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The Pearl Initiative has launched a new piece of regional research focused on family firm governance. The Report “Family Matters, Governance Practices in GCC Family Firms” is based on research carried out jointly by the Pearl Initiative and PwC.

The research is based on interviews with over a hundred family firms across the GCC.

•To oversee the Treasury Division of the Bank and to ensure that the Division manages the Bank's profit rate, foreign exchange and liquidity risks within the limits and authorizations laid-down by the Board, Central Bank guidelines and other guidelines and authorizations issued by relevant committees.

Conceptual understanding of both Conventional structured products and Islamic finance

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Responsible to lead and coordinate the business efforts in the Islamic Core Banking implementation during various project phases such as Requirements & Gap Analysis, Business Process Definition & Parameterization, Customization, Testing and post go-live support
Coordinate the detailed requirements about various products, characteristics, control and monitoring requirements, end to end process details and expected process improvements.

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Qatar is in a good position to face future challenges due to its economic and business diversification. The emirate is member of several economic and commercial agreements and organizations, and has been engaged in trade and investment negotiations with the European community and Japan. Therefore, Qatar will probably be able to avoid dependence on oil and gas production and to benefit from foreign direct investments in the future.

SEDCO Holding Group has announced the appointment of Anees Ahmed Moumina as Chief Executive Officer succeeding Dr. Adnan Abdulfattah Soufi whose three-year term expired at the end of 2012. Moumina has had a banking career that has brought him into contact with a variety of business sectors including contracting, trading, manufacturing, investments, real estate, transportation, leasing, government and public sector activities, remedial management and Islamic banking.

Gulf Finance Corporation, a subsidiary of SHUAA Capital, is launching a new specialist division called Gulf Finance Medical Leasing (GFML) that will offer operating leases for medical equipment to the UAE healthcare sector. The equipment can be leased on a monthly fee basis usually for three years at which juncture it can be returned, purchased or upgraded for new equipment. GFML is the first business of its type in the GCC and is planning to address significant market opportunities across the region.

Bassel Gamal was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB). Mr. Gamal is well grounded in banking and finance, and has had experience in several institutions and positions. He will assume his office next month.

According to Essa Kazim, the chairman of the Borse Dubai, the emirate's strategy to become a global centre for Islamic business and finance is paying off, although it is still at an early stage. Underlining its ambitions, the emirate raised US$1.25 billion (Dh4.59bn) in government sukuk at competitive interest rates last week. The Dubai Financial Market General Index is one of the best performing in the world over the last 12 months.

Nakheel may look to refinance its sukuk borrowings this year due to a reported growing of its 2012 profits. However, an analyst warned of wrong rating and pricing.

To develop and manage the Branch portfolio and to lead the branch effectively in order to ensure the achievement of retail liabilities, assets, cards and third party product sales targets, profitability objectives, and implementation of superior customer service culture and standards, while adhering to Banks policies and guidelines

Ithmaar Bank helped support a local charity that provides an Education Scholarship Fund (ESF) for children of financially challenged families. Ithmaar Bank Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board, Mohammed Bucheerei, presented the cheque for the ESF to Azra Mohammed Mohsin, President of the Pakistani Women's Association (PWA) which established the fund. More than 100 children are receiving support from the ESF in the current academic year .

A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has downgraded the financial strength rating of Islamic Arab Insurance Co. (Salama). This is due to the uncertainty regarding Salama’s main subsidiary, BEST RE Limited (Malaysia), and the potential implications for Salama’s capitalisation, operating performance and profile. Concurrently, A.M. Best has withdrawn the ratings as Salama has requested to no longer participate in their rating process.

The Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC (DIB) intends to acquire 100 per cent of Tamweel PJSC, the UAE-based Islamic home finance provider. DIB is the major shareholder of Tamweel, and will offer the other shareholders ten DIB shares for every 18 Tamweel shares. After approval by all regulators the date of the offer will be communicated individually to all Tamweel shareholders giving them adequate time to respond.

Ali Rashid Lootah, the chairman of Dubai government-owned developer Nakheel, assured that his company is in a good financial position and has about $600 million of cash on its balance sheet. The comments followed a recent report from analysts at boutique investment bank Exotix that estimated Nakheel may have difficulties repaying a $1.1 billion Islamic bond and about $2 billion of bank debt due in 2016 with its own resources. Nakheel issued the Islamic bond, or sukuk, as part of its restructuring settlement. According to Mr. Lootah further sukuk shares will be issued.

Jawad I. Ali, Managing Partner of King & Spalding LLP’s Middle East offices, emphasizes the importance of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) as a financial and capital center for all kinds of operations in the Middle East. Besides, the jurisdiction of the DIFC courts was expanded, now anybody can opt in their contracts to subject them to the DIFC law. The laws itself are modeled after English common law, and the official language of the DIFC courts is English. That’s why it is expected that the DIFC courts will soon become a major center for dispute resolution.

EFG-Hermes Holding SAE (HRHO) said its sale to Qatar’s QInvest LLC has been delayed because of regulatory approvals. This is because the Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority hasn’t yet approved the transfer of EFG-Hermes’ Egyptian assets to the new, Qatari-based entity. QInvest will invest $250 million in the venture, with the option to buy total ownership.

The entire board of the Financial Services Association of the United Arab Emirates reportedly resigned after having lost trust and confidence in the group’s co-founder and sole shareholder Arwa Hamdieh. She herself claims having disbanded the board due to delays in implementing decisions. The board represented a third of the association’s members.

Bahrain-based Gulf Finance House (GFH) is studying options to merge its affiliate, Khaleeji Commercial Bank (KCB), with other Bahraini banks. It did not say which Bahraini banks it was considering as merger partners.

Al Salam Bank Bahrain acquired an equity stake in two new Boeing planes which are being leased long-term to Emirates Airlines. Thus, investors have the opportunity to benefit from a regular income stream with a yield of 9% p.a. secured by a top tier airline. The Bank retained a sizeable stake of the investment in the proprietary portfolio and sold down the remaining portion to its investors.

Dubai aims to become a global centre for Islamic finance and economy, a project that will receive full support of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC).The DMCC already functions as a trading centre for Sharia-compliant Islamic financial products and prepares to further develop that industry.