The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) authority has appointed Jon Morton as director for financial development. Morton has joined the QFC authority from Henley Business School in the UK, formerly Henley Management College, which merged with the University of Reading in August.

The year so far has been slow for Eurobond issuance in Africa, but BOAD’s debut transaction suggests investors are overcoming their risk aversion. 

Despite a slow start to 2015, hopes are high for new names to enter the market this year.

The Middle East’s bond machine has started rolling this year with major issuance from fixed income darling Saudi Arabia, and analysts reckon the region is set for a decent year in the capital markets. 

Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) has hired Marc Basselier as head of convertible bonds, a product that looks to offer investors some diversification as the global credit cycle turns away from cheap money. 

Our winners from across the region.

Egypt’s central banker, Tarek Amer explains value of trust

Strong trade winds are blowing throughout Sub Saharan Africa. Pushing companies forward are rising oil and commodity prices, but throwing the continent’s businesses off course is a deterioration of trust after a spate of defaults and the end of cheap credit globally. 

The new African energy giant will help plug the continent’s power deficit, with former banker Banda at the helm.

World Bank president Jim Yong Kim sets out a radical agenda for his second term that will move it away from direct funding towards de-risking projects in Africa to make them more attractive to private capital.

A new economic plan for Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest economy may hinge on whether the government is willing to bite the bullet on currency liberalisation.

Nigeria made a barn-storming return to the US dollar bond market when it defied expectations and shaky fundamentals to print below 8% yield on a book that almost hit US$8bn.