GF
Sector: Research
Pay pain for banks in the GCC
Pay in the Middle East is spiralling. It now makes up almost 60% of banks’ operating costs. A survey by consultancy Hewitt Associates suggests salaries in Oman and Qatar lead the way when it comes to eating into banks’ profits. But pay across the Middle East banking sector is becoming a problem – particularly when [...]
Talent drought in war for Islamic banking dominance
Islamic finance is already hot, and it looks set to reach boiling point, with the Middle East emerging as one of the major players. But a lack of talent could threaten future growth. In its report ‘Oiling a virtuous banking cycle’, Goldman Sachs predicts that total Islamic banking assets in the UAE will reach $87bn [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Reeling in equity researchers
Equity researchers are in for some good times as their demand soars in the UAE and Middle East. Morgan Stanley has created a Dubai-based equity research team to bolster its Middle East operations. The team will be lead by Sean Gardiner and will be joined by three new hires: Mai Attia, Marwa el Sheikh and [...]
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