Investment banking fees in the Mena market reached US$806million in the first half of 2022, according to financial data provider Refinitiv.
This was an 18% increase in the total raised in the corresponding period in 2021.
The increase was primarily down to the fees generated in the equity capital markets, which totalled $229 million, a 332% increase on the previous year and the highest year-to-date total ever recorded.
A similar total came from mergers and acquisitions fees ($246 million) which represented a 26% increase on the previous year.
Saudi Arabia was the country that generated the highest percentage of total fees (36%), just ahead of the UAE (34%).
JP Morgan was top of the fee-earning league table with $54.4million in fees, which accounted for 6.7% of the total fees for the region. Goldman Sachs and HSBC took second and third spots, respectively.
While the majority of sectors and asset classes saw a rise in fees, one exception was the bond market, where fees fell by 81% to $41million, the lowest total since 2009.
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