Middle East: Finance and Banking

Islamic banks in Iraq operate under a comprehensive legal framework established by Islamic Banking Law No. 43 of 2015, requiring Central Bank licensing, minimum capital of IQD 250 billion, and mandatory Sharia Supervisory Board oversight. The regulatory environment incorporates AAOIFI and IFSB standards while prohibiting interest-based transactions and requiring strict compliance with Islamic Sharia principles across all banking operations and financial products.

The transaction, which was also recognised as Ijarah Deal of the Year, reflects the continued use of sophisticated Sukuk structures in the region and the important role of Cayman Islands issuer vehicles...

As we mark 20 years in Dubai, we're reflecting on the city's transformation into a global financial centre – and our journey as the first international...

The transaction, which was also recognised as Ijarah Deal of the Year, reflects the continued use of sophisticated Sukuk structures in the region and the important role of Cayman Islands issuer vehicles...

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - June 30th, 2025 - Leading global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) has released its latest edition of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Banking Pulse for Q1 2025.

The private credit landscape across the Middle East is maturing at pace, with sponsors, institutional investors, and arrangers increasingly demanding...

Financial leasing companies in Egypt are important in the non-bank financial sector because they offer asset-based financing to businesses. Unlike industrial or real estate firms, they earn revenue from structured lease contracts.

Finance leasing is one of the core pillars of Egypt's non-banking financial sector, offering companies an efficient and well-regulated mechanism to finance productive assets without the need to incur significant upfront capital costs.

This document provides the translation of Law No. 176 of 2018, the cornerstone legislation regulating Financial Leasing and Factoring in Egypt.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has introduced a comprehensive new framework governing foreign ownership of real estate through Royal Decree No. M/14, marking a significant shift in the regulatory landscape for international investors. This framework establishes detailed conditions, geographical zones, and registration requirements for non-Saudi individuals and entities seeking to acquire property rights in the Kingdom. The new regulations form part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative to enhance foreign in

US regulators are establishing clearer frameworks for tokenization, moving beyond treating it as speculative crypto toward practical financial infrastructure redesign. Israeli clients need to understand how these regulatory developments will impact digital asset systems, focusing on buyer protections, compliance requirements, and operational reliability rather than simply adding token labels to existing assets.

On 31 March 2026, the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (“VARA”) published Part V of the Exchange Services Rulebook, formally codifying the regulatory framework for Exchange Traded Derivative (“ETD”) Services.