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UAE's Waha Capital scraps private equity fund plans; Ghana's GN Bank eyes London

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UAE's Waha Capital scraps private equity fund plans; Ghana's GN Bank eyes London

* Anglo-South African financial group Old Mutual PLC set the price range of its offer of up to 9.6% of Quilter PLC's ordinary shares at between 125 pence to 155 pence apiece. Meanwhile, Quilter — formerly Old Mutual Wealth — said it received all regulatory approvals for the sale of its single strategy asset management business.

* Natixis said it will halt its commodity trade finance activities in Dubai and Geneva as part of a new strategic plan. The French investment bank employs 56 people in the United Arab Emirates and 50 in Switzerland.

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

* Obaid al-Zaabi, head of the UAE's Securities and Commodities Authority, said the country's central bank has assumed the role of settlement and clearing agent for market transactions, according to Reuters. First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC and Emirates NBD Bank PJSC previously served as settlement and clearing agents for the Abu Dhabi Securities Market and the Dubai Financial Market, respectively.

* The Central Bank of the UAE has limited the operations of seven exchange houses, banning them from doing any business related to remittances and wage payments, after the companies violated anti-money laundering and other regulations, Reuters reported. Taher Exchange Est, Al Hadha Exchange LLC, Al Hamriya Exchange Co., Dubai Express Exchange, Sanaa Exchange, Cosmos Exchange and Bin Bakheet Exchange Est. are now only allowed to deal in the sale and purchase of foreign currencies and traveler's checks.

* Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Al Waha Capital PJSC is no longer pursuing plans to raise a new $300 million private equity fund and is instead focusing on moving forward with a new strategy for its private equity business, insiders told Reuters.

* Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC said its 5.1 billion UAE dirham rights issue attracted strong investor demand, receiving subscriptions in excess of 14 billion dirhams.

* First Abu Dhabi Bank obtained approval from Oman's Capital Market Authority to cancel its license to market non-Omani securities in the country, as part of the UAE lender's ongoing review of its business strategy across the group and international focus on corporate and investment banking.

* SHUAA Capital PSC signed a memorandum of understanding with investment firm National Bonds to offer savings and investments schemes in Saudi Arabia.

* Saudi Enaya Cooperative Insurance Co.'s shareholders approved reducing the company's capital by 50%, from 200 million Saudi Arabian riyals to 100 million riyals through the cancellation of 10 million shares to help offset accumulated losses, Argaam noted.

* Fitch Ratings affirmed Saudi Arabia's long-term foreign- and local-currency issuer default ratings at A+, with stable outlooks, among other affirmations.

* Banking regulation in Tunisia is slowly improving despite the economic challenges in the country, which could be credit positive for banks in the long term, according to Fitch. The agency noted, however, that it is likely to take several years before the country's work with the IMF to improve its banking supervision and shift toward international standards of reporting and transparency could result in a significant improvement in banks' credit quality.

EAST AND WEST AFRICA

* The Kenyan government will publish a draft data protection law this month in a bid to create safety measures for personal data held by mobile phone-based financial firms, Reuters wrote, citing Joe Mucheru, the country's minister of information, communication and technology.

* Fitch affirmed Stanbic Bank Kenya Ltd.'s BB- long-term issuer default rating and AAA(ken) national long-term rating, with stable outlooks.

* Papa Kwesi Nduom, owner of GN Bank, said the Ghana-based lender is building a financial infrastructure in London and will soon set up a presence in the city, Joy Business reported.

* Bank of South Sudan Governor Dier Tong Ngor said the central bank is introducing a new 500 pound bill, Reuters wrote. The higher denomination banknotes will be put into circulation this month.

* Burkina Faso-based Coris Bank International SA has opened an Islamic finance branch in Benin, just a few weeks after it opened one in Senegal, Financial Afrik reported. Meanwhile, unit Coris Bank Cote d'Ivoire agreed on a deal with the Ministry of Commerce to provide a credit line of 10 billion CFA francs to support small and medium-sized businesses in Ivory Coast, Agence Ecofin wrote.

CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AFRICA

* Barclays Bank of Zimbabwe Ltd. is seeking shareholder approval to change its name to First Capital Bank Ltd. after it was taken over by First Merchant Bank of Malawi last year, as part of a phased rebranding exercise to be carried out over the next two years, according to Chronicle.

* The board of Alexander Forbes Group Holdings Ltd. declared a final dividend of 24 South African cents per share for the year ended March 31, taking the full-year dividend to 42 cents per share, representing an increase of 5%.

* The IMF said lower oil prices and policies introduced in the run-up to the August 2017 elections, such as fiscal expansion and a pegged exchange rate, have placed the Angolan economy under strain but noted that the country's new administration has made progress in restoring macroeconomic stability and implementing reforms.

* Mozambique's attorney general's office flagged concerns about an increase in reports of financial crimes including money laundering, and called for closer collaboration between institutions and state bodies to address the matter, Jornal Notícias and O País reported, citing Deputy Attorney General Amabélia Chuquela. She did not provide statistics but said the number of crimes had increased in recent years and highlighted the complexities of prosecuting in such cases.

IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Asia-Pacific: Malaysia to name central bank head; ICICI Bank responds to reported US SEC probe

Europe: Swiss voters reject banking reform; UK FCA goes ahead with disputed listing rule

Latin America: Cryptocurrency traders in Brazil, Chile clash with banks

North America: Wells Fargo faces patent infringement suit; BofA division to hire 10,000 people

North America Insurance: AIG must defend Cosby; CFIUS signs off on Genworth/China Oceanwide deal

Deza Mones, Henni Abdelghani, Sophie Davies and Helen Popper contributed to this report.

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