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Fitch Ratings announced the downgrade of Dubai Bank's Individual Rating to 'F' from 'D/E'. After the the announcement by the Government of Dubai that it will take full control of the bank, and it will provide a significant capital injection, it has also been removed from Rating Watch Negative (RWN).
The agency has also declared Dubai Bank's Long-term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'BBB-', Short-term IDR at 'F3', Support Rating at '2' and Support Rating Floor at 'BBB-'.

Due to lack of information to assess the emirate, Fitch Ratings will withdraw the ratings of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) in the next two weeks.
While information flow from Dewa is regular and comprehensive, Fitch has considered it necessary to form a judgement on view of Dubai to complete the information profile for the issuer, for which levels of information are expected to be insufficient going forward.

Fitch Ratings has downgraded UAE-based Dubai Bank's Individual Rating to 'D/E' from 'D' and maintained it on Rating Watch Negative (RWN).
At the same time, Fitch affirmed Dubai Bank's Long-term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'BBB-', Short-term IDR at 'F3', Support Rating at '2' and Support Rating Floor at 'BBB-'. The Outlook on the Long-term IDR is Negative. The ratings on Dubai Bank's Sukuk Programme were also affirmed at 'BBB-', although there is no outstanding issuance.

Dubai Islamic Bank has been assigned an 'A' rating by Fitch Ratings, the New York and London-headquartered global ratings agency.

Fitch Ratings has assigned Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank's (ADIB) $750 million 3.745 per cent trust certificates due November 2015 under ADIB's $5 billion trust certificate issuance programme a final rating of 'A+'
The notes have been issued by ADIB Sukuk Company Limited, incorporated in the Cayman Islands.

Fitch Ratings has updated the Takaful Rating Methodology, a sub-sector criteria report within its Insurance group. There are no substantive changes from the prior version.
This criteria report falls under Fitch's global master criteria report for the insurance industry titled 'Insurance Rating Methodology' which was published in August 2010.

Fitch Ratings has revised the Rating Watch on UAE-based Tamweel's Long-term Issuer Default Ratings (IDR), Short-term IDR, Support Rating and Support Rating Floor to 'Positive' (RWP) from 'Evolving' (RWE). The move follows the acquisition by Dubai Islamic Bank of a majority stake in the Shari'ah-compliant mortgage lender. The rating agency also affirmed Tamweel's 'E' Individual Rating, reflecting its weak standalone risk profile.

Fitch Ratings says that 2009 proved to be, as anticipated by Fitch, a challenging year for banks in Saudi Arabia as the full impact of the global economic crisis caught up with the region, reflected in rising loan impairments and a rapid slowdown in lending. The preliminary 2009 results released by the 10 main Saudi commercial banks rated by Fitch showed different trends in net income in 2009, with Q409 being the worst quarter of the year.

Fitch notes that five of the 10 largest commercial banks operating in Saudi Arabia showed improvements in their net income y-o-y, but overall growth in total net income for all 10 banks stagnated in 2009 y-o-y (2008: -14.2%). Areas of concern included lower domestic economic growth, mainly reflecting lower oil revenues and exports, and the negative impact on asset quality of recent rapid credit growth as well as problematic exposures to some large Saudi trading groups (primarily Algosaibi and Saad). The agency has yet to see the full audited financial statements of the Saudi banks but will review them fully in the near future. At this stage, Fitch does not expect to see further downgrades of Individual Ratings in 2010.

Fitch Ratings has today affirmed Jordan Islamic Bank for Finance and Investment's (JIB) ratings at Long-term Issuer Default (IDR) 'BB-' (BB minus) with stable outlook, Short-term IDR 'B', Individual 'C/D' and Support '3'.

Fitch Ratings released that the recent announcement of a USD 20 bn bond programme is improving the overall liquidity which will be positive for government-linked corporates facing the need to refinance maturing debt at a time when the impact of regional economic conditions, especially in the construction and property sector, are becoming increasingly negative.

Official figures put Dubai government and state-owned corporate debt at USD80 bn, of which Fitch estimates that around USD11 bn of foreign currency debt matures during 2009. Last week Borse Dubai raised USD2.5 bn in financing, and received an equity injection of USD1 bn from its shareholder, Investment Corporation of Dubai, to refinance an aggregate USD3.8 bn loan (part of the 2009 maturities).

Arab News reported 28 April about Jordan Islamic Bank (JIB), being one of the oldest establishments along with Dubai Islamic Bank and Kuwait Finance House. Fitch Ratings end March 2008 assigned a 'BB-' foreign currency long-term issuer default rating (IDR) and a 'B' foreign currency short-term IDR to JIB with a long-term stable outlook.

JIB is a subsidiary of the Al-Baraka Banking Group (ABG), which is incorporated in Bahrain and is the restructured holding company of the financial services division of Jeddah-based Dallah Al-Baraka Group (DAG) headed by Saleh Kamel.

Musa Shihadeh is the general manager of JIB.

Source: http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093194499

AME Info published a press release on 18th March stating that Fitch Ratings has today assigned ratings to Amman-based Jordan Islamic Bank for Finance and Investment (JIB) of Long-term Issuer Default (IDR) 'BB-' (BB minus), Short-term IDR 'B', Individual 'C/D', Support '3' and Support Rating Floor 'BB-' (BB minus). The Outlook is Stable.

Source: http://www.ameinfo.com/150487.html