Middle East Awards for excellence 2006 winners

Euromoney Awards for excellence 2006Bahrain I Egypt I Iran I Israel I Jordan I Kuwait I Lebanon I Morocco I Oman I Qatar I Saudi Arabia I United Arab Emirates I Lifetime Achievement

The region is awash with liquidity, there are more investable opportunities than for many years, governments are paying their bills to the private sector on time, regional companies are better managed than ever and more of them are looking for international expansion – none more so than DP World which has recently won a contested takeover for British ports operator P&O.

It could, however, be the last year of easy profits for all but the best managed of Arab banks. For the financial sector is on the verge of some of the most dramatic changes since the oil boom of the 1970s led to the influx of western banks desperate to recycle petrodollars.

World Trade Organization membership or its prospect has meant that Middle Eastern countries are now opening up their financial sectors.