Two Gulf Banks Close to Deciding on Mega Merger

(Bloomberg) -- Kuwait Finance House and Bahrain’s Ahli United Bank BSC’s boards will meet this week to consider valuation reports on a potential merger, a deal that would create the Gulf’s sixth-biggest lender with $92 billion in assets.

The boards will meet on Jan. 24 to consider the studies by HSBC Holdings Plc and Credit Suisse Group AG, the lenders said in separate statements. Kuwait Finance House said its meeting will take place after trading hours and will also consider proposed exchange share ratios.

Kuwait Finance House and Ahli United in July said they’d started renewed discussions for a potential merger. Initial talks between the banks faltered over price, people familiar with the matter said last January.

Lower oil prices over the past four years are forcing Gulf lenders to consolidate for scale and to better compete in a crowded market. Subdued credit growth, a squeeze on deposits, higher cost of funds and deteriorating asset qualities are driving consolidation in the regional banking sector.

In Saudi Arabia, National Commercial Bank is in talks to merge with Riyad Bank to create the Gulf’s third-largest lender with $182 billion in assets. Abu Dhabi is working on a merger of three of its banks, potentially the emirate’s second in just over a year. About a dozen other regional lenders are also involved in takeover talks.

Gulf banks in merger talks:

• Saudi National Commercial Bank, Riyad Bank: Story here
• Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Union National Bank, Al Hilal: Story here
• National Bank of Bahrain, Bahrain Islamic Bank: Story here
• Bank Dhofar, National Bank of Oman: Story here
• Alizz Islamic Bank, Oman Arab Bank: Story here

To contact the reporters on this story: Shaji Mathew in Dubai at shajimathew@bloomberg.net;Fiona MacDonald in Kuwait at fmacdonald4@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Shaji Mathew at shajimathew@bloomberg.net, Claudia Maedler

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