Banking
From The Report: Abu Dhabi 2019
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Banks in Abu Dhabi are well funded and have demonstrated resilience. They also exist in a competitive environment that is widely seen as overbanked. After a major merger created the region’s second-largest lender in 2017, further moves towards consolidation are expected. For now, the banking system has ample liquidity and would benefit from more opportunities to deploy it. The government has been effecting structural reforms since the 2007-08 economic crisis, to boost the efficiency of government spending and encourage greater self-reliance on the part of both the private corporate and government-linked businesses. This is part of a wider effort to prepare for a long-term future in which Abu Dhabi can thrive even when oil prices drop. This chapter contains an interview with Abdulhamid Mohammed Saeed, Group CEO, First Abu Dhabi Bank.

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Banks in Abu Dhabi are well funded and have demonstrated resilience, be that during the global financial crisis of 2007-08 or in response to local challenges since oil prices fell in 2014. They also exist in a very competitive environment that is widely seen as overbanked. After a major merger created the region’s second-largest lender in 2017, further moves towards consolidation are expected. For now, the banking system has ample liquidity and would benefit from more opportunities to deploy it. The…

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Once reserved for ambitious start-ups and industry-leading tech operators, financial technology (fintech) has more recently caught the attention of major private sector firms and government planners alike, becoming a regular feature in budget speeches and strategic development plans. As fintech progressively plays a larger part in the lives of consumers, investors have quickly come to recognise its potential as a growth industry. The tech-focused Janus Henderson Global Technology Fund, for example, has expanded by more than 160% since February 2013, and grew by some 30% over the course of 2017. Fintech is rapidly advancing across an array of…

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Tech solutions are driving the evolution of the sector landscape: Fintech revolution
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Once reserved for ambitious start-ups and industry-leading tech operators, financial technology (fintech) has more recently caught the attention of major private sector firms and government planners alike, becoming a regular feature in budget speeches and strategic development plans. As fintech progressively plays a larger part in the lives of consumers, investors have quickly come to recognise its potential as a growth industry. The tech-focused Janus Henderson Global Technology Fund, for example, has expanded by more than 160% since February 2013, and grew by some 30% over the course of 2017. Fintech is rapidly advancing across an array of…