The Effects Of Bank Regulations, Competition And Financial Reforms On MENA Banks' Profitability

In this paper, the authors examine the influence of bank regulations, concentration, financial and institutional development on commercial bank margin and profitability across a broad menu of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries. They cover the 1989-2005 period and control for a wide array of macroeconomic,, financial and bank characteristics. The empirical results find that bank specific characteristics, in particular bank capitalization and credit risk, have positive and significant impact on banks' net interest margin, cost efficiency and profitability.