
Bloomberg/Christopher Pike
by Kudakwashe MuzoriwaDubai Islamic Bank’s (DIB) Board of Directors has approved proposed terms of the proposed merger with privately-owned Noor Bank.
In a bourse filing, DIB stated that the board approved a share swap that will see it offering one new share in DIB for every 5.49 Noor Bank shares and the deal will be satisfied through the issuance of 651 million new DIB shares.
The Shari'ah-compliant banks have a common shareholder in the form of Investment Corporation of Dubai, the state investor fund that owns a 28.4 per cent stake in DIB and 23.9 per cent of Noor Islamic Bank. The UAE government also owns a 4.42 per cent stake in Noor Bank through the Emirates Investment Authority.
The acquisition would create a lender with AED 277 billion ($75 billion) in assets.
The GCC financial services industry is witnessing a wave of consolidation as banks seek ways to improve competitiveness and boost capital amid slowing economic growth.
The government is in the process of merging the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB), United National Bank (UNB) and Al Hilal Bank following the successful tie-up of its two major banks after combining two of biggest lenders in 2017.
Additionally, banks in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain are also holding merger talks.
Investment Corporation of Dubai is the largest shareholder in DIB with a 28 per cent stake and it is also one of the biggest investors in Noor Bank, a lender that was established in 2008.
The bank reported a one per cent year-on-year increase in profits in the three months to 30 September 2019 of almost AED 1.25 billion and its profit for the nine-month period grew 10 per cent to AED 3.97 billion.
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