IslamicFinance.de

Big Arab banks with money to spend are expanding across the Middle East in markets such as Egypt and Iraq, as they take advantage of a retreat from some areas by major international rivals. Since 2011, some global banks have downsized some of their businesses in the region to cut costs, help shore up capital and focus on their core markets, while competition from local banks has intensified. Meanwhile, UAE and Qatari banks have led the way in making some sizeable acquisitions and increasing their stakes in other lenders. In Egypt for example, Gulf banks are eyeing acquisitions because there is a lot of potential.