The Singapore branch of Jordan's Arab Bank is considering making its first use of credit derivatives to manage credit risk in its loan portfolio, according to a bank official. Christopher Cheung, head of the corporate institutions group in Singapore, which handles lending operations, declined to put a timeframe on the move or detail the size of the loan portfolio. Arab Bank had USD8 billion in loans and advances as of Dec. 31 last year, according to the firm's Web site.
"We're not there yet," said Cheung. He declined to name potential counterparties but added that firms are always pitching ideas to the firm. Cheung declined to elaborate on the details of the banks lending operation.
