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Dana Gas said it has collected a total of Dhs271m ($73.7m) in receivables so far this year. Payment delays were behind Dana Gas's default on a $1bn convertible sukuk last year on Oct. 31, the sukuk's maturity date. Dana Gas added it was on track to complete the Sukuk refinancing process in the second quarter of 2013. The sukuk-holder meeting and final shareholder meeting to approve the refinancing transaction will be held on April 23 2013.

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) is providing Dhs600m financing facility to Manazel Real Estate to fund the Abu Dhabi-based company's financial obligations and capital expenditure. The financing agreement was signed by Mr. Mohamed M. Al Qubaisi, Chairman of Manazel Real Estate PJSC and Mr. Arif Usmani, Global Head of Wholesale Banking in ADIB. Manazel Real Estate PJSC, a real estate developer in Abu Dhabi, recognizes and appreciates ADIB's support to real estate developers in Abu Dhabi along with other sectors and local businesses, which contributes to the growth and development of Abu Dhabi.

Warba Bank announced that it has made significant progress over the past year in building its portfolio of investments in the region and the world. During 2012, Warba Bank completed a series of successful investments in various investment sectors, e.g. the purchase of a property in New York which they developed into a multi - family residential complex. Through its investments, Warba Bank seeks to achieve high returns on investments and guarantee the rights of the Kuwaiti people who are the bank's shareholder.

In keeping with its slogan of 'the orange bank that thinks green,' Al Hilal Bank, a progressive Islamic bank, has pledged to switch off the lights in all of its branches and offices starting at 9 pm on March 23, 2013 in celebration of 'Earth Hour.' Al Hilal Bank will use the event as a platform to reaffirm its sustainability commitments and show its support for the environmental goals included in the Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 development plan. The bank has engaged in various initiatives championing the environment under its 'Go Green' strategy.

Islamic International Rating Agency (IIRA) has assigned a national scale rating of A+/A-1 (QR) (A plus/A-one) to Qatar International Islamic Bank (QIIB). On the international scale, IIRA has assigned a foreign currency and local currency rating of A-/A-1 (A minus/ A-one). Outlook on the rating is 'Stable'. The fiduciary score has been assessed in the range of '70-75', reflecting strong fiduciary standards wherein rights of fund providers are adequately defined and protected. The fiduciary score captures the role of the management of the institution as Mudarib, the entity's governance practices and compliance with Shariah principles adopted by the bank.

The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (Sama) has announced plans to launch a real estate refinancing company with SR5bn ($1.3bn) of capital to help develop the kingdom's mortgage market. The company will be launched through the government's Public Investment Fund (PIF) or its subsidiaries, said Sama governor, Fahad al-Mubara.

Fitch Ratings has assigned Saudi Electricity Company's (SEC) upcoming international Sukuk issue a 'AA-(EXP)' expected rating. The rating is in line with SEC's 'AA-' Long-term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) and senior unsecured rating and SEC's 2012, 2010, 2009 and 2007 Sukuks' ratings. The Sukuk will be issued on an unsecured and unsubordinated basis. Among other aspects, the Sukuk benefits from a negative pledge and a cross default clause. Proceeds of the issuance will be used for general corporate purposes.

According to the executive president of Oman's central bank, Hamood Sangour al Zadjali, the country has no plans to allow foreign Islamic lenders to set up operations in the sultanate. Opportunity will be given to local banks first to see how the market develops. He mentioned that they will observe the market for two to three years and then decide whether to add more banks or not. Currently, two Islamic banks and six Islamic banking windows are operating in Oman.

Kuwait Finance House - Bahrain announced the launch of its 'Fursan Baytik' employees' recognition award, which aims to honor and appreciate the achievements of employees in the Bank. It is based on a set of criteria that considers their achievements both during work and in their own time such as reliability, teamwork and effectiveness as well as social responsible activities. Mr. Yaqoub Majed, the Chairman of KFH-Bahrain honored the first three employees to receive the award during the annual staff gathering.

Dubai Islamic Bank announced the successful pricing of a $1bn Tier 1 Capital-eligible issuance, with a perpetual (non-call 6) maturity. The issuance carries a profit rate of 6.25%, which represents the best yield ever achieved by a GCC bank on public Tier 1 transaction. The transaction was allocated to investors across the Middle East (38%), Asia (29%), Europe (29%) and US Offshore (4%). In addition, the types of accounts were also well balanced, with Banks (33%), Private Banks (32%), Fund Managers (29%), Hedge Funds (5%) and Other (1%) investors anchoring the orderbook. Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD Capital, HSBC, National Bank of Abu Dhabi and Standard Chartered Bank acted as Joint Lead Managers on the offering.

The Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) sponsored the GCC Board Directors Institute (BDI) workshop on Corporate Governance and Board Effectiveness Practices in Riyadh from February 25 to 27. The overall goal of BDI is to support better corporate governance, primarily through building board member capabilities. The workshop brought together senior directors from leading corporate entities and institutions in the region to share knowledge, experiences and best corporate practices.

Al Khalij Commercial Bank's (Al Khaliji) Q.S.C., announced its Gold Sponsorship of the upcoming annual Qatar Career Fair 2013, which will be held at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) between April 1st and 6th 2013. Al Khaliji is looking for a wide-range of Qatari nationals to fill different roles in the bank, from young university graduates to more experienced professionals. The Al Khaliji team at the Qatar Career Fair will provide practical advice and recommendations to Qatari nationals looking to build careers in the banking and finance industry. The team will also discuss opportunities for professional growth within Al Khaliji.

The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (Sama) has decided to allow foreign financing firms to operate in the kingdom in order to boost the real estate financing sector, Saudi Gazette has reported. This will be in accordance with the provisions of the land mortgage law, said Sama governor, Fahad al-Mubarak.

Barwa Bank has appointed Khalid al Subeai as Chief Executive Officer at its wholly-owned investment banking subsidiary, The First Investor QSC (TFI). He is responsible for driving TFI's strategy and day-to-day management. Prior to joining Barwa Bank, Al- Subeai has held several leadership positions within the Finance sector in Qatar. Under his leadership, TFi is looking to expand and develop its investment banking franchise.

Noor Investment Group and Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish 'Noor Awqaf LLC' in the UAE. Noor Awqaf will complement the work of AMAF in offering enabling financial services to Awqaf entities around the world. The MoU was signed by Ahmed Kalim, Deputy Group CEO, of Noor Investment Group and Tayeb Abdel Rahman Al Rayes, Secretary General of AMAF.
Noor Awqaf has been set up as an independent limited liability company, with an initial issued and paid up share capital of Dhs10m. Noor Awqaf is 60% owned by Noor Investment Group and 40% by AMAF.

Kuwait Finance House (KFH) Turkey maintained its growth in 2012 and increased its profits to TL250m, 28% increase compared to 2011, according to KFH CEO and KFH - Turkey Chairman Mohammed Sulaiman Al-Omar. Moreover, the bank increased its assets by 27% to TL19bn and its loans by 14% to TL12bn and capital adequacy ratio stood at about 14%. He added that the results achieved were in accordance with the plans, targeted shares, development projects and restructuring programme. The bank also targeted markets in the neighboring countries of Turkey and enhance cooperation and partnership relations with many economic and commercial activities, as well as presenting new products.

Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF), has launched an initiative to raise customer service levels and contribute to faster, more effective communication channels through a series of monthly open meetings between senior management and Foundation beneficiaries. The open meetings took place in the Foundation's headquarters since the beginning of January. Ahmed Hassan Nasser, Director of Investment Department met with beneficiaries on each Tuesday of the month, while Huda Al Mannai, Director of the Department of Minors, conducted meetings on Wednesdays.

The conference "Succession Planning 2013" organized by Abu Dhabi University Knowledge Group will be held in Dubai on 25-26 February 2013. The two-day forum will present case studies from family businesses, multi-national corporations and government organizations in the GCC region. Senior C-level Suite Representatives, HR professionals and talent management experts from the public and private sector are going to discuss the importance of implementing succession planning strategies to ensure business continuity and reduce corporate risks.

Bahrain-based Al Baraka Banking Group B.S.C. (ABG) announced that it has achieved a net income of $235m in 2012, an increase of 11% on the income achieved in 2011. Other financial position items witnessed good increases as well, including total assets (11%), total financing and investments (21%), deposits including equity of investment account-holders (12%) and total equity (9%). The financial statements of the Group for 2012 showed that the continued expansion in business reflected positively on income, with total operating income of $880m in 2012, an increase of 21% over 2011. According to H.E Sheikh Saleh Abdullah Kamel, Chairman of Al Baraka Banking Group, the success is based on its geographic expansion programs and branch network as well as strong financial means, human resources and technical capabilities. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of ABG's commitment to the Islamic banking model.

The conference of 'the private sector role in projects development' was held in Kuwait, where participants discussed a large number of important economic issues related to projects development, legislation, incentives and funding sources as well as the obstacles and difficulties they face. Kuwait Finance House KFH received appreciation for their plans for development in Kuwait that aim to build an economic base, create jobs and areas of new production and strengthen the role of the Kuwaiti private sector. Important international financial institutions and Kuwaiti banks expressed their keenness and ability to finance these projects.