With international banks and private equity firms absorbed with problems in their home markets, the field is free for local investment houses in what could be the best private equity environment in the last 20 years. Nick Lord reports.

The mostly-manual bond sale and trading process has taken another step toward digitisation, with a new company launching to automate primary sales while a secondary credit trading firm has received a US$208mn equity investment to grow its platform. 

Venture capital and private equity firm BlackFin Capital Partners has completed a more than €100mn first closing for a European business technology fund, with the fund’s founding partner telling EMEA Finance that the aim is to become a leading investor on the continent.

The emirate is looking to raise billions of dollars to build infrastructure ahead of the 2020 World Expo

Bank of Sharjah is marketing a new US dollar bond, and the issuer will likely have to field tricky questions on one of its major shareholders after Standard & Poor’s slashed the Emirate of Sharjah’s rating by two notches at the end of January.

Angola’s balance of payments crisis has worsened, even as the oil price begins to rebound, and the government has turned to the International Monetary Fund to help shore up its stricken public finances.

The Abraaj Group, a leading investor in growth markets, is looking towards opportunities in North Africa, as its investment in the consumer goods company makes clear.

This year's winning deals and dealmakers.

Alternative investment manager buys Arvento, the world's fifth largest telematics business.  

ACE & Company's Christopher Kile discusses the firm’s investment in – and now exit from – cake maker Moulin d’Or.

ADCB-led deal follows asset manager's closure of new US$740mn buyout fund.

Integrated Diagnostics Holdings to list next month as it maps out expansion in GCC and Africa.