Islamic finance in the shipping industry

As the shipping industry continues to struggle with access to finance, Islamic finance may be a viable option for ship owners. The global growth of sukuks has been steadily increasing, but Islamic finance has its own uncertainties. The lack of standardisation in documentation contributes to this uncertainty. The UAE had established the Higher Shari’ah Authority back in 2016, whose mission is to issue fatwas and ensure the legitimacy of Islamic products and services. Any documentation developed under the auspices of the Authority still needs to be negotiated by the parties and adapted according to the structure and type of the sukuk. It is hoped that the shipping industry will be able to benefit from the continuous growth of Islamic finance.