Slack Technologies closed a U$250 million funding round led by SoftBank Group’s Vision Fund, giving it more ammunition for expansion in an increasingly competitive market for workplace messaging services. The financing round values the startup at $5.1 billion, up from $3.8bn the last time. The Vision Fund is joined by Accel and other investors, Slack said Sunday. Bloomberg reported on the latest funding in July.

More than half of the new funding"...

Emirates NBD, Dubai’s biggest bank by assets, is looking to expand its presence in Saudi Arabia and plans to approach the banking regulator in the Arab world’s biggest economy next year to seek permission for 20 additional branches in the kingdom.

The lender is also on the lookout for acquisitions of banking assets in the GCC, Africa and Turkey as part of its growth agenda, its group chief executive said.

Emirates"...

TSYS (NYSE: TSS) announced today that it has signed a software licensing and services agreement with UAE leading financial institution, Mashreq Bank. TSYS will provide Mashreq with its core PRIME Issuer and Acquirer payments platform — and surrounding modules and services — to enhance the bank’s customer-centric experiences for its cardholders and merchants.

Mashreq is an award winning bank recognised for its retail and digital"...

“We would like to thank Abhijit for his invaluable contribution to building a robust risk management capability at NBAD and setting up a strong function at FAB, and we wish him the best on his retirement,” the Bank stated in a press release on the ADX.

Arif Shaikh, currently Group Head of International and former Chief Risk Officer at FGB, has been appointed as Group Chief Risk Officer of FAB.

In"...

This was an important milestone as it follows the general trajectory of the UAE in its move towards achieving happiness in all areas of society. The Ministers shared with participants their experience and best practices that they garnered from attending training sessions organized by the National Happiness and Positivity Programme. The programme aims to provide institutions with the capabilities to establish positive environments that ensure employee happiness and customer satisfaction.

“We"...

International General Insurance Holdings Limited today reported earnings for the first half 2017 year.

The Group announced gross written premiums of $138.1 million for the first half of 2017 as compared to $126.8 million for the comparative period, an increase of 9%. Net profits amounted to $14.8 million in H1 2017 as compared to $19.8 million for the first half of 2016.

Overall,"...

Andersen Global is proud to announce a new presence through the expansion of Andersen Tax & Legal in Mexico to Querétaro, an industrial city located north of Mexico City. Andersen Tax & Legal in Mexico now has offices in three locations in Mexico, including Mexico City and Guadalajara. Andersen Tax & Legal in Mexico became a member firm of Andersen Global in June of 2015. “We are excited about the addition of Miguel Trejo as the lead Partner in Querétaro,” said José Luis Montes, Office Managing Partner of Andersen Tax & Legal in Mexico. “Miguel has deep expertise in transfer pricing, international tax, and financial accounting. The addition of the team in Querétaro further strengthens our capabilities within the region and ensures we are able to serve clients in a seamless way across the globe.” Miguel remarked, “We......

Following seven successful years of business in Kazakhstan with corporate clients, the bank decided to enter the retail segment of the market to make Islamic financial products available to individuals. The new retail office provides a full range of Shari'ah compliant banking services for corporate and private customers.

“This opening marks a new phase in our vision of global Islamic banking; one that will bring prosperity and better serve"...

Launched in 2015 by HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairperson of the General Women’s Union, President of the Family Development Foundation, and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Emirati Women’s Day recognises the contribution of UAE women in the development and progress of the country.

Women continue to play an increasingly crucial role in the country’s decision-making. Eight of the country’s"...

In the first half of 2017, 192 mergers and acquisition (M&A) deals were recorded across MENA, representing a decline of 23 per cent when compared with 250 deals in the first half of 2016, reported EY. Announced MENA deal value also decreased by 17 per cent to $31.9 billion in H1 of 2017, down from $38.9 billion in the same period of 2016.

Out of the total deals in H1 2017, outbound deals accounted for the highest deal value reaching a total"...