
Ithmaar Bank profits soar 156% to $26.92m
Total net profit for 2024 is BD18.80 million compared to the net profit of BD12.22 million reported for 2023. This is mainly due to higher core income during the year.
The announcement, by Ithmaar Bank Chairman Prince Amr Al Faisal, follows the review and approval of the Board of Directors of the Bank's consolidated financial results.
Despite market challenges, the bank reported a higher net profit attributable to equity holders for the three-month period ended December 31, 2024 by BD1.13 million at BD1.22 million compared to the net profit of BD0.085 million reported for the same period in 2023. Total net profit for the three-month period ended December 31, 2024 was BD1.63 million compared to BD2.10 million net profit reported for the same period in 2023.
'On behalf of the Ithmaar Bank Board of Directors, I am pleased to report that the Bank continues to report profits for the year as the Bank is growing further by focusing on providing its products and services exclusively to meet the financial and investment needs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as corporates and institutions," said Prince Amr. 'This is also due to the Bank continuous efforts and focus to achieve further growth in its core Islamic banking business in Bahrain and Pakistan and further enhancing the value of its strategic investments," he said.
Ithmaar Bank Chief Executive Officer Maysan Al Maskati said the year-end financial results show that the bank's efforts to continuously grow its core business and enhance its corporate customers Islamic banking experience had paid off.
'The results show that the group's net operating income before impairment allowances increased to BD262.94 million for the year ended 31 December 2024, a 21.3 percent increase compared to BD216.70 for 2023,' said Al Maskati. 'As a testimony to the Bank's growth journey, total owners' equity increased to BD50.54 million as at 31 December 2024, a 26.1 percent increase from BD40.08 million as at 31 December 2023,' he said. - TradeArabia News Service
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Gulf Insider
5 hours ago
- Gulf Insider
UAE Central Bank Imposes Over Dh370 Million In Fines On Banks, Exchange Firms, And Insurers
The Central Bank of the UAE has imposed more than Dh370.3 million ($101 million) in fines since the start of 2025 against banks, money exchange houses, insurers, and a finance company, in one of its most extensive enforcement campaigns in years, according to a review of official statements issued by the regulator. The penalties, also included license cancellations, suspensions, and restrictions on operations, were the result of the central bank's intensifying scrutiny of the country's financial sector, as it seeks to reinforce its credibility as a global financial hub and shed lingering reputational risks related to money laundering and terrorism financing. Since January, the regulator has announced penalties against at least 13 money exchange firms, seven insurance and brokerage companies, 10 banks, including three foreign lenders, and one finance company. In some cases, senior executives were personally fined, including one branch manager who was ordered to pay Dh500,000 and barred from holding specialized financial roles in the country. The most severe sanctions came in May, when the central bank imposed a Dh200 million fine on a money exchange company, alongside a Dh500,000 penalty against its branch manager. Earlier in the year, one firm was hit with a Dh100 million fine, while foreign banks were penalized with multimillion-dirham sanctions for compliance failures. In addition to monetary fines, the regulator revoked the licenses of several exchange houses, including Gomti Exchange and Al Hindi Exchange, and shut down branches of foreign insurers. It also forced one local bank to halt onboarding new Islamic banking clients for six months after inspectors identified significant compliance lapses. The penalties resulted from inspections that revealed violations in three areas: non-compliance with federal laws governing licensed financial institutions, weak anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CFT) systems, and breaches of consumer protection and market conduct standards. 'The Central Bank will not tolerate violations that undermine transparency, consumer protection, or the integrity of the financial system,' the regulator said, emphasizing its role in safeguarding stability in the UAE's banking and exchange sectors. 'While the central bank has long imposed penalties, the decision to publish details more consistently signals a commitment to transparency and to bolstering the efficiency of the financial system,' said Ahmed Youssef, a veteran banking analyst in Dubai. He added that the measures reinforce the UAE's position as a trusted regional and international financial hub, especially in the wake of the European Union's recent decision to remove the country from its list of high-risk jurisdictions for money laundering and terrorism financing. Another analyst, Amjad Nasr, noted that the crackdown reflects 'a proactive supervisory model' designed not just to punish, but to enforce corrections and upgrades within financial institutions. 'Despite clear regulatory roadmaps, some firms remain slow to modernize or fail to strengthen their compliance frameworks,' he said. 'In such cases, fines are not an end in themselves but a corrective tool to force accountability.' The UAE has long sought to balance its rapid economic growth with the need to meet international compliance standards. Failure to do so, experts warn, could risk blacklisting by global bodies, a move that would constrain cross-border banking operations and discourage foreign investment. The central bank's clampdown comes just months after the European Parliament's approval of removing the UAE from its 'high-risk' AML list, a development officials hailed as recognition of the country's improved regulatory regime.


Bahrain This Week
3 days ago
- Bahrain This Week
NBB's EVOLVE 2025 Program Transitions from Schools to Universities
The National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) has concluded the School segment of its 2025 EVOLVE summer internship programme and officially commenced the next phase for university students. During the first leg of this year's programme, 75 high school students took part in two weeks of classroom-based learning, followed by two weeks of on-the-job training where they applied their acquired knowledge in real-world professional scenarios. The EVOLVE University segment, which commenced on 10th August, builds on this foundation by offering 76 university students deeper exposure to NBB's specialised business areas and more industry-relevant training. Participants will continue to benefit from the Bank's integrated approach, which combines technical and soft skills development with mentorship and practical exposure through structured placements across the organisation.


Daily Tribune
3 days ago
- Daily Tribune
‘Stop production': Small US firms battered by shifting tariffs
TDT | Manama Washington When US President Donald Trump announced tariffs on almost all trading partners in April, Ben Knepler contacted the factory in Cambodia producing his company's outdoor furniture. 'Stop production,' he ordered. The announcement involved a 10-percent levy on imports from most partners, set to rise further for many of them. For Cambodia, the planned duty was a staggering 49 percent. 'That night, we spoke to our factory,' Knepler told AFP. 'We literally cannot afford to bring our own product into the US with that kind of tariff.' The decision was even more painful for Knepler and his Pennsylvania-based company, True Places, given that he had previously shifted production of his outdoor chairs to Cambodia from China, following tariffs on Chinese imports imposed by Trump during his first presidency. 'We were facing 25-percent tariffs in China, and there were zero-percent tariffs in Cambodia,' Knepler recalled. It took him a year to move the massive equipment and molds to Cambodia only to see another steep levy. With Trump's 'reciprocal' tariff hikes taking effect last Thursday, these Cambodia-made chairs face a lower -- though still significant -- 19 percent duty. 'Wheel of misfortune' Knepler's experience echoes that of many US companies producing everything from yo-yos to clothing abroad, after years of offshoring American manufacturing. To cope, businesses use various strategies. Some pass on the new costs as a surcharge to customers. Others halted imports when duties reached prohibitive levels, hoping Trump would strike bilateral trade deals that would make their businesses viable again. Trump frames his tariffs as paid for by other countries, touting tens of billions in revenue this year -- but firms contest this description. 'We make the tariff payments when the product comes into the US,' Knepler stressed. 'Before we sell it, we're the ones who pay that tariff.' Now saddled with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt he took on to relocate the company's production to Cambodia, Knepler worries if his business will survive. He likens the rapid policy changes to spinning a 'wheel of misfortune,' resulting in a new tariff each time. Over four months this year, the planned tariff rate on Cambodian exports has gone from 0 to 49 percent, to 10 percent, to 36 percent, to 19 percent, he said. 'No one knows what it's going to be tomorrow,' he added. 'It's impossible to have any kind of confidence in what the rate will be in three- or four-months' time.' Economists warn that tariffs could fuel inflation and drag on growth. EY chief economist Gregory Daco noted that the duties effective Thursday raise the average tariff rate to 17.6 percent from 2.8 percent at the start of the year -— the highest level since the early 1930s. While Trump lauds the limited effects his duties have had on US prices so far, experts say tariffs take time to filter through to consumers. Many of Trump's sweeping levies also face legal challenges over his use of emergency economic powers. Price hikes The global tariffs are especially hard to avoid. Barton O'Brien said he accelerated production and borrowed money to bring in as much inventory as possible before Trump took office. On the election campaign trail, the Republican leader had floated a 60-percent tariff on imports from China, where O'Brien makes most of his products. The Maryland-based veteran selling dog harnesses and other accessories rented a container to ship as many products as he could before Trump's new tariffs would take effect. 'I had dog life jackets in the bathroom,' he told AFP.