JUNE 2008

Seven times destroyed, seven times rebuilt

Authoring Israel’s chronicle
Israel is slow to learn

The Horn of too many bulls
Somalia still restless

The ‘Axis’ taking Bush for a spin
US President’s ‘Axis of Evil’ countries causing issues

Do as I say, not as I nuke
Hypocritical approach to Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

America reaps seeds it sows
Review of Dan Tschirgi’s Turning Point

The generous virtue in vanity
Lack of modesty means Arabs are associated with bad taste

World economics on the Sinai
Egyptian World Economic Forum focused on education

Branch managers are vital investments for sales effectiveness
Invest in good branch managers

Beirut’s irrepressible optimism for property investors
Beirut’s real estate optimism

The economics of three digits
The economics of three digits

Arab sovereign wealth funds
SWFs in Middle East are growing

The vault’s ballast
Precious metal central asset in bank reserves

Elegance by the billions
Wine, art, coins and antiquities make up new class of exotic investments

Cleansing the banks
US strongarming adoption of strict AML/CTF standards

Banking overview – Cedar’s deep roots
Weathering storms political and economic, Lebanese banks persevere

Bank stability – Strongholds of commerce
Lebanese banks' resilience sustains economy through country's crisises

Technological streamlining
Outsourcing IT potential money saver for lending institutions

Retail banking – Beyond the frontiers
New services revolutionizing traditional customer options

SGBL – A new horizon
SGBL's chairman sets plan for local & regional expansion

Crossing new frontiers
Lebanese banks expanding focus to include business abroad

Dr. Freddie Baz (Q&A)
A look at the Lebanese banking sector with a top industry strategist

Opening the vault
Private banks making major inroads into market

Hashemite Savings
Banking sector well capitalized and growing

An economy in contest
Government and central bank’s dual pits growth against inflation control

Banking in the Gulf
Backed by surging oil revenues, GCC banks realizing significant growth

Peter Baltussen – Q&A
CEO of Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD)

The biggest banks around
Total assets at Emirates’ lending institutions largest in GCC

Mohammed Al Shroogi – Q&A
CEO of Citibank UAE & Managing Director of Citibank Middle East

Bull to bear for 2008?
Dipping bank profits last year show signs of rebounding

Kingdom of accounts
Despite losses from the subprime crisis, banks continue healthy growth

The pearl of banking
Kingdom’s banks exceptionally prosperous in 2007

Solid fundamentals
Strong growth expected to continue in banking sector

Fortunes of the Sultanate
Small size of banking sector no deterrent to turning out profits

Banking the Maghreb
North Africa’s financial institutions’ surging modernization

Casablanca’s accounts
Internationalizing the banking sector key to stable growth

Deferred financing
Algiers slow to open potentially massive market to private firms

The short leash approach
Tunis' tight grip on banks stifling growth and stability of sector

Laying the foundations
Progressive central bank moves build solid base for banking sector

Banks of the Nile
Cairo showing steady progress in modernizing sector

Invested with grit
Financial institutions attempt to traverse South despite huge challenges

Invested with faith
Muslims worldwide bringing their business in line with religious tenants

An enabling vision of sharia’s role in finance
An enabling vision of sharia’s role in finance

Risk at Islamic financial institutions
Risk at Islamic financial institutions

Correcting the misconceptions of Islamic banking
Correcting the misconceptions of Islamic banking

Sharia around the world
Founded in the Middle East, Islamic finance now has global reach

Jordinvest launches sharia-compliant fund
Jordinvest launches sharia-compliant fund

Setting the benchmarks
Islamic finance industry needs internationally recognized criteria

Sharia’s charlatans
Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups savvy at international financing

Educating bankers in Islamic finance
Educating bankers in Islamic finance

Business Mecca
Middle Eastern banks at center of sharia-compliant finance

Morocco’s mixed welcome for sharia financing
Morocco’s mixed welcome for sharia financing

Islamic banking in Sudan: a quick history
Islamic banking in Sudan: a quick history

Dr. Ahmad Jachi – Q&A
Beirut’s take on sharia-compliance

First deposits
Islamic banks recently began operations in Damascus and Aleppo

IPO Watch – Sizzling summer
Markets heating up for the sunny season

Money Matters by BLOMINVEST Bank

Company bulletin

Regional equity markets
A look at Arab World indices for May

Global economic data
Investment rates, migration, and telephone access

Diplomacy – Venice of the Gulf
Doha’s dance between the bitterest of enemies