Sector: Commodities

Standard Chartered’s hires point to a growing appetite for FICC traders

Standard Chartered’s decision to bolster its FICC trading team in Dubai is indicative of a sector that is slowly heating up in the Middle East. The bank has announced five senior appointments within its FICC team within the DIFC, and has said that it plans to expand its platform in the GCC in the future. [...]

By Paul Clarke, 7 September 2010 • 0 comments

Dubai could benefit from London oil trader exodus

Regulations affecting oil trading in London could mean more traders flee to the Dubai market, injecting fresh stock into the region’s talent pool. The US regulator is threatening to impose new rules on the UK oil trading market, leading some to predict a mass exodus of traders to the Middle East. Phil Flynn, a trader [...]

By Paul Clarke, 20 June 2008 • 0 comments

Dubai keen to court commodities traders

As volumes on the Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX) reach unprecedented levels, banks in the region are desperate to take on commodities experts. Jakob Bloch, managing director, Commodity Appointments, reckons the glut of opportunities is in the gold, metals, oil and freight sectors. “All the major banks have an arm in the Middle East [...]

By Madhura Deulgaonkar, 23 May 2008 • 1 comment

Are Arabs from Venus and Westerners from Mars?

There’s no shortage of Western bankers in Dubai. But culturally, are Arabs and Westerners planets apart? Maybe – Kwintessential, a consultancy which specializes in such things, says Arabs tend to be more tactile than Western businessmen: “Be prepared to be held, touched, kissed and felt. Recoiling from such behavior would seem cold.” On the other [...]

By Paul Clarke, 11 April 2008 • 8 comments

Is it still a man’s world?

Are more women in the Gulf breaking into top-level positions in financial services, or is it still a male-dominated industry? Figures from the US Equal Opportunity Commission paint a cosmopolitan picture of the industry state-side. In the banking/credit arena, women make up 48.6% of the workforce, whereas in the securities market – the sector with [...]

By Paul Clarke, 19 March 2008 • 5 comments

Energy investing gets charged up

With energy investment in the Middle East set to go through the roof, banks are looking to secure a piece of the action. According to figures from the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook 2007, the energy infrastructure in the Middle East and North Africa region is going to need investments of $56bn every year [...]

By Paul Clarke, 13 March 2008 • 1 comment

Oil traders are the new city slickers

Poaching, fast-track promotions, lock-in bonuses and a scarcity of experienced talent – welcome to the world of oil trading. As the credit crunch tightens margins across the board and oil prices push $100 a barrel, banks are now hungrily eyeing the safe haven of commodities. Skilled oil traders have never been so valued. The Middle [...]

By Paul Clarke, 23 January 2008 • 2 comments

Guest comment: Forget hedge funds, focus on commodities

Commodities combined with Mandarin is the best recipe for a successful long-term career in financial services, says legendary investor Jim Rogers. If you’re at an early stage in your financial services career, I have one piece of advice: go into commodities. There’s a gigantic need for commodities people and there’s a very limited supply of [...]

By Jim Rogers, 12 June 2007 • 28 comments