Bahrain's Al Salam Bank to buy BMI Bank

Bahrain's Al Salam Bank has agreed to acquire fellow Bahraini lender BMI Bank , an affiliate of Oman's Bank Muscat , through a share-swap deal. Al Salam will exchange 11 of its shares for each BMI Bank share to create the kingdom's fourth-largest commercial bank. The tie-up is still subject to shareholder approval, with meetings to vote on assent due to be held in either September or October. Shares in Al Salam were 5.9 percent higher at 0726 GMT in muted trading. The tie-up will create a bank with assets worth BD1.79bn ($4.75bn), according to second-quarter results from both institutions.