IslamicFinance.de

56 major Islamic bond issues in the global pipeline.
The Thomson Reuters Global Sukuk Index is at 117.67354 points, down from 118.24280 at the end of last month but up from 115.79726 at the end of last year. The Thomson Reuters Investment Grade Sukuk Index is at 115.75520 points against 116.64293 at end-October and 113.69014 at end-2014.

The global Islamic finance assets are projected to grow to US$3.2 trillion (RM13.6 trillion) by 2020, says Thomson Reuters, the world’s leading provider of intelligent information for businesses and professionals.
Its Head of Islamic Finance, Mustafa Adil said Islamic finance was considered the most developed sector within the various pillars of the Islamic economy and its growth in the global industry was broadly measured by the value of Islamic finance assets.
As global acceptance of Islamic finance continues to grow, he said more corporates and non-Muslim sovereigns were announcing Islamic finance initiatives such as ethical finance or Shariah-compliant regulations, as well as sukuk issuances.

The International Shari’ah Research Academy for Islamic Finance (ISRA) and Thomson Reuters, the world's leading provider of intelligent information for businesses and professionals today launched an inaugural joint publication on Islamic Commercial Law Report 2016.
The Islamic Commercial Law Report 2016 was launched by the Deputy Minister, Prime Minister’s Department YB Senator Dato’ Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dato’ Dusuki at the International Shari’ah Scholars Forum (ISSF), organised by ISRA and the Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI) in Westin Hotel, Kuala Lumpur on 3 November 2015.
The Islamic finance industry has witnessed exponential growth over the last three decades, and has become one of the fastest growing segments of the global financial industry with estimates of the current market size ranging from $1.66 trillion to $2.1 trillion. One key factor that has contributed to this progressive development is the flexible nature of Islamic commercial law, which has imbued Islamic finance with the same core characteristic of flexibility, as the legal maxim says: “the original ruling in Islamic financial transactions is permissibility”.

Kuwait will host the World Islamic Financing Conference, organized by Kuwait Central Bank (CBK) and the International Monetary Fund, with the participation of the IMF Center for Financing and Economy in the Middle East and Thomson Reuters as strategic partner for knowledge.
The conference will be held on November 11, 2015 under the patronage of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. This announcement was made by CBK Governor Mohammad Al-Hashel and said the conference will see high ranking international attendance of decision makers headed by Christine Lagarde, Director General of IMF and senior IMF employers and experts around the world.
Several finance ministers, Central Bank Governors, their deputies and representatives in many countries are expected to attend the event. There will also be presence of International Economic Establishments that belong to the United Nations and Regional Organizations in addition to experts and academics.

The Thomson Reuters Global Sukuk Index is at 118.24280 points, up from 115.79726 at the end of last year. The Thomson Reuters Investment Grade Sukuk Index is at 116.64293 points against 113.69014 at end-2014.

Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) and Thomson Reuters, with support from the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre (DIEDC) released the 'Digital Islamic Economy Report' for 2015, in collaboration with DinarStandard. The report serves as a precursor to the second edition of the Global Islamic Economy Summit (GIES) that will be held from October 5-6 in Dubai, UAE. Among its key findings, the report estimates that the overall value contributed by Muslim consumers worldwide to the global digital economy in 2014 stood at US$107 billion, representing 5.8% of the total global digital economy. The report focuses on a new and a more specialized area of Digital Islamic Consumer Services.

Islamic wealth management is going to become be the “new frontier” for the global Islamic finance industry as a growing number of Islamic high-net worth individuals keeps looking for Shariah-compliant types of investment. According to Thomson Reuters’ Global Islamic Asset Management Outlook 2015, Islamic funds – which are already a $60bn industry – are forecast to grow to at least $77bn by 2019, but the latent demand for Islamic funds is projected to grow even higher to $185bn. nitially, Europe led the initial drive of Islamic wealth management, but now other Shariah-based players have joined the market, especially in the GCC and Southeast Asia.

Thomson Reuters published the findings of its Global Islamic Asset Management Outlook at the World Islamic Funds Conference in Bahrain. According to the study, Islamic funds are a US$60 billion industry forecasted to grow to at least US$77 billion by 2019, while the latent demand for Islamic funds is projected to grow to US$185 billion. There are substantial growth opportunities but the industry will struggle to reach its potential in the near- to mid-term to bridge the US$108 billion demand-supply gap. Outside of core markets Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, there are other growth pockets on the horizon for Islamic funds. Pakistan and Indonesia currently enjoy stable political climates; China is also opening up to Shariah-compliant funds.

Islamic mutual funds are growing again after a slump that lasted years, but the sector still falls short of meeting demand for sharia-compliant investment products, a study by Thomson Reuters and its subsidiary Lipper showed. Many firms pulled out of the sector around 2008 because of the global financial crisis and as sliding equity markets reduced investor interest. Islamic mutual funds globally now hold $53.2 billion of assets under management, recovering from a low of $25.7 billion in 2008, the study found. The total number of Islamic mutual funds reached 943 in 2014, up from 828 a year earlier. Further growth is expected, with the study projecting the funds will grow 8 percent annually to reach $76.7 billion by 2019.

The Thomson Reuters Sukuk Perceptions and Forecast 2015 survey of 44 lead arrangers and 106 investors reveals most expect a boost in Sukuk issuance in 2015 of between $150 billion and $174.9 billion. Total global outstanding Sukuk issuance stands at $241 billion, with around $110 billion Sukuk issued in 2014. Global outstanding Sukuk issuance is expected to grow to $907 billion by 2020. The recovery from last year’s low has been driven by more jurisdictions issuing Sukuk. Financial institutions continue to dominate all corporate issuances. Supply growth into 2015 will be driven by financing needs for infrastructure projects especially in the GCC and the wider Middle East region.

"The Oman Islamic Finance 2014: Building on a Strong Start" is written and produced by Thomson Reuters, Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI), and the General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions (CIBAFI). The report provides substantive due diligence on the opportunities for Islamic financial services in Oman.

This report is an annual barometer of the health and development of the Islamic Finance industry worldwide, based on the ICD Thomson Reuters Islamic Finance Development Indicator.

"The Morocco Islamic Finance 2014: Unlocking The kingdom's Potential" is written and produced by Thomson Reuters, Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI), and the General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions (CIBAFI). The report provides substantive due diligence on the opportunities for Islamic financial services in Morocco. There are a lot of expectations of Islamic finance in the Kingdom of Morocco, and the Morocco report breaks these down and presents a forward-looking analysis of potential Islamic banking assets and investment opportunities. The national retail consumer survey indicates Moroccan Islamic banking assets could potentially reach up to 5% of total banking assets by 2018.

For the second consecutive year, the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) presents findings from the Islamic Finance Development Indicator (IFDI), developed in collaboration with Thomson Reuters. The IFDI measures five key components that combine to depict the bigger picture of the state of Islamic finance in 92 countries: quantitative development, governance, social responsibility, knowledge and awareness. The number of Islamic finance conferences (>100 participants) worldwide surged by 41 per cent to 107 in 2013 from 76 in 2012, with 36 countries hosting conferences compared to 25 in 2012. Islamic finance in the UAE is most newsworthy, with Malaysia and rest of the GCC also make headlines. UK topped European coverage.

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) and Thomson Reuters’ second Ethical Finance Innovation Challenge and Awards (EFICA) have already received high levels of take-up with over 200 potential entrants downloading the application form, to date. The submission for the awards opened on 5th of July and will close on the 5th of August. ADIB and Thomson Reuters are calling on institutions, research centres, and individuals to submit entries in three categories. The first category of the awards, the Islamic Finance Industry Development Award, offers a prize of $100,000, the second award, the Ethical Finance Initiative Award, offers a prize of $50,000 and the final award is a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Thomson Reuters, in partnership with Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, has launched the second annual Ethical Finance Innovation Challenge & Awards (EFICA) for 2014. The global awards are designed to recognize and reward innovation in ethical and Islamic finance. Applications are open for the following categories: 1) Islamic Finance Industry Development Award offers a prize of $100,000, 2) Ethical Finance Initiative Award offers a prize of $50,000, and 3) Lifetime Achievement Award offers a prize of $25,000. Submissions for these three awards will be open until 5 August, 2014. To learn more about the awards, guidelines for entry, executive board members and to download application forms, please visithttp://updates.thomsonreuters.com/events/efica/.

Thomson Reuters released a country report on Islamic Finance in Morocco in collaboration with the Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI) and the General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions (CIBAFI). Based on exclusive retail consumer and corporate surveys, the report estimates that Islamic banking assets could potentially reach US$8.6 billion by 2018, with a profit pool of between US$67 million and US$112 million for Islamic finance providers. The national retail consumer survey indicates Moroccan Islamic banking assets could potentially reach up to 5% of total banking assets by 2018. However, Moroccans know very little about Islamic financial products, the report adds. Islamic banking and Takaful laws are expected to be passed by the Moroccan parliament this year.

Les actifs financiers islamiques devraient peser entre 5,2 et 8,6 milliards de dollars au Maroc en 2018, selon le rapport intitulé «The Islamic Finance country reports». Ce rapport, réalisé par Thomsom Reuters en collaboration avec l’Institut islamique de recherche et de formation (IIRF) et le Conseil général des banques et institutions financières islamiques (CGBIFI), estime que les actifs financiers islamiques devraient représenter ainsi entre 3 et 5% du total des actifs bancaires au Maroc en 2018. Le rapport énumère, cependant, un certain nombre de faiblesses qui doivent être surmontées afin de libérer le potentiel de la finance islamique au Maroc. En plus, le parlement marocain devrait adopter prochainement une loi régissant les activités des banques islamiques dans le royaume.

Middle Eastern investment banking fees reached US$120.3 million during the first quarter of 2014, down 17% from the previous quarter and a 2% decline compared to the first quarter of 2013. Fees from completed M&A transactions totaled US$46.4 million, up 19% from the same period in 2013, and accounting for 39% of this year’s overall Middle Eastern fee pool. Equity capital markets underwriting fees totaled US$39.6 million, more than twice the amount registered during the first quarter of 2013 (US$17.4 million) and marking the best annual start for ECM fees in the Middle East since 2008. Fees from debt capital markets underwriting declined 47% year-on-year to US$17.4 million, while syndicated lending fees fell 49% to US$16.9 million.

Thomson Reuters has released the Islamic Social Finance Report 2014 in collaboration with the Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI). The report is the first of its kind study covering Islamic social finance across countries in South and Southeast Asia with sizeable Muslim populations including Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam. According to the report, Islamic social funds could potentially meet resource shortfalls to alleviate widespread poverty in those countries. The potential of Islamic social funds remains unrealized as actual Zakah and returns of Awqaf are not fully utilized in most countries. Additionally, there is no Islamic microfinance industry in most countries, which further diminishes the optimal potential of Islamic social finance.