Middle East Investors Boost Asia Exposure as Emirates NBD Secures New Licenses - Bloomberg
Emirates NBD Bank PJSC is expanding its footprint in Asia as capital flows between the Middle East and fast-growing Asian markets gather pace.
“Many Asian corporates are expanding operationally into the Middle East, and funding is a natural part of that,” Hitesh Asarpota, chief executive officer at Emirates NBD Capital, the bank’s investment banking unit, said in an interview. The firm has seen “growing demand from Asian issuers to access Middle East liquidity, particularly across loans and bond markets.”
The Gulf’s third largest bank by market value remains anchored in its core Middle Eastern asset base but is building out capabilities in Asia, mirroring a wider push by global lenders such as HSBC Holdings Plc to tap growing cross-border flows between the two regions.
The Dubai-based bank obtained an investment banking license in Singapore last November, and plans to focus on loan syndications, debt and equity capital markets with a focus on access to Middle Eastern investors, according to Asarpota. It is also gaining ground in India, where it secured a merchant banking permit last month and plans to build a team of at least 15 investment bankers by year-end, Asarpota added.
In Singapore, the bank has already done two bond issuances this year for Asian issuers, BOC Aviation Ltd. and Far East Horizon Ltd.
Middle Eastern investors, including sovereign wealth funds, have stepped up capital allocations to Asia, particularly across China and India, while Asian corporates are expanding in the Gulf, especially in infrastructure and renewables.
In the UAE, “banking liquidity has been the highest it’s been” with demand for Asian assets “relatively sector-agnostic,” Asarpota said. Appetite among Middle Eastern investors is thinner for longer-dated project finance loans in Asia, he said.
Middle Eastern borrowers raised about $14.2 billion through syndicated loans across Asia Pacific in 2025, a record and a 175% increase from the previous year, according to Bloomberg-compiled data tracking volumes since 1999.
Sunday, 22 February 2026
DAE Capital nears deal to buy aircraft leasing firm Macquarie Airfinance, sources say | Reuters
DAE Capital nears deal to buy aircraft leasing firm Macquarie Airfinance, sources say | Reuters
Dubai-based aircraft lessor DAE Capital is closing in on a deal to buy control of leasing platform Macquarie AirFinance, two industry sources said.
The two firms did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In January, Reuters reported that DAE was among the final contenders for the Macquarie aircraft leasing assets, alongside Saudi Arabia's AviLease and Qatar's Lesha Bank.
A sale follows a competitive round of bidding as demand for aircraft soars with commercial planesmakers Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab and Airbus (AIR.PA), opens new tab unable to produce enough jets to keep up with demand from airlines. That has created an opportunity for owners of lessors to sell at premium multiples.
In 2017, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) acquired Dublin-based AWAS, the world's tenth biggest aircraft lessor.
Dubai-based aircraft lessor DAE Capital is closing in on a deal to buy control of leasing platform Macquarie AirFinance, two industry sources said.
The two firms did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In January, Reuters reported that DAE was among the final contenders for the Macquarie aircraft leasing assets, alongside Saudi Arabia's AviLease and Qatar's Lesha Bank.
A sale follows a competitive round of bidding as demand for aircraft soars with commercial planesmakers Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab and Airbus (AIR.PA), opens new tab unable to produce enough jets to keep up with demand from airlines. That has created an opportunity for owners of lessors to sell at premium multiples.
In 2017, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) acquired Dublin-based AWAS, the world's tenth biggest aircraft lessor.
Gulf shares fall on growing US-Iran tensions; Egypt extends loss | Reuters
Gulf shares fall on growing US-Iran tensions; Egypt extends loss | Reuters
Gulf stock markets fell on Sunday as investors weighed growing geopolitical tension after the U.S. said Iran will suffer if it does not agree a deal on its nuclear activity in a matter of days.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that "really bad things" would happen if Tehran does not come to an agreement to curtail its nuclear programme. Trump set a deadline of 10 to 15 days.
The Qatari benchmark index (.QSI), opens new tab was down for a second straight day, falling 0.6%, with most constituents lower. Qatar National Bank (QNBK.QA), opens new tab, the region's largest lender, ws down 1.4%, while Qatar Gas Transport (QGTS.QA), opens new tab dropped 2%.
Outside the Gulf, Egypt’s blue-chip index (.EGX30), opens new tab also fell for a second day, losing 2.2%, with nearly all its stocks declining. Commercial International Bank (COMI.CA), opens new tab retreated 2.2%, while Fawry for Banking Technology (FWRY.CA), opens new tab fell 5.3%.
Gulf stock markets fell on Sunday as investors weighed growing geopolitical tension after the U.S. said Iran will suffer if it does not agree a deal on its nuclear activity in a matter of days.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that "really bad things" would happen if Tehran does not come to an agreement to curtail its nuclear programme. Trump set a deadline of 10 to 15 days.
The Qatari benchmark index (.QSI), opens new tab was down for a second straight day, falling 0.6%, with most constituents lower. Qatar National Bank (QNBK.QA), opens new tab, the region's largest lender, ws down 1.4%, while Qatar Gas Transport (QGTS.QA), opens new tab dropped 2%.
Outside the Gulf, Egypt’s blue-chip index (.EGX30), opens new tab also fell for a second day, losing 2.2%, with nearly all its stocks declining. Commercial International Bank (COMI.CA), opens new tab retreated 2.2%, while Fawry for Banking Technology (FWRY.CA), opens new tab fell 5.3%.
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