The Gulf banking sector has witnessed an increase in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in recent years, driven in part by the economic headwinds associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. At the outset of the pandemic in the first quarter of 2020, it was anticipated that the economic slowdown and the associated fall in oil prices would accelerate the M&A trend among banks in...
As environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns become increasingly important in the corporate world, insurance companies are emerging as potentially key players in the shift away from fossil fuel-powered projects. The launch of the UN-convened Net-Zero Insurance Alliance (NZIA) in July 2021 reflects an ongoing change in the global insurance industry towards the wider...
Bahrain is home to one of the region’s most vibrant financial sectors, with financial services rivalling oil and gas in terms of economic importance: indeed, by late 2021 the financial sector had overtaken hydrocarbons as the largest contributor to the economy. The country’s Islamic finance sector is also strong, with Bahrain ranking fourth out of 135 countries and second in...
After a resilient performance in 2020, the international Islamic finance sector fared positively in 2021 as an improved economic environment, a rise in the number of large projects, and an increased focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors combined to drive demand for services.
Bahrain has laid the foundation for strong growth in its financial technology (fintech) companies and ecosystem and is pursuing a two-fold strategy to expand the industry in the years ahead. The first prong aims to leverage fintech to facilitate integration of domestic payments infrastructure and improve links between retail banks, merchants and service providers. The second...
The insurance sector is set to undergo a series of reforms under the government’s Financial Services Development Strategy (FSDS) 2022-26, announced at the end of 2021 and developed in line with the broader Bahrain Economic Vision 2030 to stimulate growth over the course of the decade.
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