IslamicFinance.de

Dubai Islamic Insurance & Reinsurance Co. (Aman) has announced a loss of AED 51.6 million at year-end 2013 that has impaired its capital adequacy. Given that this loss represents about half of Aman's shareholders' equity, S&P consider that Aman's capital and earnings position and overall financial profile have weakened significantly. The rating agency is therefore lowering its ratings on Aman to 'BB+' from 'BBB-' and placing them on CreditWatch negative. S&P also believes that Aman's retained earnings over the next two years are unlikely to be sufficient to rebuild its capital adequacy to levels consistent with higher ratings.

Qatar International Islamic Bank (International Islamic) is exploring investment opportunities overseas, especially in some African countries. However, Abdulbasit Ahmed Al Shaibei, CEO and member of the board of directors of QIIB, did not to disclose the details. Moreover, the bank is working to open seven new branches in different parts of the country, including one each at The Pear Qatar and Al Khor very soon. The bank’s total revenue for 2013 stood at QR1.458bn, and the net profit reached QR750.3m, with a growth of 10.5 percent compared to 2012, and earnings per share reached QR4.96.

A cooperation agreement between the bourses of Malaysia and Saudi Arabia – the world's two largest Islamic financial services markets – stands to help the industry grow at a greater clip in both countries. The deal, signed on February 20, will see the exchanges in Kuala Lumpur and Riyadh share expertise and develop human resources jointly. It covers topics such as equities, mutual funds and sukuk. Combined, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia hold $682bn in Islamic banking assets. The Saudi exchange, Tadawul, lists the world’s biggest Islamic banks, while Bursa Malaysia hosts the largest and most liquid market for sukuk.

Malaysia’s Islamic banking assets are on track to make up 40% of the country’s total banking sector assets by 2020 from about 25% now, according to Wasim Saifi, Standard Chartered Saadiq Bhd chief executive officer and global head of Standard Chartered’s Islamic consumer banking. Islamic banking has grown twice as fast in Malaysia as its conventional counterpart at a compounded annual growth rate of 22%. Syariah-compliant solutions are currently offered at 10 Standard Chartered Saadiq branches, but will now also be available via the Islamic banking counters at Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia’s conventional branches. Standard Chartered Saadiq is also targeting to penetrate further into the SME market.

Indonesia’s central bank hopes to attract a local bank to sign up as primary dealer for short-term sukuk issued by the International Islamic Liquidity Management Corp (IILM). Bank Indonesia is one of 10 shareholders in the Malaysia-based institution, but it still lacks a local dealer bank for IILM sukuk. IILM sukuk just got issued recently, with limited outstanding, its illiquid and does not have secondary market. Hence, IILM sukuk is not yet well known by Indonesia-based primary dealers. A domestic primary dealer could help address this problem, even though other dealer banks have an indirect presence in the country, such as CIMB Islamic, Maybank Islamic and Standard Chartered Bank. Moreover, it could help the central bank justify its $5 million shareholding in the IILM.

Qatari Islamic bonds are poised to rebound from their steepest weekly drop since November as investors bet issuers' credit strength will resist the country's spat with its neighbours. The yield on Qatari government sukuk due in January 2023 jumped six basis points last week to 3.27 per cent after the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain withdrew their ambassadors. The three neighbours of Qatar, keen to maintain stability in the wake of the so-called Arab Spring, are critical of the gas-rich nation's support for Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood. The ability of issuers to make all payments is not expected to be affected. Although the longer this goes on, the more likely it will have an impact on pricing of new issuance.

Turkey has significant potential in the sector of Islamic insurance, according to the Global Islamic Insurance Forecasts Report prepared by Ernst & Young (EY) for the period 2013-2014. The report also stressed that Turkey's high potential for Islamic insurance is based upon its young population, along with ongoing regulatory reforms and a government that is willing to promote financial inclusion through participation banking. However, as only four participation banks currently operate in Turkey, there is a major supply-side constraint, as well as limited legal infrastructure in the Islamic finance sector. Another factor negatively affecting Islamic insurance in Turkey is the problematic pricing of this insurance, which leads prices to remain relatively low in the sector.

The Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) successfully organised four events in Khartoum, Sudan on 18 - 20 February 2014. The Insurance Supervisory Authority of Sudan hosted the 6th Seminar on the Regulation of Takaful and the Facilitating the Implementation of the IFSB Standards (FIS) on Takaful while the Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS) was the host for the IFSB Meet the Members Session and the FIS Workshops on Banking. In addition, two workshops were held in Khartoum: the Facilitating the Implementation of the IFSB Standards (FIS) Workshops on Banking and the FIS Workshop on Takaful.

Pakistani lender Summit Bank Limited has inaugurated its first Islamic banking branch in Karachi and announced that it will transform all operations into Shariah mode in next three years. Hussain Lawai, President and CEO Summit Bank, said the bank's investors have injected Rs 1 billion fresh equity for Shariah-based operations. The management has decided to make efforts for conversion of branches from conventional to Islamic mode, instead of opening new branches. As per the roadmap in the first phase Summit Bank Islamic branches will be set up in four major cities - Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Islamabad - during this year, he added. The bank set a target of 30 percent growth for Shariah business and as per its estimates it will be over 20 percent during this year.

Asya Katilim Bankasi AS (ASYAB), the Istanbul-based lender caught in a feud between the government and an Islamic movement, fell to its lowest in more than three weeks as Turkish Airlines (THYAO) said it was no longer using the bank. THYAO didn't say where it had transferred its deposits. As a result, Bank Asya’s shares declined 4.1 percent at 12:24 p.m. in Istanbul. The market may be concerned that Turkish Airlines removing deposits may have a negative impact on the funding structure of the bank. However, it was known in the market that THY took out large deposits before, so the market’s probably overreacting at the moment. The bank has lost 41 percent since Dec. 16, and its price-to-book ratio of 0.43 is the lowest in an index of 16 listed Turkish lenders.

The Shariah-focused independent wealth organisation Mahal Thqa has opened in Dubai. The firm is a joint venture between Middle Eastern financial consultants Mondial and US-based venture capital organisation Shariah Capital. It will be lead by chief executive Sadi Hassouneh and will focus on the Middle East’s Arabic-speaking population offering Islamic investment solutions and fund alternatives. Thqa’s investment approach will be based on protecting and growing its client’s capital over the medium-to-long-term and seeks to avoid the “boom-and-bust” results associated with specific asset class risk.

Like all financial services, Islamic finance needs an appropriate supervisory framework and legislation is often the first step towards opening a new market. Financial institutions also need to ensure they have sufficient shariah expertise and advice to develop appropriate products. Three factors are driving the market’s growth. First, it is becoming part of normal retail and corporate banking in core Islamic countries, such as Saudi Arabia. Second, its growth appeals to other markets, particularly in the Muslim world. The third driver is innovation. In the end, greater availability of sukuk offers more choice to companies and investors and allows issuers to offer products tailored to specific needs.

Oman's Bank Nizwa has partnered with the Ministry of Endowment and Religious affairs to create a seamless opportunity for customers to pay their Zakat. Customers can now easily transfer the required amount from their accounts into the allocated Ministry of Religious Affairs account at Bank Nizwa . They can also deposit cash directly into this account. Customers who regularly wish to transfer Zakat can set up a standing order. Bank Nizwa customers who choose to pay their Zakat through the afore mentioned Bank Account are assured of a waiver of fees on all standing orders linked to this account. There are also fee waivers on internal, local and International transfers associated with this account.

Dubai World has prepaid $284.5 million (Dh1 billion) to creditors under its $25 billion debt restructuring plan. The conglomerate reportedly obtained money for the prepayment from asset sales. Under the terms of the restructuring deal, cash raised from asset sales above a threshold of $300 million is to be distributed as early repayments to creditors, which include big Western and Gulf banks. Last December, a unit of Dubai World sold its 50 percent stake in Miami Beach's landmark Fontainebleau hotel. The price was not disclosed, but Dubai World originally had paid $375 million for the stake in 2008. Moreover, Nakheel said last month it was repaying Dh2.35 billion ($640 million) of bank debt 18 months ahead of its maturity in September 2015.

Indonesia's finance ministry sold Rp 19.3 trillion ($1.7 billion) of the three-year Islamic bonds to households, exceeding its Rp 18.5 trillion goal. That came after two of its three Shariah-compliant debt auctions this year failed to meet their targets. The yield on the non-retail 10.25 percent sukuk due 2025 slid 29 basis points this week to 8.61 percent, the lowest since November. Indonesia is targeting Rp 57 trillion of Islamic bond sales this year and wants to sell most of that this half before a presidential vote in July. The next offer is scheduled for March 11.

Saudi-based Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Morocco’s Al-Ajial Funds (Al-Ajial). Through this partnership, ICD and Al-Ajial Funds will establish a framework of cooperation in order to co-invest in potential projects within Morocco’s private sectors. The ICD is particularly interested in Al-Ajial Funds’ experience in supporting Morocco’s private sector, according to ICD chief executive Khaled Al-Aboodi.

The UK’s maiden sovereign sukuk issue was announced with considerable fanfare in October, and appears to be making progress. But the UK Treasury is not in a rush, and market participants are beginning to wonder why there is a delay. The sukuk will now reportedly take place in the "next financial year" – that is, no earlier than April 5, and potentially not even this year. Sajid Javid, MP, the financial secretary to the Treasury, said that it is very important that the UK has looked at everything in fine detail before issuing its first sukuk. Javid also confirmed that, for the moment, the UK only intends to issue one sukuk. This is a one-off issuance, not a long-term programme, and its main purpose is not financing for the government, but to develop the UK as a financial centre.

Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has denied allegations of a link between his recent settlement with Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (BIMB) over a RM66 million loan and a controversial water restructuring agreement between Selangor and Putrajaya. Last month, Khalid told The Malay Mail Online he had reached an out-of-court settlement with BIMB over a US$18.52 million (RM66.67 million) loan settlement suit, without compromising PKR or the PR coalition. He declined to give further details but it is understood that the settlement was for an amount much lower than RM66.67 million. The hastily signed MoU on the water restructuring plans between Selangor and Putrajaya has added to the intrigue surrounding the March 23 Kajang by-election, with some PKR leaders questioning the timing of the deal and Khalid’s suit settlement.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has suspended the governor of the country’s central bank, Mr. Lamido Sanusi, on charges of “financial recklessness and misconduct” and “far-reaching irregularities.” The dismissal followed by days Sanusi’s claim that $20 billion in oil revenues was missing from government accounts. The president’s insistence that the move had nothing to do with Sanusi’s whistleblowing is not convincing. An investigation 18 months ago reportedly concluded that tens of billions of dollars in oil and gas revenue was missing from 2002 to 2012. No investigation followed up on these allegations and no prosecutions resulted. Not surprisingly, there has been an outflow of currency since the dismissal of Sanusi and a sharp plunge in the value of the national currency.

Attijariwafa Bank, one of the biggest banks in North Africa, will boost its Islamic subsidiary as soon as the Islamic finance bill passes parliament. Morocco's parliament has started to discuss a bill regulating Islamic banks and sukuk issues after months of delays, after the Islamist-led government adopted it last month. Parliament's approval will be the last step before fully-fledged Islamic banks can be established in Morocco. However, a revolution in the Moroccan banking sector is not expected since the market is very competitive, and Moroccans are too sensitive to product prices. Islamic finance banks are called participative banks under the Moroccan legislation.