Niche Islamic investment banks in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) may go in for mergers and acquisitions with conventional lenders to achieve the critical mass for reaping economies of scale.
It is anticipated first the build up of national champions driven by major shareholders, as was the case with Emirates NBD in conventional banking. Nice Islamic bank, such as Islamic investment banks (which have been particularly affected by the financial crisis) may diversify through M&As with banks that complement their businesses.