sentences:  The launch of IB Asia follows DBS' stepped-up participation in the Middle East markets.DBS has placed a significant portion of large, landmark equity IPOs and securitisations in the Middle East and was among the first few Asia-based banks to receive a banking licence from the Dubai International Financial Centre.On 14 September 2015, DBS Bank has released a statement to the Singapore Exchange website that as IB Asia is unable to achieve economies of scale when it is operated as a separate entity, therefore DBS Bank would progressively cease IB Asia which was estimated to "take about 2 to 3 years".