Qatar National Bank Group has signed a €1.75bn term loan from a syndicate of banks, while Fitch Ratings has put the country’s banking sector on negative watch, with the increased amount of overseas debt taken on by the banks a significant factor.

Georgia’s TBC Bank marked a year of its debut international business expansion into Uzbekistan with major partnerships from institutional investors, with further international markets now potentially in the bank’s sights.

According to a new report by BCG, the payments sector was only marginally affected by the crisis, with revenues expected to nearly double by 2030.