Here are photos from our seminar, 'Navigating the Regulatory Maze - 2018' which was held on 15 March. The seminar was sponsored by Grant Thornton UK and Fieldfisher. More information on the seminar is posted on our 'Events' tab, including the slide presentation.
The Saudi budget for 2018 projects a deficit of $52bn in 2018, a little less than in 2017, with expenditure due to rise by 6%. The Arab Bankers Association's Editor in Chief, Andrew Cunningham, analyses the Budget Statement and provides some statistical tables.
More than one hundred ABA members and their friends celebrated at our Christmas party on 13 December. Held at the Malborough Head in London's Mayfair, it was a great way to end the year.
The Arab Bankers Association is working with In Focus Broadcasting to make this groundbreaking new programme for the Arab banking sector to create content and a voice recognising the major themes in the banking the financial services sector in the Arab world and beyond.
There have been several recent new appointments at the top of Arab banks in London: Jordan Islamic Bank, National Bank of Abu Dhabi and Ahli United Bank have new CEOs in London.
The Lebanese Cabinet has renewed Riyad Salamé's term as Governor of the Banque du Liban - the Lebanese Central Bank - for another six years, from 1 August. Salame was first appointed in 1993.
Thirteen years after selling its remaining stake in Saudi American Bank, Citibank is to have a physical presence in Saudi Arabia through an investment banking license, granted by the Capital Market Authority.
Regional banks in the GCC have the opportunity to offer correspondent banking services to smaller local banks in the Middle East, replacing the large international banks who have been withdrawing from the correspondent banking market. James Daniell, a managing director in Alvarez & Marsal's Dubai office, explains how his firm is helping regional...
The Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority will be honoured at the Central Banking Awards Ceremony, to be held in London in March, for its work to strengthen internal risk management and compliance.
The ABA Annual Gala Dinner confirmed its position as the premier social event for London's Arab banking community with a sparkling evening at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower on 27 November. HE Saddek El-Kaber received the ABA award for Distinguished Services to Arab Banking and the Keynote Address was given by Tom Tugendhat, MP.
There was a big turnout for the Association's Annual General Meeting on 26 September. Members approved the annual accounts and received an update on activities, including the launch of the latest Arab Banker magazine. The photo shows Vivien Davies, Company Secretar; Neel Patel, Treasurer; Abdelaziz al-Khereiji, Chairman; and George Kanaan, CEO.
The Board of Samba Financial Group has announced that it will close its branch in London due to concerns over its long term profitability.
The directors of National Bank of Abu Dhabi and First Gulf Bank have approved plans to merge their two banks. The new bank, which will be called National Bank of Abu Dhabi, will be the largest in the Middle East. Find out more about the transaction and the two banks in the accompanying article.
The Arab Bankers Association asked a selection of Middle East banks in London for their views on how the British government could build on the success of its June 2014 sovereign sukuk issue - the first sovereign sukuk issued outside the Muslim world. The banks are keen to see more issues, of bigger size and more variable maturities.
The British Ministry of Justice has announced plans to consider whether to extend the scope of the offence of 'failing to prevent' a crime beyond bribery and tax evasion. ABA Corporate Member Fieldfisher has produced a short briefing note to explain what might happen.
Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the Vision 2030 on 25 April. Read more to see how the Vision is structured and for details of some of its key points. We also have a link to the full English text.
The ABA's first corporate member's lunch of 2016 addressed the issue of senior bank managers' personal liability, under the new UK regulations that come into effect in March 2016.
Figures published by The Banker magazine show that banks in Egypt and Morocco account for about a quarter of the combined Tier 1 capital and assets of Africa banks; and forty two of the largest 100 banks in Africa are based in North Africa. The ABA's Editor has prepared a handy table to summarise the relative size of Africa banking systems.
Welcome to the Arab Bankers’ Association! We are an association of bankers and finance professionals who work in Arab financial markets. Most of our members, both corporate and individual, are based in the U.K. but a significant proportion is based outside. Most of us - though not all - have spent much of our professional lives living and working in the Arab world. Our aims are simple: to foster improved relations, information sharing and understanding between the private and public sectors in the Arab world and the U.K. We achieve this through a programme of evening seminars on technical subjects such as bank regulation, and though social events such as our annual Gala Dinner and our Ramadan Iftar. Our corporate members also benefit from lunchtime breifings on topics of particularly current interest. You will find more information about our work on the various pages of this website. For example, on the “Events” page you can read about recent seminars and social events, and you can see pictures from them on our "Gallery" page. Our "Members" page lists individual, young professional and corporate members, and enables them to publish short profiles of themsleves. The “Join” page contains a full list of member benefits. Electronic copies our our magazine, Arab Banker, are available on the "Magazine" page.This is an exciting time for Arab banks and their subsidiaries and affiliates in London. Gulf banks are looking to expand their international operations, and banks in Egypt and other north African countries are finding their footing after the uncertainties of the Arab Spring. London hosts the largest and most important banking community in Europe, so its not surprising that it is in London that many of the innovative new financial structures that are shaping Arab finance are designed and sold. The ABA has been serving and promoting Arab banking in London for more than 30 years and we are as enthusiastic and committed to our mission today as we were on the day we were founded. If you are a member, I look forward to working alongside you in the months ahead. If you are not a member, I hope you will consider joining us.
George E. Kanaan
Chief Executive Officer
The Arab Bankers Association
43 Upper Grosvenor Street
London W1K 2NJ
+44 (0) 20 7659 4892 | +44 (0) 20 7659 4889
+44 (0) 20 7659 4868
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