2021 was another strong year for Bank of China’s ambitious bond underwriting business, which maintained its leadership in some markets, and pioneered new transactions in others.

A bank’s technology solutions and commitment to sustainability, both in its operations and in the advice and products it provides to clients, are increasingly a competitive advantage in any banking business. For Taiwan’s CTBC Bank, its investment and commitment to these two areas is paying off and keeping it ahead of the competition, especially in private banking and wealth management.

Over the past few years, Ahli United Bank (AUB) has accelerated its digital transformation strategy – encompassing various initiatives from the back office to the front and across its operations and core banking businesses. It is a strategy designed to improve the operational efficiency of the bank and enhance the service it provides to its customers. In an interview, AUB CEO, Adel El-Labban, discusses the strategy, what differentiates it from other banks’, and the areas they are targeting for digital investment this year.

Banks have a pivotal role to play in accelerating the transition to a low carbon economy; they can direct financing towards activities that are aligned to the Paris Agreement, and away from those that are not. They are the key intermediaries of the investment required to reach net zero. And they can help their clients with strategies and products that support the transition toward a sustainable economy. Some are doing better than others.

With many obstacles facing women's financial inclusion in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, addressing them is a key priority for the Egyptian government. In an interview, Hussein Abaza, CEO and managing director of CIB discusses how Egypt's financial sector has taken steps to promote gender equality and women's economic empowerment in the country.

Sustainable finance is growing rapidly in the MENA region. With more countries entering the green bond market in recent years and global green bond investment set to double and reach $$1 trillion for the first time in a single year by the end of 2022, tackling the climate crisis is top of everyone’s agenda. CIB CEO and managing director Hussein Abaza discusses the opportunities for the MENA region to advance sustainability practices.

Commercial Bank of Qatar’s financial results across the year have been strong, capping five years of growth and development under its strategic plan. In an interview, Rehan Khan, CFO of CBQ, discusses some of the highlights from the bank’s performance, how its investment in digitisation is paying off, and what its main financial focus will be for 2022

High-net-worth individuals today demand a wide array of sustainable investment options and increasingly sophisticated digital services. Larger, integrated institutions may be best placed to benefit from these trends.

Luis Javier Blas Agüeros, chief operating officer at CaixaBank outlines how banks can ensure their future success through innovation, cloud technology and the reinvention of their products and services.

Technological advancement is revolutionising financial services, and in the next few years even more profound change is likely to happen. Blockchain – or distributed ledger technology – is one technological advance in particular that offers immense potential to completely transform areas of transaction banking, if not the entire financial industry, says Lim Soon Chong, group head of global transaction services at DBS.

Australian banks are ready to return in force to the capital markets for their fundraising activity, with investors in Asia set to play a critical role in the deals.

Digital transformation has been a core pillar of Commercial Bank of Qatar’s five-year strategic plan, initiated in 2016. After consecutive years of investment in digitising its operations and banking businesses, the bank’s operational efficiency and financial performance has strengthened, highlighting the success of the transformation so far.

Environmental, social and governance considerations have been a strategic focus for CIB for quite a few years, pushing the Egyptian lender to the forefront of the regional banking industry's embrace of ESG issues. In an interview, CIB CEO Hussein Abaza, explains the importance of these issues to the bank and how this is reflected across its operations and businesses.

Anders la Cour, chief executive officer of Banking Circle Group, talks about the payments bank’s latest research, and how chief information and chief technology officers can future-proof their businesses.

In an interview, Gautier Mouzelard, head of transformation and compliance for global trade finance at BNP Paribas outlines the key elements of the bank’s digital transformation strategy in the business.

In this article, Yves Longchamp, head of research at SEBA Bank, explains the rise of digital assets and highlights an important component to unlocking greater institutional adoption.  

Mainland China’s sustainable bond market has gone from strength to strength recently, with issuers and investors finding new opportunities – and embracing international standards.

David Newns, global head of GlobalLink execution services, talks to Euromoney about some of the factors that have enabled the multi-dealer platform to increase its market share and achieve top ranking in the Euromoney 2021 FX survey.