Banking
From The Report: Bahrain 2020
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A powerful driver of economic and non-oil growth, Bahrain’s banking sector plays an important role in ongoing diversification and development efforts. Furthermore, the kingdom has maintained its status as a regional financial centre, even with increasing competition from GCC neighbours. With financial technology developing rapidly, and profits, soundness indicators and asset growth remaining healthy, Bahrain’s banking system is well positioned to continue leading non-oil growth and diversification in the kingdom. Assets and profits have risen in recent years, with listed banks recording strong lending growth. The percentages of delinquent and non-performing loans have declined, even though overall mortgage and credit card lending has increased. This chapter contains an interview with Jean-Christophe Durand, CEO, National Bank of Bahrain.

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Overview

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A powerful driver of economic and non-oil growth, Bahrain’s banking sector plays an important role in ongoing diversification and development efforts. Furthermore, the kingdom has maintained its status as a regional financial centre, even with increasing competition from GCC neighbours. The sector has remained resilient in the face of subdued macroeconomic growth and a series of external and domestic crises that have affected the kingdom since 2008. Assets and profits have risen in recent…

Interview

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In the three decades before the 2007-08 global financial crisis, the world’s financial networks became increasingly interconnected. Financial system regulatory convergence and the growing penetration of World Trade Organisation rules, as well as the creation of currency unions such as the euro, resulted in a surge in cross-border capital flows. Global banks began to see the emergence of a single global marketplace, and the potential this held for revenue and asset growth. International players grew their international businesses on the back of a rising tide of global capital, which saw cross-border transfers rise from $500bn in 1980…

Overview

A swing in the balance: Following a retrenchment of overseas operations by numerous major banks, how are firms in emerging markets responding?
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In the three decades before the 2007-08 global financial crisis, the world’s financial networks became increasingly interconnected. Financial system regulatory convergence and the growing penetration of World Trade Organisation rules, as well as the creation of currency unions such as the euro, resulted in a surge in cross-border capital flows. Global banks began to see the emergence of a single global marketplace, and the potential this held for revenue and asset growth. International players grew their international businesses on the back of a rising tide of global capital, which saw cross-border transfers rise from $500bn in 1980…