World Finance

#Jordan Islamic Bank is focusing on inclusivity to drive prosperity in the country

Between 2014 and 2017, Jordan has made significant progress in terms of financial inclusion. According to the latest World Bank report, 42.5% of adults in Jordan now have a bank account, a remarkable increase from the 24.6% seen in 2014. Raising this percentage even further is one of the key pillars of Jordan Islamic Bank’s (JIB) future growth plan. According to Musa Shihadeh, CEO and General Manager of JIB, the bank is specifically targeting young people, women and SMEs to improve financial inclusion. Between its financial inclusion efforts and sustainability initiatives, the organisation is keen to become a leader in social responsibility. JIB developed a relationship with Jordan’s major trade unions, which represent engineers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and agricultural engineers, to help spread information about the bank’s financial products.

#Saudi Arabia joins AAOIFI, bringing potential boost to finance sector

Saudi Arabia’s central bank has joined the Islamic financial regulator Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI). The move could increase cross-border financial deals in the region, as guidelines will apply to all financial institutions within Saudi Arabia. Both conventional and Islamic banks will now be subject to the same standards, potentially encouraging deals with other Muslim countries. AAOIFI Chairman Sheikh Ebrahim bin Khalifa Al Khalifa stated that the addition of the Saudi central bank would help foster closer collaboration with the kingdom. Saudi Arabia may now hold ambitions of becoming a global heavyweight in the Islamic finance sector. However, it will face intense competition from Malaysia, South Africa and the UK.

Burj Bank cement strong reputation

With a strong background in Middle Eastern banking, Burj Bank has been building a solid reputation based on integrity. Burj Bank was founded in 2007 under the name of Dawood Islamic Bank as a central pillar of Pakistan’s Islamic Banking landscape. In 2011 the bank was renamed and launched as 'Burj Bank Limited', following a massive capital injection by some Middle Eastern investors of the bank. At present, almost 85% of Burj Bank’s shareholding stems from the Middle East, with majority ownership belonging to the Islamic Corporation for Development of the Private Sector (ICD). In 2012 Burj Bank grew its deposit base by 77% and the financing portfolio also reflected a growth of 67%. The branches grew from 50 to 75, reflecting a percentage distribution network growth of 50%. The bank has entered into diverse new lines of business including SME (small- and medium-sized enterprise) banking, investment banking, agricultural financing, cash management and home Musharaka.

#Kuwait’s Islamic banks thrive despite continued economic uncertainty

Despite the global drop in oil prices, Islamic finance continues to thrive. According to the EY consultancy, Sharia-compliant banking grew at an annual rate of 17.6% between 2009 and 2013, and is now projected to grow by an estimated 19.7% annually by 2018. This rate of growth far outpaces that of conventional banks, putting pressure on traditional banks to diversify their operations by including Sharia-compliant services. Kuwait International Bank (KIB) converted to exclusively Sharia-compliant services in 2007 and paved the way for Islamic finance in Kuwait. Sheikh Mohammed Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah, Chairman of KIB, said the bank has adopted a new strategic outlook which had its first stage launched in 2015. This brought about a change in KIB’s franchise operations and its day-to-day activities. The second phase develops the bank's product and service offerings. The final stage scheduled for 2017 will focus on boosting KIB’s competitive edge within the banking industry.

Diversification in the #Gulf

The banking sector in #Kuwait remains solid, robust and unaffected by regional events. The operating environment can be described as low-risk thanks to the country’s central bank regulatory role and conservative approach. Kuwait International Bank (KIB) has risen to become one of the most established in Kuwait. The bank's CEO, Loai Muqames, says diversification into the retail sector took priority with the launch of stand-alone retail banking operations. Since adopting a unified CRM system the quality and efficiency of the customer service has dramatically increased. KIB partners with Kuwait’s telecom providers to offer SMS banking for those account holders without a mobile internet connection. KIB is also investing in those sectors related to the $100bn government funded national development plan currently in motion. These sectors include infrastructure, oil and gas, energy, and real estate.

Coveting the Islamic finance global position

#Saadiq, synonymous with "truthful" in Arabic, is the brand name for Standard Chartered’s global Islamic banking services. Currently Saadiq provides a comprehensive range of Shariah compliant international banking services across the wholesale and consumer banking. To ensure that Standard Chartered Saadiq products comply with the principles of Shariah, it consults an independent committee comprising three of the world’s most renowned Shariah scholars – Dr Abdul Sattar Abu Ghuddah, Sheikh Nizam Yaquby and Dr Mohammed Ali Elgari.

Kuwait International Bank helps to spread Islamic banking across Kuwait

Kuwait International Bank (KIB) in 1973 started out as a specialised bank in real estate under the name of Kuwait Real Estate Bank. KIB later helped with the constructional evolution of the country and has since expanded to other areas of the economy. In 2007, KIB converted into a fully-fledged bank operating under Islamic sharia provisions and changed its name. KIB sees the drop in oil prices as an opportunity to expedite the implementation of fiscal reform, in order to mitigate pressures on government budget and diversify the sources of income. Doing so will push forward the wheel of economic development and maintain a sustainable economy in the long run.

Bank Aljazira: Embracing sharia banking principles

In 2007, Bank Aljazira's conversion into the first fully sharia-compliant institution in Saudi Arabia was complete.This transformation required changes to BAJ's infrastructure, offerings and legal environment, among other aspects. Moreover, investments in product development as well as branch and ATM networks were made. The bank simultaneously increased its paid-up capital to SAR 3bn, which came entirely from the bank’s profits. In order to ensure compliance with all sharia banking and financing principles; this led to the formation of a Sharia Advisory Board, which is composed of a number of scholars specialised in sharia-compliant banking. Besides, BAJ launched a SAR 100m programme named Khair Aljazira Le Ahl Aljazira which aims at providing financial support to various charitable societies.

Yasser Al-Hedaithy on Shariah banking | Bank Aljazira | Video

Bank Aljazira has faced a lot of challenges linked to its transition from a conventional bank to a fully Shariah-compliant bank, according to Yasser Al-Hedaithy, Group Treasurer of the bank. Today, Bank Aljazira offers every conventional product available in the market, on a Shariah-compliant basis. Moreover, it has a fully independent Shariah board to ensure compliance with Islamic law. As part of its community service, the bank established a fund called Khair Aljazira Le Ahl Aljazira which helps the disabled in terms of rehabilitation, learning and other programmes. The main driver behind that success is customer loyalty. Furthermore, talents are attracted to the bank by offering attractive jobs.

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