 Yield set at 7.125% with a reset margin of +270.5bps. 🔹 Global marketing efforts included a roadshow in London. 🔹 Investor allocation: 77.5% from the Middle East, 19.5% from Europe. Group CEO Ahmed Abdelal commented, “The robust investor engagement and support for this strategic transaction is gratifying. This will enable Mashreq to continue its growth plans into 2024 and beyond.” #Finance #Investment #BondMarket #Mashreq #UAE #Growth 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘳 : 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘴.

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CFI Financial Group welcomes Ahmad Khatib as Chief Business Development Officer and Ziad Melhem as Chief Marketing Officer. Hisham Mansour, Co-founder and Managing Director of CFI Financial Group, said, "With their full dedication, they bring unique strengths that complement our senior management, positioning us to drive CFI toward even greater achievements, and reinforce our leadership and innovation in the trading industry.” Read the article with the link below to learn more about their plans for contributing to the growth of the financial group. #News #Appointments

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When leaders embed customer-centricity into the core of their strategic vision, every decision and initiative aligns with delivering exceptional value to the customer. Ledi Lapaj, Director of Customer Experience Bank al Etihad, shared crucial insights on the customer-centricity of an organization. To learn about her tips on CX in the banking sector, check out the full episode here:- https://lnkd.in/d5EnkufH #customerexperience #cx #customercentricity #cxlesson #cxinsights

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Emirates NBD in the UAE offers clients zero-fee stock trading.   Emirates NBD has unveiled an exciting new initiative that allows customers to invest in the UAE equity markets without paying any transaction fees. The bank's move is designed to stimulate the growth of domestic stocks and support the nation’s economic expansion. Through the bank’s ENBD X mobile app, customers can now explore and trade over 150 regional equities for free. This initiative is a key part of Emirates NBD’s commitment to the UAE’s ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision, aimed at enhancing the country's status as a global economic hub and trusted partner. Marwan Hadi, Group Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management at Emirates NBD, highlighted the significance of this move. "As a leading national bank, we are dedicated to advancing the financial prosperity of our customers. Our zero-fee initiative not only provides access to local equities but also offers an opportunity to diversify portfolios at no cost. This contributes directly to the growth of domestic businesses and the national economy," he said. By offering free access to the UAE equity markets, Emirates NBD reinforces its role in driving the country's long-term economic development. The bank continues to work closely with government bodies, regulators, and the private sector to ensure the UAE remains a key player on the global investment stage. Emirates NBD’s digital wealth platform has revolutionized how customers trade securities, offering access to over 11,000 global equities and 150 regional ones. Earlier this year, the platform introduced fractional bonds, further expanding its innovative offerings. With the ability to manage both everyday banking and sophisticated investment activities in one app, the platform also includes Secure Sign, ensuring seamless execution of high-value trades. This initiative underscores Emirates NBD’s commitment to making financial markets more accessible and empowering investors across the UAE. For more updates,  visit our page. Photo CTTO

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The banking sector is playing a crucial role in facilitating the UAE’s shift towards a greener future – both directly and as a catalyst of sustainable finance, say KPMG Lower Gulf and Emirates NBD.

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Aladdin Al Deesi, Head of Mashreq Gold & Distribution at Mashreq, in his recent article for EnterpriseAM UAE, shares his insights on how bank branches are far from being obsolete and can play a pivotal role in nurturing the UAE's burgeoning culture of entrepreneurship. Aladdin highlights the need for banks to shift the focus from mere footfall to quality of engagement, positioning branches as hubs for financial advisory and investment planning. Today, Mashreq’s 7 branches in the UAE serve 4 times the number of clients they used to. By moving 99% of routine transactions to digital platforms, Mashreq has unlocked its branches for more meaningful, impactful engagements. He also talks about how branches can act as fertile grounds for UAE’s entrepreneurs by becoming incubators of innovation, providing them with the tools and resources they need to succeed. The future is hybrid as bank branches are poised to function as a complement to digital platforms, offering personalized, high-touch services that cannot be replicated online. Read the full article here: http://ms.spr.ly/6045mI7w5 #Mashreq #RiseEveryDay #BankingBranches #EmpoweringEntrepreneurs

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Hear from industry leaders like Arsalan Tariq, Hamza Ali Abdulla Al Saadi, Dr Muhammad Suhail Rizwan, Salman Kabani, Sherif Elmansy, and Zarrar Mir as they discuss the rapid growth of Islamic banking and Takaful in Oman. Discover how corporate actions are driving this expansion, the impact of Gen AI on data management and risk assessment, and how climate risk is being measured in banking. Explore the challenges of liquidity management and the role of Wakalah money market tools. Join us to gain insights into the future of Islamic finance in Oman. https://lnkd.in/gEMkFkg3 #IFNOmanForum #REDmoney #IFN #IslamicBanking #Takaful #Finance #Oman

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We're pleased to share the latest insightful Global Finance Magazine article featuring comments from our Business Development Director, Hiba Chamas. The article discusses how banking in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region is undergoing significant transformation through a wave of mergers and acquisitions. Diving deep into the drivers behind these strategic moves and what they mean for the future of the region's financial sector.   Read Hiba's comments here https://lnkd.in/eb5GrzYC

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If FinTech builds a better future of banking rather than compete in the industry, everyone benefits. The generational shift across industries will break new frontiers for digital banking - discuss our panelists Ahmed Al Qassim, Group Head of Wholesale Banking, Emirates NBD, and Marwan Hadi, Group Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management, Emirates NBD. #DFS2024 #DubaiFinTechSummit #FinTech #Finance #Dubai #Banking #DigitalBanking 

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Don't miss out on your copy of our latest report on financial inclusion in the UAE. 🇦🇪💰 We explore the evolving landscape of financial services, the challenges faced by low-income workers, and how FinTech is helping close the financial inclusion gap across the region. ⬇️ Download your copy today: https://lnkd.in/gU8GZgru #FinancialInclusion #DigitalTransformation  #FinancialEmpowerment  #FintechMENA #NOWMoney

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𝐄𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐍𝐁𝐃 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐪 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐚𝐧𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐀 𝐋𝐨𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬 Emirates NBD and Mashreq Bank have announced investments in NewBridge Fintech Solutions, owner of LoanBook, a next-generation platform aimed at digitizing the $5.5 trillion annual loan issuance market across EMEA. LoanBook provides a centralized marketplace for global loan opportunities and automates end-to-end workflows in syndicated loan and private credit markets, with the platform already successfully managing multi-billion primary syndication for a large regional GRE under the leadership of newly appointed CEO Mark Waters. This industry-backed initiative brings together key regional banking leaders, with Emirates NBD's Group Head of Strategy Neeraj Makin highlighting it as their first UAE-based FinTech investment. At the same time, Mashreq's Head of Wholesale Digital Banking, Amith Rajan emphasizes their commitment to digital transformation through neoVentures. The collaboration aims to address friction points in syndicated loan markets by using LoanBook's technology to modernize what has traditionally been a manual marketplace, unlocking greater liquidity and efficiency while attracting a wider investor base to the credit ecosystem. #FintechInnovation #LoanBookRevolution #DigitalBanking #EMEAFinance"

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Our latest insight on Kuwait Banking metrics analyses the financial indicators of Kuwait banks over a period of past 5 years from 2017 to 2023. Read more https://lnkd.in/gJTJytkt #kuwait #banks #interest #interestrate #markaz #marmoreresearch 

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The Central Bank of The UAE’s Recovery Planning Regulation represents another milestone towards stability and resilience in the Financial Services sector. Financial institutions must demonstrate robust governance structures, recovery options and appropriate controls to navigate through the times of stress and ensure continuity. Through our team's domestic and global expertise, we can support financial institutions throughout the recovery planning process to meet regulatory expectations. Read more: https://lnkd.in/d5dh2CFi For more details, reach out to our experts Samer Hijazi, George Stoyanov, and Mazin Khalil. #GrantThornton #GTUAE #RecoveryPlanning #RecoveryandResoultion #ExpertInsights #UAERegulatoryCompliance

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Dubai-based lender Mashreq has joined forces with Singaporean lender DBS, paving the way for the Middle Eastern bank’s retail customers to make same-day, near-instant cross-border payments in certain markets, the two banks said on Thursday. The service, which is powered by DBS Globesend, will allow Mashreq’s retail customers to make peer-to-peer international payments in selected markets across the Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. DBS Globesend covers up to 132 currencies across 190 markets. Furthermore, cross-border payments to Singapore and Hong Kong can be tracked end-to-end in real time. The demand for e-commerce transactions has increased worldwide, and global cross-border payment flows are also projected to exceed $250tn by 2027, up from almost $150tn in 2017, according to the Bank of England. DBS Bank | Mashreq | #InstantPayments | #CrossBorderPayments

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Sneak peek alert: Listen to what our #KearneyOriginals have to say about the upcoming launch of the Kearney GCC Retail Banking Radar 2024! Keep a look out next week to learn how #banks can make the shift from resilience to regeneration. #Regenerate #Createwhatsnext

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See our latest views on the developments in Islamic banking regulations in Saudi Arabia, including better transparency and reporting requirements, greater standardisation and sharia governance, and increased consumer confidence in the products’ sharia-compliance.

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The UAE Banks Federation (UBF) held its Annual General Meeting, chaired by H.E. Abdulaziz Al Ghurair, where members approved strategic plans for 2024 aimed at further developing the UAE's banking sector. Key decisions included the approval of audited financial statements for 2023 and the appointment of auditors for 2024. The Annual General Meeting highlighted UBF’s commitment to #Emiratisation, #digital transformation, and enhancing #financialinclusion, with a focus on supporting #SMEs and sustainable finance. The federation praised the efforts of the Central Bank of the UAE and emphasized continued collaboration with global banking associations. https://lnkd.in/gFv_MyWz #UAE #BankingSector #UBF #DigitalTransformation #SustainableFinance #Emiratisation #FinancialInclusion #SMEs

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Forbes Middle East’s ‘Global Meets Local 2024’ rankings are out, and we’re pleased to see Rola Abu Manneh, our Chief Executive Officer, being ranked 10th, leading amongst banking institutions in the region! These leaders and their companies are crucial to stimulating and diversifying local economies, unlocking new investment opportunities, and driving tech innovation. Their efforts are not only shaping the future of the region but also setting new benchmarks in the global financial landscape. Check out the full rankings in the comments section. #ForbesMiddleEast #GlobalMeetsLocal

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