The National Bank of Oman saw return on equity fall to 3.4% last year from 9.3% in 2019.
Financial services foreign direct investment rose in 2020 despite the pandemic and has remained robust this year on the back of generous state support.
The central bank implemented targeted support measures last year to ease pressure on companies and provide banks with liquidity.
Digital-only banks in the Gulf Co-operation Council are experiencing a boom.
Astyanax Kanakakis, chief executive of norbloc, on how its digital onboarding system has simplified the account-opening process.
Hanan Friedman talks about digital strategy in the lockdown age and the opportunities created by the Abraham Accords.
Gulf country's banks are the main regional gainers in this year’s ranking, as loan books continued to rise healthily.
Abdullah Al-Othman on the prospects for Saudi Arabia’s first digital-only banks.
Despite the challenges of an economic blockade and Covid-19, Qatar's economy entered 2021 relatively unscathed.
The chief executive of Qatar’s Doha Bank on getting through the pandemic and plans for 2021.
The Gulf country was well positioned for difficult economic conditions when Covid-19 hit.
A look at the year's most noteworthy deals in the Middle East.
CEO Dina Sam’an on the rise in confidence in cryptoassets as a store of value.
Despite a double hit from the pandemic and falling oil prices, the country’s plan to diversify its economy continues apace.
With a new open banking initiative planned, Saudi institutions are ramping up their digital offerings.
Mehdi Manaa, CEO of Buna, a multi-currency payment platform for the Arab region, on revolutionising cross-border payments.
Mahmoud Shawa on the outlook for the territory's economy in 2021.
Central Bank of Kuwait governor Mohammad Al-Hashel talks to John Everington about protecting the banking sector and growing credit amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Salah Y Al-Fulaij, Kuwait CEO of NBK, on the state of Kuwait’s banking sector and the key drivers for post-pandemic growth.
Historic enmity between Kuwait’s government and national assembly offer little confidence that the country will pass the economic reforms it desperately needs.