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UAE Banks Federation Approves 2023 Strategy to Develop Banking Sector

UAE Banks Federation Approves 2023 Strategy to Develop Banking Sector
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UAE Banks Federation Approves 2023 Strategy to Develop Banking Sector

UAE Banks Federation Approves 2023 Strategy to Develop Banking Sector

The UAE Banks Federation (UBF) recently held its annual general meeting, chaired by Abdulaziz Al Ghurair, the Chairman of the Federation.

The members of UAE Banks Federation (UBF) approved recently the minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 26th April 2022, along with the audited financial statements and the auditors' report for 2022. The Board of Directors was absolved of any liabilities arising from their duties for the financial year ending 31st December 2022, and the auditors for 2023 were appointed.

The meeting approved the objectives and strategic plans for 2023 presented by the UAE Banks Federation Board of Directors, which aim to develop the banking sector and strengthen its position under the supervision of the Central Bank of the UAE.

According to state news agency WAM, the plan "includes Emiratization, with the goal of employing 5,000 UAE nationals by 2026, and working with the Emirates Institute of Banking and Financial Studies (EIBFS) to design a training program to prepare future banking and financial sector leaders."

The participants praised the role of the UBF General Secretariat in strengthening cooperation with banking associations and federations in friendly countries, enabling dialogue and knowledge sharing. They also commended the role of the General Secretariat in expanding membership by adding more regional, international, and digital banks operating in the country, contributing to increased cooperation among all banks and financial institutions under the Federation, which now has 58 members.

UBF Chairman Al Ghurair expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the Central Bank of the UAE for its continuous support to the Federation and guidance to its members. He praised the close cooperation with strategic partners in ensuring the development of the sector in line with international regulations and the strategies of the UAE leadership.

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OPEC Further Lowers 2026 Global Oil Demand Growth Forecast

FILE PHOTO: People walk past an installation depicting barrel of oil with the logo of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Baku, Azerbaijan November 19, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: People walk past an installation depicting barrel of oil with the logo of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Baku, Azerbaijan November 19, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
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OPEC Further Lowers 2026 Global Oil Demand Growth Forecast

FILE PHOTO: People walk past an installation depicting barrel of oil with the logo of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Baku, Azerbaijan November 19, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: People walk past an installation depicting barrel of oil with the logo of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Baku, Azerbaijan November 19, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo

OPEC on Wednesday lowered its forecast for world oil demand growth in 2026 to 580,000 barrels per day, a copy of its monthly report showed, marking the fourth straight downward revision.

The producer group continues to see a smaller impact on consumption since the Iran war started than other forecasters such as the International Energy Agency, which expects demand to decline in 2026, Reuters reported.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries also raised its forecast for 2027 oil demand growth, according to the report on OPEC's website.

Business

Bank of America Pledges $250 Billion for US Infrastructure Financing

Signage is seen at the Bank of America Tower in Manhattan, New York City, New York, US, November 2, 2022. (Reuters)
Signage is seen at the Bank of America Tower in Manhattan, New York City, New York, US, November 2, 2022. (Reuters)
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Bank of America Pledges $250 Billion for US Infrastructure Financing

Signage is seen at the Bank of America Tower in Manhattan, New York City, New York, US, November 2, 2022. (Reuters)
Signage is seen at the Bank of America Tower in Manhattan, New York City, New York, US, November 2, 2022. (Reuters)

Bank of America said on Wednesday it plans to deploy $250 billion by July 2027 to support US digital and infrastructure projects, a move it says will boost the country's economic growth and help create tens of thousands of jobs.

The Wall Street bank said its "Critical Infrastructure Finance Initiative," launched on the heels of the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations, will provide primary market lending, investments, ‌capital markets services, ‌and banking and advisory offerings.

The announcement underscores how ‌major ⁠US financial institutions are seeking ⁠to capitalize on rising demand for AI data centers, critical minerals and energy infrastructure upgrades.

It comes days after Morgan Stanley said it would facilitate roughly $1.5 trillion over the next decade to finance technology and infrastructure projects.

Last year JPMorgan Chase launched a $1.5 trillion plan to facilitate, finance and invest in industries deemed critical to the US national security and economic resilience, including defense, ⁠energy and advanced manufacturing.

BOOSTING GROWTH, CREATING JOBS

Bank of ‌America's financing will target three areas: ‌digital infrastructure, including data centers and computing; energy and power infrastructure, including renewable generation ‌and energy storage; and core infrastructure such as transportation and natural gas.

"Meeting ‌America's growing infrastructure needs requires mobilizing capital at scale across increasingly interconnected sectors," said Karen Fang, global head of infrastructure and sustainable finance at Bank of America.

"Delivering these projects requires integrated financing solutions spanning corporate and project-level capital in both public ‌and private markets."

The $250 billion target will be measured over an 18-month period from January 1, 2026, to July ⁠4, 2027, ⁠the bank said.

"If we all do our job right, we should be deploying more capital," said Fang, who is also co-head of global capital solutions at BofA, when asked about potential deployment of more capital after July 2027.

Many projects require new infrastructure to be built before becoming operational, she said.

In the United States, infrastructure construction loans typically have terms of five to seven years. Once projects are completed and operating, they are often refinanced with longer-term debt lasting 10, 15 or 20 years, Fang said.

She said greater infrastructure investment would help drive economic growth and create long-term jobs.

"Infrastructure spending will lead to economic growth and prosperity," she said.

Business

IEA Cuts 2026 Oil Demand Forecast Again as Hormuz Remains Shut

Boats and a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 3, 2026. (Reuters)
Boats and a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 3, 2026. (Reuters)
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IEA Cuts 2026 Oil Demand Forecast Again as Hormuz Remains Shut

Boats and a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 3, 2026. (Reuters)
Boats and a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 3, 2026. (Reuters)

The International Energy Agency on Wednesday sharply reduced its forecast for global oil demand this year, as supplies remain crimped by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and high prices deter buyers.

Demand is expected to slump by 1.6 million barrels per day (mb/d), compared with its forecast slump of one million barrels in its previous monthly report in July.

Crude prices have remained well above levels seen before the US and Israeli attacks on Iran in late February, sparking a war that has seen Iran launch attacks at several Gulf countries.

Tehran also responded by effectively shutting down tanker and cargo traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of global oil supplies usually transit.

"The ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz and elevated fuel prices continue to weigh on oil consumption," the Paris-based IEA said.

Despite a purported ceasefire and repeated claims that a deal to open the strait was imminent -- what the IEA referred to as "sudden diplomatic pivots" -- only a handful of ships are being let through, leading to volatile pricing on global oil markets.

The IEA said global supplies rose by 2.4 million barrels per day in July, to reach 101.5 mb/d, but that was still 6.3 mb/d lower than a year ago.

But "renewed hostilities and maritime disruptions in July and early August undermined the recovery efforts," the agency said.

It now expects global supply to fall by 4.3 mb/d on average this year, before recovering next year.

On the demand side, the IEA is projecting a return to growth in the fourth quarter of this year.