Social media, coupled with data analytics, gives a more complete picture of the customer but banks face the challenge of having to make sense of masses of unstructured information.

Mobile banking in Saudi Arabia is still growing and its development is contingent upon customer needs, as the actual number of mobile transactions is low.

Even with the Middle East’s lifeblood, crude oil, stuck in prolonged doldrums, bankers remain optimistic about the future of the trade finance and supply chain business in the region

Increased use of electronic cash management facilities to enhance cost and operational efficiency is the dominant theme in the transaction banking industry in the Middle East and Africa

With over 53 million unbanked still transacting in cash, Egyptian banks are looking to target this potentially lucrative market through mobile or prepaid cards but uptake has been slow

New payment options in the market are creating new opportunities, making competition fiercer, and reducing the use of cash and cheques.

China attributes its slowest growth in a quarter century to uncertainties in the international economic environment, and to weak real estate investment and poor imports and exports at home. Should it export its way back to growth, or take a different tack?

As the Philippines becomes an attractive foreign direct investment destination, the country is readying for high-value-added manufacturing. Metrobank president Fabian Dee says the bank intends to support this direction while sticking to its core DNA, which is growing the business of the middle market, the entrepreneurs.

In the United Arab Emirates, banks have become more competitive in retaining their customers as a result of new regulations, while the rest are developing their individual strengths gained from their own customer experiences. The experiences of National Bank of Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank illustrate how banks have adapted their strategies to new developments in the banking sector.

The Single Resolution Mechanism becomes fully operational to bolster the resiliency of banks in the European Union. This is the second of three conditions for the establishment of a Banking Union, in which all 19 euro member states must join.

Hong Kong will maintain its strategic role in bridging China with the rest of the world, even if more RMB payments are settled elsewhere. With its preeminence in clearing, settlement, and product diversity, Hong Kong can lead in fintech and should capitalise on higher-value products, particularly those that manage risk.

Efforts to create access to onshore capital markets will prove fruitless without strong product offerings

Knowing how to ensure safe, stable and well functioning markets is paramount to understanding where markets stand in terms of resilience

China’s “One Belt One Road” initiative is a brilliant strategic move but its delivery holds many risks

China welcomed the new year with yet another bloodbath that it has seen too much of in 2015. But unlike the August 2015 sell-off that was sparked by small jittery players, this time around, macroeconomic fundamentals are making the bears return, and global stock markets are left cowering.