IslamicFinance.de

According to Moody's Investors Service, Turkey's Islamic banking assets are set to double within 10 years from a low level as government initiatives drive growth in the sector. Turkey's Islamic finance sector currently is smaller than other large Muslim countries. The main reason is the relatively small number of Islamic banks and their limited distribution networks within Turkey. Islamic banks are called participation banks in Turkey and are regulated by the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA). They are required by law to become a member of the Participation Banks Association of Turkey (PBAT). Between 2014 and 2015 the Turkish government established two new state-owned participation banks and a new one in 2019. Turkey's ambition is to establish Istanbul as a global financial center. It aims to raise the share of financial services in Turkish GDP to 6% by 2023 from 3% at the end of 2018.

The Islamic Development Bank Group’s President Dr. Bandar Hajjar inaugurated 'the International Day of Education' event at the bank’s headquarters in Jeddah. The aim of this celebration is to support the efforts to achieve the 4th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4) of the United Nations relative to education, to provide quality, equitable and inclusive education for all. Today, over 258 million children and young adults are still out of school worldwide, two thirds of them in member countries. There are 617 million children and adolescents who are illiterate and cannot perform basic mathematical operations. In sub-Saharan Africa, the completion rate for the lower secondary level of education is less than 40%, and approximately 4 million children and refugees are out of school. The IsDB supports investment in education and human resources development through numerous programs and projects. Cooperations include the Global Partnership for Education "GPE", UNESCO, the German GIZ, Education Above All, Save the Children, etc.

The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) released the seventh edition of the Islamic Finance Development Report at the Indonesia Shariah Economic Festival 2019. According to the report, the Islamic finance industry’s assets grew to $2.5 trillion in 2018 from $2.4 trillion in 2017, a rise of 3%. This growth slowed from previous years and this was particularly noticeable in the industry’s main markets. Malaysia, Bahrain and the UAE continue to spearhead developments in the industry, while Uzbekistan, Ethiopia, Cyprus and Indonesia are among the biggest gainers in the rankings. Despite the slower growth, new banks and markets continue to enter the market, as seen in Ethiopia, Algeria and Afghanistan. Also, new liquidity tools are being developed to help grow existing Islamic banking markets, as seen in Oman, the UK and Pakistan.

Saudi Arabia's Dar Al-Arkan Real Estate Development announced the listing of a $600 million Sukuk on Nasdaq Dubai. The five-year Sukuk was more than 2.5 times oversubscribed and received significant interest from Middle Eastern, European and Asian investors. This issue was Dar Al Arkan’s 10th issue since 2007 and the 6th tranche of its current $2 billion program. The issue is for a 5 year term due in February 2025 with a coupon rate of 6.75%. Dar Al-Arkan’s assets include about 12.4 million square meters of projects under development. The company has handed over 15,000 residential units in Saudi Arabia and holds a land bank with a book value of around SR17 billion.

Saudi Arabia announced the completion of its first sukuk issuance under the primary dealers program. The Saudi government has been a regular issuer of Islamic bonds since the Ministry of Finance established a Saudi riyal-denominated sukuk program last year. In the new primary-dealer system, the Saudi debt management office appointed five local banks to act as primary dealers for local government securities, namely National Commercial Bank, Samba Financial Group, Saudi British Bank, Bank Al-Jazira and Alinma Bank. The appointed primary dealers purchase sukuk sold at auction directly from the government and later place these securities in the secondary market for final investors, acting as market makers for government securities. The government expects that the primary-dealers scheme will develop the local government sukuk market and the debt capital markets in Saudi Arabia.

Deloitte’s Islamic Finance Knowledge Center (IFKC) in collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment (CISI), UK published its latest whitepaper entitled "Scalable and sustainable source of funding social infrastructure". The success of infrastructure projects in using Islamic finance has inspired investors in countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kazakhstan and Malaysia to seek pursuing sustainable funding through Islamic finance. According to Dr. Hatim El Tahir, Director of Islamic finance at Deloitte, this whitepaper developed practical analysis and forward thinking thoughts as how Islamic finance can play its natural role in this pivotal sector of economy. The analysis suggests there should be continued industry dialogue between practitioners, policy makers, regulators and market participants, to articulate and assess suitable investment and funding structures.

Bidaya Home Finance has successfully closed its inaugural Sukuk issuance under the recently established SR500 Million Sukuk Issuance Programme. The total amount raised in relation to the Series 1 Sukuk was SR250 Million. Bidaya's CEO Mazin Al Ghunaim said this was a landmark transaction since Bidaya was the first housing finance company in Saudi Arabia to issue a Sukuk. Ashmore Investment Saudi Arabia acted as the Arranger with respect to the Sukuk Programme issuance, while Albilad Capital acted as the Dealer. Bidaya's Sukuk Programme is aimed at maximizing the utilization of capital markets, resulting in the diversification of the company's funding sources.

The International Innovative Platform for Islamic Economy Products (IIPIEP 2018) took place on 21 February in Dubai. The event was organized by Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZA) in cooperation with International Center of Islamic Economy (ICIE). The first product launched was the 'Exchangeable Sukuk', which has been created to mobilize resources using Sukuk that are tradable and don’t require the utilization of bank assets. The second product announced was the 'Awqaf Fund' which aims to create a new simple sustainable product for anyone who wants to put their money into waqf. The 'Flexible Credit Card' was the third product launched at IIPIEP 2018, which seeks to combine investment with funding. The customer gets balance in credit and at the same time an investment account. Held at Grand Hyatt Dubai, the event was attended by industry experts, innovators and decision-makers. It was supported by Alinma Bank, Islamic Development Bank and Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre, sponsored by National Bonds and National Commercial Bank.

The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) and Mizuho Bank have formalized the signing of a Murabahah deal. The financing is earmarked for the purpose of scaling up of ICD’s projects in its selected 55 member countries. The $150 million Murabahah agreement is the second bilateral Islamic facility that has been extended to ICD by Mizuho Bank. The agreement was signed by Khaled Al Aboodi, CEO of ICD and Shojiro Mizoguchi, CEO of Mizuho Bank. Al Aboodi expressed his strong support for the partnership. Shojiro Mizoguchi said he was very proud to continue to work with ICD and looking forward to leverage on each other’s expertise and experience.

#Saudi asset manager SEDCO Capital participated in the Islamic Finance Forum in London as an associate sponsor. Several panels and workshops were held focusing on trends in Islamic Finance and European markets. Panel topics included the role of European Stock Exchanges in facilitating Islamic capital raising, Islamic corporate financing activity in Europe and the impact of Brexit. Kamran Butt, Managing Director at SEDCO Capital, participated in the panel discussion entitled "Responsible Investing: The Shift towards Green Finance, ESG & Ethical Funds". Butt said SEDCO's Prudent Ethical Investing (PEI) strategy created optimal risk adjusted returns by integrating Shariah-compliant investment approach with ethical investing. PEI stresses the importance of due diligence and transparency. PEI investment products are getting increasingly popular. International investors can choose from over 14 SEDCO Sharia-compliant investment strategies in Luxembourg with total AUMs of $1.8 billion.

American International Group (AIG) has placed the first Shariah-compliant mergers and acquisitions (M&A) insurance policy in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). AIG’s Warranty and Indemnity insurance product helps protect buyers and sellers from financial losses if misrepresentations occur. Buyers can distinguish bids, sellers can reduce indemnity obligations. AIG was advised by global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright, led by corporate/M&A partner Adjou Ait Ben Idir. Associates were Agnieszka Braciszewska (lead associate), senior associate Rachel Moylan (IT/IP aspects) and of counsel Louisa Lynch (real estate aspects). Partner Dominic Stuttaford advised on tax aspects. Mark Storrie, M&A Manager at AIG said M&A insurance provided a unique solution for MENA clients investing both in the region and globally. He was very pleased to have placed the first M&A policy in the region.

The Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre (DIEDC) announced the commencement of nominations for the fifth edition of the Islamic Economy Award (IEA). The award is a joint initiative of DIEDC and Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry under the directives of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The eight key categories of the Islamic Economy Award 2017 are: Money and Finance, Food and Health, Media, Hospitality and Tourism, Waqf and Endowments, SME Development, Islamic Economy Knowledge Infrastructure and Islamic Arts. In addition to the eight main categories, the Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a notable individual, whose work over several decades, has inspired others and had a major positive impact on the Islamic economy.

The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group organized an event on "Promoting Connectivity for Sustainable Development". The event was chaired by Hani Salem Sonbol, CEO of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) and the keynote speech was delivered by Aja Fatoumatta Jallow Tambajang, vice president of Gambia. The event provided an in-depth analysis of the IDB Group strategic objectives in financing infrastructure investments. The event was also an opportunity to bring together experts and exchange ideas on growth and connectivity among member countries. Sonbol stated that the IDB Group adopted a 10-year Strategy and one of its objectives is "Connectivity for Growth". The objective is to promote cooperation among member countries, both in terms of private sector and public-sector cooperation to enhance trade, investment, knowledge, and capacity development.

According to S&P Global Ratings, the Islamic finance industry will continue to expand this year, but will lose some momentum in 2018. Even though sukuk issuance accelerated in the first half of this year and will likely stay strong in the second half, S&P Global Ratings believes this growth rate is not sustainable. In their view, the current economic situation in core Islamic finance markets and depreciation of local currencies have weighed on the industry’s performance in 2016 and 2017. The report foresees a deterioration of GCC Islamic banks’ profitability in 2017 and 2018 as the cost of funding has increased and the cost of risk is on the rise. Sharia is still interpreted in different ways across the various Islamic finance markets. However, the industry appears to be going in the right direction with the proposal for central Shariah boards.

On the occasion of the Islamic Development Bank Group 42nd annual meeting, the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) organized a side event entitled ICD Clients Day. During the event, ICD seized the opportunity to meet with potential clients and stakeholders from private sectors. In addition, ICD presented its achievements in 2016 and awarded its Best Clients for 2016, namely Coris Bank International, Vitamed Medical Diagnostic Center and Al-Qadi Specialty Hospital. ICD general manager Khaled Al-Aboodi opened the session welcoming all the participants. Later on, Thomson Reuters presented the last edition of the Islamic Finance Development report. The event was a chance to share knowledge, to assess new opportunities and to network with the decision-makers, industry leaders and experts.

The week-long Innovation Forum hosted by the Islamic Development Bank brought together international experts as well as youth to discuss ways to foster an innovation culture. Experts agree that the major challenges of the IDB member countries include cultural barriers, lack of adequate investment in research and development and a low rate of graduates in scientific fields. Dr. Mimics Begivic, innovation specialist at the UNDP Regional Center for Europe and CIS, said that youth unemployment is a stubborn problem faced by countries that has both a direct and indirect cost on governments. Dr. Nabeel Koshak, president of Baha University, said that there remains a gap in funding to support SMEs in the Islamic world. In Saudi Arabia, the last five years have seen a boost in innovation. Dr. Koshak said the major obstacles for Saudi SMEs are the regulations, followed by competing and entering the market.

The International Finance Magazine (IFM) granted Eng. Ziad Tarek Aba Al-Khail, CEO and Managing Director of Aljazira Capital, the “Best Brokerage CEO – KSA Award” in 2016. Aljazira Capital was also granted the “Fastest Growing Islamic Brokerage House-KSA Award” in 2016.
Ziad Aba Al-Khail was really proud of the IMF’s appreciation of the performance. Such a constant international recognition of his team is a living example of our constant commitment to provide our customers with the best services as well as adopt up-to-date strategies in world trade in order to create new horizons for their customers and give them access to regional and global capital markets.”
Ziad Aba Al-Khail also expressed his gratitude and thanks to Aljazira Capital team whose efforts led to this achievement, and added: “This remarkable achievement is the fruit of our company strategy in rendering and managing an integrated system of Islamic-oriented financial services and investment solutions of unique value and high quality.”

According to the Islamic Finance Development Indicator (IFDI), global Islamic finance development declined to 8.8 in 2016 from 9.9 in 2015. The report was prepared by Thomson Reuters and the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) and was released at the World Islamic Banking conference (WIBC) 2016. Malaysia, Bahrain and the UAE continue to dominate the IFDI report for the 4th consecutive year. However, Malaysia posted a slight decline in its overall IFDI performance in 2016. Outside of the top 15, noteworthy emerging countries that have moved up the IFDI rankings are South Africa, Morocco, Tanzania, Japan and Russia. Among the regions with high potential in Islamic finance is West Africa. Unprecedented oil price storm hindered Islamic finance performance, but not asset growth. Despite lower financial performance, Thomson Reuters maintains a positive outlook for the industry projecting Islamic finance assets to reach $3.5 trillion by 2021.

Mohammed Al-Quwaiz, vice chairman of the #Saudi Capital Market Authority (CMA), underscored the importance of Sukuk and debt instruments for investors. He made the remarks during the opening of Sukuk Conference with the theme of "Sukuk Market: Challenges and opportunities" in Riyadh. The two-day event was organized by CMA in collaboration with the World Bank. Al-Quwaiz noted that Sukuk and debt markets represent important options to provide funding for various projects and facilities. The conference covers the elements of Sukuk markets, the dynamics of Sukuk markets, ways to create an effective environment for Sukuk market, regulatory issues and corporate governance in Sukuk market, and the role of debt markets in economic growth. The conference is discussing the challenges in Saudi Arabia in particular and in the GCC states in general.

The latest #Saudi Arabian survey conducted by Riyali Financial Literacy Program shows that more than 86% of the respondents have suffered from some form of financial distress. This high percentage sheds light on the importance of spreading financial awareness to manage a stable financial life. The survey also showed that most of the commitments that the participants failed to fulfill were finance installments (44%), followed by borrowing from friends and family (34%), and then credit card payments (22%). In addition to that, the survey highlighted another noticeable problem, which is the high debt burden ratio where monthly installments of 42% of the participants exceeded 60% of their monthly salary. In this regard, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) has set the limit at 33% for the monthly debt burden that a customer can afford, to be able to successfully pay off debts.