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Financial Services Sector Research Highlights

Bahrain, a centre for sustainable finance and innovation in the GCC

Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Helaissi, Group CEO and Member of the Board, Gulf International Bank (GIB)

In this Global Platform video, Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Helaissi, Group CEO and Member of the Board, Gulf International Bank (GIB), talks about Bahrain's banking sector, a significant contributor to...

Kuwait's banks target sustainable growth

In this Growth Perspectives video, OBG shows how Kuwaiti banks are embracing environmental, social and governance principles to contribute to the sustainable growth of the banking sector...

Increasing the accessibility of trading in Kuwait and the GCC

Talal Al Ajmi, CEO and Founder, VI Markets

In this Global Platform video, Talal Al Ajmi, CEO and Founder, VI Markets, talks about increasing the accessibility of trading. Financial markets have experienced significant changes compared to before the...

The Report: Ghana 2024
OBG
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Financial Services Sector Analysis

The Domestic Debt Exchange Programme that launched at the end of 2022 has helped stabilise inflation. This is expected to foster sustainable growth, injecting optimism into the sector and the overall economy...

Special Reports on the Financial Services Sector
Cash Transformation Report

Report: How has public-private collaboration boosted digital and cash transformation in the Bahamas?

Public-private collaboration aimed at boosting digital payments and reducing cash usage in the Bahamas has made gains in a relatively short timeframe. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, policymakers...
ESG Intelligence Report

Report: The financial sector's central role in tackling ESG issues in Mexico

Environmental, social and governance issues are a growing focus in Mexico, particularly social inclusion and transparency, followed by other governance and environmental matters. The financial sector has...
ESG Intelligence Report

Report: The future of sustainable finance in Kuwait’s banking sector

The regulatory landscape for Gulf financial service providers is changing, with growing awareness of the need for banking institutions to adopt sustainable finance frameworks and responsible lending...
Focus Report

Focus Report: Post-pandemic trends and opportunities on African stock exchanges

Although stock exchanges on the continent were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, recovery is starting to take shape. The crisis underlined the need to build resilience and diversify the investor base...

Report: How has public-private collaboration boosted digital and cash transformation in the Bahamas?
Report: The financial sector's central role in tackling ESG issues in Mexico
Report: The future of sustainable finance in Kuwait’s banking sector
Focus Report: Post-pandemic trends and opportunities on African stock exchanges
 

Inside Look: Financial Services in Kuwait

Kuwait’s banks are among the largest and most robust in the region. Asset growth has defined the sector’s trajectory in recent times, as Kuwaiti banks continued to recover from the disruptions of the...

The Report: Kuwait 2024
OBG
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Banking Sector Analysis

Increased oil revenue, consolidation and new digital offerings are fuelling the sector’s growth potential. Kuwait’s banks are among the largest and most robust in the region, ranking first in the GCC...

Financial Sector Analyses

Overview

Ghana expanding financial inclusion and technology adoption
OBG
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In 2020 discussion around the Ghanaian banking sector was upbeat, buoyed by promising macroeconomic conditions, with government bonds receiving increased attention from international investors. However, starting in 2022 the West African country has been navigating through a period of economic uncertainty marked by high inflation and sector contraction in real terms amid persisting global economic challenges. Nonetheless, there are reasons to be optimistic...

Analysis

Ghana reducing arrears amid government initiatives
OBG
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In December 2022 the Ghanaian government implemented the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP), a voluntary initiative under which eligible bondholders swapped bonds for new securities with differing rates and maturities. Later that month Ghana struck a deal with the IMF for a three-year, $3bn loan to help alleviate the country’s debt. Upon closing in February 2023, 85% of a total GHS97.7bn ($8.9bn) in domestic bonds eligible under the DDEP had been tendered and accepted...

Viewpoint

Ernest Addison, Governor, Bank of Ghana
OBG
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African economies are faced with acute debt challenges, underscored by rising social and infrastructure needs. This is coming amid spillovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the tightening of global financing conditions and climate change. Public debt in sub-Saharan Africa has reached levels last seen in the early 2000s. The resulting increased debt service burden, together with complex creditor composition, has heightened risks to debt sustainability to the extent that more than half of countries in sub-Saharan Africa...

Interview

Chris Ofikulu, Regional CEO, UBA West Africa; and Managing Director
OBG
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Fintechs have emerged as invaluable partners in the digitalisation of the sector. Their rapid entry into the financial ecosystem has ushered in a wave of opportunities, including leveraging big data. Telecommunications firms and fintechs possess extensive customer databases, which they have diligently curated over the years. This data trove provides banks with a unique opportunity to harness insights into customer behaviour, preferences and trends...

Analysis

Financial technology players expanding in emerging markets
OBG
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Financial technology (fintech) firms are gaining market share that was formerly the preserve of established remittance service providers. Remittances have grown in importance in recent decades and now constitute the largest source of foreign income for many developing economies. They also tend to be countercyclical, increasing during economic downturns or natural disasters when other capital flows generally dwindle. Growth has only gathered pace, with the importance of remittances as a source of income...

Interview

Abena Amoah, Managing Director, Ghana Stock Exchange
OBG
plus

Ghana’s stable political environment and continued economic growth over the years have created a favourable environment for investment. Efforts to attract more listings and increase market liquidity provide opportunities for both local and international investors to participate in the country’s capital markets...

Boosting investment in Kuwait’s capital markets

In this Growth Perspectives video, OBG shows how Boursa Kuwait has introduced reforms and launched new investment tools to support the development of the capital markets. The surge in market...

ESG in Indonesia: Access to Finance

Indonesia continues to leverage sustainable finance, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as investor priorities shift towards ESG metrics. The country’s inaugural G20 Presidency in...

Financial Services in Emerging Markets

Economic View

Kwabena Asante-Poku, Coverage Director, Ghana - British International Investment (BII)

On increasing finance for SMEs, women-led businesses and infrastructure development in Africa

Economic View

Julian Opuni, Managing Director, Fidelity Bank Ghana

On the country’s commitment to inclusive finance

Economic News

Climate risk is reshaping the insurance sector in emerging markets
OBG
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With the launch of a new joint initiative to support the countries that are most vulnerable to climate change, the global insurance industry is evolving in ways that could carry important implications for business in emerging markets. The Global Shield against Climate Risks (GSCR) was announced by the ministers of finance of the so-called Vulnerable Twenty Group (V20) and the G7 after the COP27 UN Conference on Climate Change in Sharm El-Sheikh Egypt in November last year. It seeks to address weaknesses...

Economic News

Digital financial inclusion is reshaping payments in Côte d’Ivoire
OBG
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Already a regional standout in terms of growth and investment inflows, Côte d’Ivoire is striving to become a pioneer in digital financial inclusion. The West African country saw key indices rebound swiftly following the Covid-19 pandemic, with GDP growth reaching 7% in 2021, returning to pre-pandemic levels following a drop to 1.7% in 2020. Growth is set to remain strong, estimated at 6.7% in 2022 and projected to reach 6.2% in 2023, according to the IMF. Coupled with robust investment inflows over the past decade, the country...

Economic News

Emerging markets invest in film media to extend their global reach
OBG
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As GCC countries look to harness new forms of financial technology (fintech) such as blockchain, deepen their financial services and expand financial inclusion, governments are embracing decentralised finance (DeFi) and are working to attract cryptocurrency companies to the region. In DeFi – peer-to-peer financial services with no central authority or intermediary involved in trading, lending, investing and other activities – GCC countries see the opportunity to diversify their economies and embrace Web3 technologies...

Economic News

How digital banking is transforming access to finance in Latin America and the Caribbean
OBG
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Despite wider economic challenges such as inflation and supply chain disruptions, digital banks and neobanks are continuing to attract new customers and accelerate financial inclusion in Latin America and the Caribbean. Neobanks use apps, software and other technologies to operate exclusively through digital platforms. They are usually limited to bank accounts and cards because they often lack credit institution licences, while digital banks offer the full suite of traditional banking services online...

Economic News

Could better reporting bolster ESG funds in emerging markets?
OBG
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As financial markets experience significant headwinds in 2022, environmental, social and governance (ESG) funds saw their first net outflow since 2011. However, the energy transition, climate-related threats to food security and the search for long-term value could prompt a resurgence of sustainable investment in emerging markets. After global ESG funds enjoyed a record run from 2019 to 2021, growing by 98% and seeing net inflows of $25bn in 2020 and $35bn in 2021, net outflow from ESG funds in 2022...

Economic News

Emerging Market Trends 2022: Payment Solutions
OBG
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Even as the global economy grapples with inflation, supply chain constraints and high commodity prices, new payment solutions are helping billions in emerging markets access and deploy much-needed capital. Driven by a decline in cash payments during the Covid-19 pandemic, digital payments skyrocketed in line with the growth in e-commerce, as the financial technology (fintech) sector expanded to provide consumers with a wider variety of payment options. The growth of digital payments has been strongest...

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