A draft law in the United Arab Emirates will see more family-run corporates listing, while pension reforms will create a huge pool of investable assets.

Some organizations, drawn in by irresistible fees, can’t resist working with high-risk clients – but technology might offer a solution.

Kenyan property developer Acorn Holdings has issued a small but smartly structured bond programme, which will remove barriers to entry for local market bonds as local currency bonds retain appeal.

Israel has taken orders of $20 billion for its first Eurobond of the year, despite the deadly strike on an Iranian general that threatened to push simmering Middle Eastern tensions to boiling point in early January.

The Qatari bank is investing at home and abroad, growing its loan book and building strong operations in Egypt and Turkey.

Analysts think that FAB has the best potential platform of any bank in the region. Can its management deliver?

Ethiopia’s IMF deal is a notable step towards addressing its external imbalances and to opening up the country’s economy.

Here’s how to make an entrance at a conference.

The Lebanese authorities said that they met a $1.5 billion bond payment in late November, but with the country rapidly running out of money and in the absence of any clear ability to enact reforms, Euromoney looks at its options.

BayanPay, a digital payments company owned by London-listed Finablr, has received regulatory approval to operate its mobile money platform in Saudi Arabia, as the Kingdom looks to a future without cash.

The bank will open a new office in New York to capture the US market in Africa.

Egypt’s equity market has been slow to recover to pre-revolution levels, but liquidity is returning and companies are lining up to list.

Kenya’s parliament passes a law to lift an interest rate cap that has hampered credit growth and economic development, in a move that may pave the way to a new agreement with the IMF.

Saudi Aramco’s intention to list aims to clear up any doubts wealth managers may have about investing on behalf of women, but it also draws attention to the fact that, despite reforms, the full inclusion of women in Saudi society is still a distant reality.

A number of contentious political reforms under president John Magufuli have weakened investor enthusiasm for Tanzania in recent years.

Mohamed Maait says that Egypt is committed to implementing the much-needed reforms to drive growth, and is pressing ahead with the sale of several state-owned companies, as it looks to agree new terms with the IMF.

Mobilizing global pension funds could be the key to financing Africa’s $150 billion infrastructure needs, but more investor education is needed to unlock dollar savings globally.

Riad Salamé says that Lebanon has the tools it needs to stave off default, but with protestors demanding fundamental change, analysts question whether a radical overhaul of the country's economy is what is really needed.

Multilateral Afreximbank is set to become the latest African company to list in London, offering investors a rare chance to take on pan-African exposure, but the mixed performance of recent deals as well as difficult market conditions may make it a tough sale.

The Seychelles was the first country to issue a debt-for-nature swap to protect its marine environment; it was also the first to issue a blue bond, raising capital to finance sustainable marine and ocean-related projects. But can it overcome the teething problems and provide a model other island nations can follow?

The rhino impact bond has sparked excitement that financial tools can play a role in helping Africa conserve its wildlife. As the continent’s population level is set to rise quickly, Euromoney looks at the work being done to connect conservation with economic growth.

The Seychelles will need to tackle its drug problem head on if it wants to develop a thriving blue economy and pay back debt raised from the first ever blue bond.

Advocating ESG while investing in one of the world’s largest oil companies is an uneasy truth.

Applications to operate banks in Saudi Arabia show that consolidation has not shut the door to new entrants.

Saudi Arabia is pressing on with capital markets reform and its planned IPO of Aramco in spite of drone attacks on its oil facilities that briefly spooked markets. Virginia Furness reports from Riyadh.

In Africa, the more democratic a country is, the higher its Euromoney Country Risk score, but as the continent’s ECR grade stalls, African countries are diverging – politically and economically.

Automation and artificial intelligence are transforming the payments industry into one of the most dynamic sectors of transaction banking. But there are still many teething problems in an industry that has been catapulted onto centre stage.

It’s not long ago that Kurdistan was on the brink of accessing the international markets. Then came ISIS, strained relations with Iraq and the challenge of being shackled to a state from which the population wants independence. Is Kurdistan ready to approach world markets again?

For many international investors, Liberia isn’t relevant. It offers little in terms of natural resource, while global banks find doing business there too risky and its young and poor population offers little commercial opportunity. Can China help turn this around?

A properly functioning financial system has long eluded the country. As it moves on from Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s 20-year leadership, can the financial system finally overcome its many problems?