Issue 05 September / October 2010

The Abu Dhabi financial services firm Invest AD and Japan’s SBI Holdings Inc (SBI) are establishing a new fund management company to invest in Africa, starting with capital of up to $100m. The new fund will focus on Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco. It will invest in several sectors, including banking, mining, consumer products and manufacturing, through listed …

English is on the agenda in Bahrain. The Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) is the first institute in the region to adopt the Cambridge Financial English (CFE) blended learning course to help develop language skills in the finance sector. The move is part of a growing trend in which command of English is seen as an essential skill. …

Things are looking up for the UAE , according to its economy minister Sultan Mansouri, who is reported as saying that he expects “clear skies ahead compared with the overcast conditions of last year”. The forecast is for positive growth of three per cent this year despite uncertainties and risks such as weak credit growth, reports the Standard Chartered Global …

Dear Reader, Trade finance is making a comeback. It is not only refocusing on its capabilities in risk mitigation, but also regaining its place as a competitive advantage. This is occurring in many markets, from developing and emerging economies, to those that are developed, and in a wide variety of industry sectors. Alexander Malaket, who has contributed an article in …