In March, Georgia’s Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze told emeafinance that the issue of the separatist provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia would be resolved “in the next few months”....

HSBC’s new head of international banking, Tony Mahoney, tells emeafinance’s editor Julian Evans the bank is ready for a “substantial move” into Central & Eastern Europe (CEE).

At the end of September, Seychelles announced it was defaulting on its US$800mn of external debt, in the first sovereign default for two years. Experts agree that more defaults are coming in EMEA sovereign and corporate debt, and some funds are poised to take advantage of distressed debt situations.

Having been caught in a blizzard of media and regulatory attention in the first half of 2008, sovereign wealth funds are taking steps to try and improve their public image, including agreeing to a voluntary code of conduct in September, reports Julian Evans.

Foreign investors are worried by the prospect of Jacob Zuma becoming the president of South Africa next year. But what changes is he likely to bring, and how will they affect the economy, asks Tim Cohen in Johannesburg.

Saudi Arabia has been pegged to the dollar since 1986. But the kingdom is coming under more and more pressure to de-peg in order to tackle domestic inflation.

The American lending company QuickCashLoans specializing in providing short term loans to US citizens has implemented an online loan application form.c 

While mobile network operators have stolen the lead in the provision of mobile payment services to unbanked people in developing countries such as Africa,  their ability to provide full banking services, and get involved in remittances, may be somewhat limited. Partnering with established global banks, seeking to capitalise on unbanked regions, could be the answer, writes Liz Salecka.

The real estate projects in Dubai get ever bigger and more extravagant. But an investigation into corruption and concerns over liquidity are threatening the market’s image. Will Rankin and Julian Evans report.

Depository receipts have proven to be a reliable business even in these volatile times. Indeed, trading on GDRs is actually up 87% this year, even though new issuance is dramatically down on 2007.

emeafinance’s inaugural African banking awards come at a very exciting time for African banks, as banks raise large amounts of capital on domestic and foreign equity capital markets, and use it to finance aggressive regional expansion plans.