Qatar First Bank (QFB), has appointed Allen International, a UK-based strategic brand and retail consultancy, to create a concept for its first branch.

The branch will communicate the bank’s new positioning and create an icon for the QFB brand by enhancing its profile amongst its High Net Worth and corporate clients in Qatar and the Mena region.

• Net profit of QR 131.5 million for the first quarter of 2013 is 8% higher than the same period of 2012
• Total assets at QR 34.4 billion, 28% higher than the first quarter of 2012
• Loans and advances grew by 8% during Q1 2013 and 20% comparing with Q1 2012 to reach QR 14Bn
• Net fee and commission income at QR 47.3 million, up 82% comparing with same period in 2012
• Earnings per share were at QR 0.37 by end of Q1 2013, 9% higher than the first quarter of 2012

al khaliji (KCBK),"...

Banks in Qatar are increasingly facing cyber threats that target critical information, according to senior McAfee officials. The other more crucial target remains the petrochemicals industry here.

“We see in our global detections a lot of malware in Qatar in the banking sector, seeking to steal information from banks,” Christiaan Beek, McAfee Strategic Security"...

Following the acquisition and integration of Nexar, Union Bancaire Privée, UBP SA has launched an alternatives division that offers clients broad alternative investment expertise, as well as innovative solutions. As part of this strategy, it has selected Guggenheim Fund Solutions (GFS) as its partner to provide clients with a state-of-the-art platform that combines carefully sourced, dynamic, high-potential hedge fund managers with a next-generation solution that delivers the transparency, governance, and structural"...

Business Momentum Continues

• Deposit Balances up 5 Percent From Q1-12 to $1.1 Trillion
• First-lien Mortgage Production up 57 Percent From Q1-12 to $24 Billion
• Global Wealth and Investment Management Reports Record Post-merger Revenue, Net Income and Long-term Assets Under Management Flows
• Consumer Credit Loss Rates Reaching Five-year Lows
• Commercial Loan Balances up 17 Percent From Q1-12 to $367 Billion
• Maintains No. 2 Ranking in Global Investment Bank Fees; up 26 Percent"...