Oman's second-largest bank pursues merger with smaller rival

Oman's second-largest bank is pursuing a potential merger with its smaller rival, potentially creating a lender with just under USD 20 billion in assets, according to regulatory filings made on Tuesday.

The filings on the Muscat Stock Exchange show Bank Dhofar's interest in its smaller rival, Ahli Bank. Bank Dhofar has over USD 11 billion in assets, while Ahli has under USD 8 billion.

Ahli said it would study Bank Dhofar's offer. Bahrain's Ahli United Bank owns over a third of Oman's Ahli Bank.


Stock in Bank Dhofar rose over 3 per cent in trading on Tuesday on the Muscat Securities Market, to more than 40 cents a share.

The sultanate of Oman sits on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. While a smaller oil producer than other Gulf Arab states, analysts expect Oman to use higher crude prices to bring down its budget deficits.

Ratings firm Fitch noted in December that Bank Dhofar "remains highly dependent on government spending."