Qatari Banks Said to Reveal Merger Plans as Early as This Week - Bloomberg

Qatari Banks Said to Reveal Merger Plans as Early as This Week - Bloomberg:

Barwa Bank QSC and International Bank of Qatar QSC may announce plans to merge as early as this week, according to people with knowledge of the matter. 


Talks between the two closely held banks are advanced, though they could still be delayed or fall apart, the people said, asking not to be identified because the matter is private. 


Combining Barwa and IBQ would partially salvage a proposed three-way merger with Masraf Al Rayan QSC that was abandoned in June after 18 months of talks. That consolidation would have created the country’s largest Shariah-compliant bank and the Middle East’s third-biggest Islamic lender with more than 178 billion riyals ($49 billion) of assets.