Opportunity as SME lending gap widens further in UAE

Standard Chartered, HSBC, Lloyds and RBS have all withdrawn from the small and medium enterprise sector in the UAE. Is this an indication of problems in the sector? Absolutely not. It is an indication of trouble for the global banks and a flawed banking strategy.Understanding the issue, and the opportunities that it presents, requires an understanding of the common attributes of these four banks and their failures. The starting point is that all are known as strong commercial banks catering exclusively to retail and corporate clients for most of their 150 to 270- year histories.