The NBAD-FGB Merger; A Primer

Two of the U.A.E.’s most prominent banks, National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) and First Gulf Bank (FGB), are expected to merge towards the end of the first quarter of 2017, creating the largest bank in the U.A.E. in terms of assets. This merger is a strategic move to create a stronger institution that is better poised to expand beyond the borders of the U.A.E. When completed, this union could presage further mergers among Abu Dhabi banks as well as among government-linked institutions in the Emirate as a whole.