IslamicFinance.de

A significant number of family offices (FOs) of wealthy Middle Eastern patriarchs are looking for suitable investment opportunities while fund managers are seeking to raise capital from this potentially lucrative market. A number of FOs (both Muslim and non-Muslim) have been instructed by their clients to allocate money to investment funds which generally bode well within the context of Shariah principles. Middle Eastern FOs or other direct investors also increasingly demand quality and timely service provision. Therefore, many FOs are interested in Guernsey as a place to allocate investments. On the other hand, the attraction of Guernsey for the fund managers is that it can provide a European platform which is not actually in the EU and therefore can offer flexibility and proportionality.

Bahrain-based Gulf Finance House (GFH) has announced the signing of two development agreements for real estate development in India. The flagship investment of GFH in India is the Energy City and Mumbai IT & Telecom City (India Project) developments in New Mumbai, the agreement of which was signed with Wadhwa Group. The second agreement was agreed with Adani Infrastructure & Developers , to explore development opportunities in relation to various infrastructure and real estate projects in India. Adani Infrastructure & Developers will be partnering with Asiastar City Holdings to develop the Phase 2 of GFH’s India Project.

Saudi investment bank NCB Capital has appointed Sarah Al-Suhaimi as CEO and member of the board subject to CMA approval. Tariq Linjawi, who had been acting CEO, is leaving the firm having successfully managed the organization through a transition period. Al-Suhaimi joins, following CMA approval, from Jadwa Investment where she was head of asset management and CIO, managing over SR17 billion of assets in public and private equity, real estate and fixed income. Sarah is the vice chairperson of the advisory committee to the CMA and is a graduate of King Saud University, with a Bachelor of Administrative Science degree in accounting.

The need for large investment in infrastructure – roads, railways, ports and housing – offers opportunities for Islamic finance, notably in Asia and emerging markets in general. However, Islamic finance needs an appropriate supervisory framework, and legislation is often the first step towards opening a new market. The market’s growth is driven by three factors: 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. Looking forward, the Islamic Economy is developing quickly. As consumption drives increased trade and economic links and the Islamic economy grows, new opportunities will require financing.

Kenya's financial regulator has proposed a separate regulatory framework for Islamic financial institutions as part of a broad ten-year strategy designed to boost capital markets. A draft of the strategy was circulated early this year and the plan is now in its final stages of preparation. It aims to promote more sophisticated financial services in Kenya. In the short term, the CMA plans to create a regulatory framework of its own for Islamic capital markets, focusing on corporate governance, information disclosure, a policyholder compensation fund and responsible pricing. In the long term, however, the CMA would engage the central bank and national Treasury to develop a separate policy, legislative and regulatory framework for Islamic finance.

Bahrain's central bank governor Rasheed al-Maraj has said he expected further bank consolidation this year after a spree of tie-ups in 2013. The central bank has been encouraging smaller lenders to merge to bolster institutions weakened by a local real estate crash and fall-out from the island kingdom's political unrest in 2011, which has continued sporadically since then. In 2013, there were four separate examples of consolidation in the Bahraini banking sector, further tie-ups are expected to be announced by the end of the year. Moreover, the regulator is encouraging Islamic banks in the kingdom to get credit ratings to improve transparency. Maraj added he expected all banks would have a rating in the next two years.

Bahrain’s Al Salam Bank has launched a listed sharia-compliant real estate investment trust (REIT) that will invest in a portfolio of Asian properties. The REIT will invest in between 15 and 35 properties and be managed by Swiss-based B&I Capital AG, with Al Salam providing seed capital for the fund. The Islamic lender did not reveal the expected size of the fund. Al Salam was an anchor investor in the Sabana Industrial REIT, which was listed on the Singapore exchange in 2010 and was one of the world’s first REITs to adopt Islamic principles. A handful of Islamic REITs have been launched, including Dubai Islamic Bank’s Emirates REIT in 2010. Malaysia now has three listed Islamic REITs.

The investment management firm Lotus Capital Limited has been honoured as the best in Africa by the Islamic Finance News (IFN). Lotus Capital won the Africa Deal of the Year Award as the lead issuing house for the N11.4 billion Osun state sukuk issue, which was listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in September 2013. The issue was oversubscribed by about 20 per cent. The Osun state government, represented by the Honourable Commissioner of Finance, and the Solicitors to the Issue, Kola Awodein and Co, were also award recipients for the deal. Besides, Lotus also developed the country's first Islamic Index on the NSE, known as the “NSE Lotus Islamic Index” or NSE LII. The Index recorded +44.21 per cent in 2012 and +61.84 per cent in 2013.

Since sharia boards tend to be paid by the institutions whose activities they oversee, the scholars can be open to accusations of conflicts of interest. That's why Bahrain’s Waqf Fund has proposed mandatory external sharia audits for Islamic financial institutions. While the proposal is for Bahrain, it may have an impact on Islamic finance globally because of Bahrain’s central role in the industry. The proposal also ties in with growing pressure for reforms to the sharia oversight system in other countries, like Kuwait. The Waqf Fund will develop a framework for external sharia audits with a team of audit firms, scholars and the Bahrain-based Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI).

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.

Bahrain-based Ithmaar Bank reported a net loss of BHD 29.9 million in 2013, compared to a net loss of BHD 10.1 million in 2012. One of the major factors impacting the performance of the Group for this year is the reduction in benchmark profit rates in Pakistan, coupled with increased minimum profit rate on certain liability products resulting in significant margin compression in FBL. The bank has therefore taken some key decisions including cost rationalization measures across the Group. Moreover, the remaining conventional operations of its subsidiary Faysal Bank Limited Pakistan’s (FBL) will be conversed to Islamic banking, subject to approval from FBL shareholders and the regulators.

Gulf Finance House (GFH) has announced the signing of two development agreements for real estate development in India. The flagship investment of GFH in India is the Energy City and Mumbai IT & Telecom City (India Project) developments in New Mumbai. The agreement was signed with Wadhwa Group. According to this agreement, GFH and Wadhwa have agreed to the appointment of Hafeez Contractor to be the master planner for the Phase 1 of the India Project, with an expected end sale value of USD 4 billion. The second agreement was agreed with Adani Infrastructure & Developers.They intend to work together to explore development opportunities in relation to various infrastructure and real estate projects in India. Adani Infrastructure & Developers will be partnering with Asiastar City Holdings to develop the Phase 2 of GFH's India Project.

Growing demand for more sophisticated financial products and services helped drive growth in Bahrain's financial sector during last year, according to the Economic Development Board (EDB) and Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB). Bahrain attracted a number of businesses, with the number of registered financial services firms swelling to 415 by the end of the year. Alongside strong growth last year, the kingdom also developed a number of reforms to ensure that the regulatory framework of the Islamic banking sector continues to meet the needs and encourage long-term growth. Moreover, the CBB also recently implemented new rules set to boost the takaful sector by addressing some issues around solvency. Bahrain also had one of the most developed Islamic finance knowledge landscape, and performed well in terms of governance.

Standalone Islamic bank versus Islamic window operations is the most prolific debates found in the Islamic finance industry today. The debate is healthy and worthwhile having, if it is done merely to determine how to best meet the various stakeholders’ expectations in a particular jurisdiction. However, it becomes totally time wasting if it is done on the basis of determining which one is more credible or “more Shariah-compliant”. Malaysia is pretty much the only country in the world that has comprehensively legislated and regulated how financial institution may provide Islamic banking products and services. In a jurisdiction, however, that does not have such a structured and established framework, banks must operate within the existing banking framework. Standalone Islamic bank or Islamic window, both are equally good and credible.

In 2007, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim initiated a suit against Bank Islam seeking damages from the bank for alleged wrongful sale of his shares in Guthrie. Bank Islam then filed a counter suit to recover RM66.67 million claiming that Khalid’s failure to repay his loan. Twice the High Court ordered Khalid to pay the RM66.67 million in summary judgments obtained by Bank Islam. And then this year, Bank Islam withdrew its legal challenge to recover the RM66.67 million from Khalid to allow for an out of court settlement. Among the questions being raised is how Khalid has managed to get Bank Islam to agree to an out-of-court settlement. A point to note is that negotiations for the settlement are still in progress with a decision expected to be announced shortly.

AMMB Holdings has announced that its Islamic banking arm, AmIslamic Bank has on 28 February 2014 successfully issued its inaugural issuance of RM200.0 million Basel III-compliant Tier 2 Subordinated Sukuk Murabahah. The issuance is also Malaysia's first Basel III-compliant Tier 2 Subordinated Sukuk issuance and the world's first Basel III-compliant Tier 2 Subordinated Sukuk to be issued under the Shariah principle of Murabahah based on commodity trading (via a Tawarruq arrangement).

ABC Islamic Bank has announced that its net profit for last year was $12.2 million, 48 per cent higher than the previous year of $8.3m. Net profit for the fourth quarter of last year was $3m, 112pc higher than the same period of 2012. Total operating income grew 12.8pc to $18.1m compared to the previous year while operating expenses decreased by more than 20pc to $5.5m. No impairment provisions were required during the year. The bank's capital base remains very strong with a capital adequacy ratio of 27.6pc, predominantly Tier 1, which totalled 26.2pc. ABC Islamic Bank's total assets stood at $1.002 billion, compared to $1.067bn in 2012.

The Islamic Development Bank has launched a $1.5 billion, five-year sukuk issue which will price shortly. The transaction, the AAA-rated lender's first in 2014, will price at a spread of 23 basis points over midswaps. Pricing is inside the guidance given by lead managers on Tuesday, which indicated that a benchmark-sized sukuk would price in the mid-to-high 20s over the same benchmark. Benchmark-sized is traditionally understood to mean in excess of $500 million. The banks arranging the transaction are CIMB, Commerzbank, First Gulf Bank, HSBC, Natixis, National Bank of Abu Dhabi and Standard Chartered.

The Islamic Development Bank aims to issue its first short-term sukuk this year, and is studying how it might start to guarantee Islamic bond issuance by member countries. A lack of short-term paper has been a significant constraint on the development of Islamic finance globally. The Malaysia-based International Islamic Liquidity Management Corp began trying to fill that gap last year with issues of three-month sukuk; it now has $1.35 billion outstanding. The IDB hopes to join the IILM in issuing short-term instruments this year. They could come in the form of 30-, 90-, 180- or 360-day sharia-compliant securities. The IDB is also looking to do longer tenors, however, the wider market isn't ready for longer-term Islamic bonds yet.

Saudi Arabia's government plans to sell a 15 percent stake in National Commercial Bank (NCB) in an initial public offer. Finance Minister Ibrahim Alassaf said the IPO plan would be submitted to the market regulator in the third quarter of this year. Sovereign fund Public Investment Fund will be the seller. The fund, which currently owns most of NCB, will also sell an additional 10 percent stake to the government's Public Pension Agency. The pricing of the IPO was not discussed but it is likely to be one of Saudi Arabia's biggest. Until now, direct foreign investment is not allowed in Saudi's stock market. Authorities are preparing to open the market but it is not clear when this will happen.