LIBORs are currently published in five currencies and seven tenors. A lack of liquidity in the unsecured wholesale lending market following the financial crisis of 2007 – 2008 resulted in fewer transaction-based rates being submitted to support LIBOR. As a result, there was an increased reliance placed on “expert judgement” of banks to determine LIBOR rates instead of rates corresponding to actual transactions, which posed systemic risk.
Regulators and public and private sector working groups in several jurisdictions have been discussing the transition of LIBOR referencing financial products to ARRs. Other Interbank Offered Rates (IBORs) and benchmarks are being reformed or, in some cases, discontinued. For some currencies, the relevant IBOR will continue alongside the ARR. For other currencies, the relevant IBOR will likely cease to be provided and so the principal benchmark rate will be the corresponding ARR.
The Financial Conduct Authority announced on 5 March 2021 that the following LIBOR benchmark rates will either cease to be provided or will no longer be representative of the underlying market immediately after the following dates (Cessation Dates):
31 December 2021:
30 June 2023:
As a valued client of Emirates NBD BANK (P.J.S.C) (ENBD), the transition from LIBOR to ARRs may impact the products and services that you currently use or will use in the future. At Emirates NBD, we strive to keep our customers informed of the relevant changes in IBORs and how such changes may impact you as our client. Accordingly, for this purpose, we will periodically update this page to keep you informed of the key changes and help you assess the impact of this IBOR transition.
The International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) published the ISDA 2020 Interbank Offer Rate Fallbacks Protocol (ISDA Fallbacks Protocol) which enables market participants who and which have adhered to it to automatically incorporate fallbacks in legacy derivative contracts. Emirates NBD has adhered to the ISDA Fallbacks Protocol and you may wish to consider if adherence to it is also appropriate for you.
In line with applicable regulatory guidance, from 1 April 2021, Emirates NBD has stopped offering any new Sterling denominated LIBOR referencing financial products (except in limited permitted circumstances) and will instead offer floating rate Sterling denominated products by reference to the RFR, SONIA.
Emirates NBD has published the following additional information for your reference.
As a valued client of Emirates NBD, this guide sets out for you the key differences between LIBORs and RFRs, alongside the implications of transitioning your LIBOR referencing facilities that you hold with Emirates NBD.
The purpose of this document is to provide the customers and counterparties of Emirates NBD with an overview of the discontinuation of LIBORs.
This sets out a brief explanation of the changes and associated risks applicable to the discontinuation of LIBOR and other IBORs in connection with any conventional or Islamic products or other financial arrangements you may have with Emirates NBD.
You should consider the potential impact of any future changes to benchmark rates for financial products and arrangements you have with Emirates NBD.
We suggest that you, as a valued client of Emirates NBD, consider the following:
For any further queries relating to the discontinuation of LIBOR, please contact your Relationship Manager.
Disclaimer
No person may rely on the information or any opinion set out on this website. None of this website, nor any information or opinion set out herein, shall constitute advice in any form, including legal, regulatory, financial, tax or otherwise. None of Emirates NBD nor any of its affiliates, nor any of their respective directors, officers, agents or employees: (i) acts in the capacity of a fiduciary or financial advisor in preparing or publishing this information on this website; (ii) nor accepts any liability for any loss or damage arising out of the use of all or part of this website or any information thereon by any person. Any opinion expressed on this website may change without notice and may differ or be contrary to the opinions expressed by another business division of Emirates NBD and its affiliates.
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