IslamicFinance.de

Islamic banks Al Khair and Khaleeji have set up a committee to study the feasibility of a merger, with any agreement subject to due diligence and approvals by shareholders and the regulator. Bank Al Khair, a Bahrain-based investment bank, expects its potential merger with local player Khaleeji Commercial Bank to help provide it with retail banking exposure and more stable revenues. A merger would create an entity with paid-up capital of about $500 million and assets in the range of $600 million to $1 billion. An independent firm is now finalising valuations for the two businesses. A deal would probably involve both cash and an exchange of shares. Bank Al Khair posted a first-quarter loss of $2.8 million, while Khaleeji had a profit of BD302,000.