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