IslamicFinance.de

According to Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, governor of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Socially responsible investment (SRI) will appeal significantly to Islamic finance. In particular, the recent global financial crisis has played an important role. He further explains that apart from financial returns, SRI accords primary consideration to the impact on economic activity and on the broader society as well. This way, the important dimensions of environmental sustainability, social responsibility and governance can be incorporated.

Five senior members of QInvest have been replaced in order to increase effectiveness and efficiency while maintaining the bank’s strategic direction which is now concentrated on the joint venture with Egypt’s EFG-Hermes.

Shariyah Review Bureau and Ahmad Lootah & Associates will cooperate in future in order to better serve the growing demands of UAE clients that are seeking advisory on sharia investments. The strategic relationship marks the commitment of both companies to certifying businesses and their transactions from the view of sharia investors.

GFH Capital is a private equity firm based in Dubai, UAE. According to its website, the company has been highly successful investments and fund management over the past ten years. It also points out that it has handled investments worth more than eight billion US dollars in 25 different countries. Its funds to some extent come from the Dubai Islamic Bank, the World Bank and the Islamic Development Bank. The Gulf Finance House is an investment bank Bahrain. It completely owns GFH Capital Limited. Just as GFH Capital, the Gulf Finance House has made numerous successful investments worth billions of American dollars. GFH Capital has made its bid for Leeds United on its own and will handle the deal independently of Gulf Finance House.

Last month, two UAE real estate developers - Al Futtaim Group and Emaar Properties - announced a big project in Egypt. Not only was this a boost to the country’s property market but it also acted as a sign of a revival of cross-border investment in the region. According to the two companies, they plan to invest about 5bn Egyptian pounds ($820m) in building the "Cairo Gate" which will be situated off the Cairo-Alexandria desert highway. The complex will be 65 hectare big and will be build around a shopping mall. An office park, a luxury hotel, schools, medical facilities and residential space are included in the plan.

Dear Reader,

The German language book on Islamic finance by the Editor of IslamicFinance.de and Dr Wackerbeck from Booz Consultants is now translated to Chinese.

Please find the biographical information below:

Authors: Michael Gassner / Philipp Wackerbeck
Title: Islamic Finance – Islam-gerechte Finanzanlagen und
Finanzierungen
ISBN number: 978-7-5139-0217-5
PUBLISHER: Beijing - Democracy and Construction Press
Pre-Publication Date: 2012.7

Full biographical details: http://db.lib.bua.edu.cn/asord/asorditem.php?asord_marc_no=0001344540

Orders: http://www.amazon.cn/%E4%BC%8A%E6%96%AF%E5%85%B0%E9%87%91%E8%9E%8D-%E7%B...

Book review about the German language original: http://www.rpi-virtuell.net/workspace/24686AD5-936C-476D-9EA0-65E2968590...

Best regards,

Michael Gassner

Safa Investment Services - a global Islamic asset manager in in the Gulf region - was launched by Investor for Securities Company. The grand ceremony was held in Four Seasons Hotel, Al Riyadh, on the 8th of October 2012. According to the manager of Safa Investment Services, Mr. John Sandwick, professionally managed assets around the world are worth nearly $80 trillion. Muslims are in possession of about $3 trillion of them. Surprisingly, a huge extent of the money was not invested compliant with Shariah principles. It is a goal of Safa to provide Sharia-compliant investing opportunities and to produces profits larger than those of conventional investing.

The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) tags Sharia-compliant companies in the bourse to attract more funds and, this way, to become part of the trillion-dollar investments of Muslims worldwide. Since investors from Mindanao have preferences regarding investment favouring Indonesia and Malaysia, the company is making a list. Hans Sicat, president of PSE, pointed out that investors' money amounting to more than trillion dollars could be going into Sharia-compliant companies. According to expectations, the list is to be released next year.

IslamicFinance.de offers an overview about new job openings of October 2012 herewith - firms aiming to be included please send a job profile/hyperlink to newsdesk@islamicfinance.de - the full details of the advert has to be accessed by the hyperlink below the brief description:

Product Manager, Islamic Banking

Standard Chartered Bank - United Arab Emirates-SCB (United Arab Emirates)
Job Description
?Development of Islamic wealth products across CBMS, insurance and investment streams to create customer value proposition.
?Ensure successful implementation of the Islamic banking strategy across high value segment.
?Concentrated responsibility to work with the Priority/Wealth/Private/SME product/frontline teams and support functions to build on the current Islamic banking capabilities and to create seamless customer experience
?Act as a product specialist for RMs on client meetings to introduce and explain the Saadiq solutions to meet their needs
?Financial budgeting and business forecast. Evaluation of financial performance.

After GFH Capital have shown enough proof of funds to complete the takeover of Leeds United, the acquisition is ready to be fulfilled. Thus, the long months of discussion starting May this year are over. According to current Leeds owner Ken Bates, both parties are ready to close the deal in the very near future. He also pointed out the negative effect of inaccurate reporting by some journalists due to lack of knowledge, which, however were not able to disturb the acquisition procedures as much.

Read more on: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2223470/Leeds-takeover...

The takeover of Leeds United Football Club by GFH Capital raised disputes on the level of Shari’ah compliance associated with the deal. A statement by David Haigh, deputy chief executive officer and chief operating officer of GFH Capital, stumbled upon rather negative reception. He compared Leeds United to young Pamela Anderson in terms of good shape and future perspective. Also, the fact that a soccer club where alcohol, gambling and pork feature in the mix is subject of acquisition, the question arises whether it is at all compliant with the Shari’ah principles.

Read more on: http://www.theislamicglobe.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article...

The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has given its approval for a loan worth $710-million to implement four projects in Iran. The agreement was reached in the sidelines of the IMF annual meeting in Tokyo. The money will be used for the establishment of treatment plants at upstream areas around dams and rural regions, thus assuring prevention from environment pollution.

Read more on: http://www.zawya.com/story/IDB_allocates_USD710m_to_4_projects_in_Iran-Z...

Definitions of impact investment vary, but they have some features in common: impact-focused entities as target and financial return lower than market rate. Impact investing is becoming increasingly important as inequality worldwide grows. It is a means of bridging the gap between donor-reliant philanthropy and the estimated $100 trillion in opportunity currently in for-profit capital markets. Impact investing is a combination of socially conscious values and the competitive nature and demand-drive of the market.

Read more on: http://whereintheworldisdana.wordpress.com/2012/10/15/attention-impact-i...

Cooperating with Malaysia's Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF), Gatehouse Bank has executed the GBP 165 million acquisition of the law firm SJ Berwin’s offices in London. The role of Gatehouse was Investment and Shari’ah Adviser. The deal is the first real estate investment of the Malaysian client and is essential for its wider global investment strategy. According to Chief Executive Officer of Gatehouse Bank Richard Thomas, this investment is a great example of international co-operation and demonstrates how funds can be mobilised around the world complying with the principles of Shariah.

Read more on: http://www.cpifinancial.net/news/post/16102/gatehouse-advises-malaysias-...

Tunisia's ruling party has set to turning Tunisia into a regional centre for Sharia-compliant finance. However, critics claim that by putting scarce resources into the sector the economy could be harmed. People suspect that the leading motives of the governments initiatives are political rather than economic and that they mostly endeavour to win the support of voters. Even though change in policy might benefit the economy of Northern African countries after the Arab Spring by enabling access to a huge pool of Islamic investment funds from the Gulf, Tunisia faces serious political complications.

According to Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani, no political motivation lies behind Qatar's investments in France. The Prime Minister further said that the country does not have any great political ambitions and that everything concerning investments in France is done after extensive coordination with the French side. So far, Qatar has acquired Paris Saint-Germain football club, 3% of energy giant Total, and stakes in building firm Vinci and in media group Lagardere.

Read more on: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=54911

A new $50 million fund - the Central Asia Renewable Energy Fund - was launched by the Islamic Corporation for Development of Private Sector (ICD). According to the CEO of the corporation, Mr. Khaled Al-Aboodi, the money will be used to benefit countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia Regions, most important of which will be Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkey. Further target countries of the fund include Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Bosnia, Albania and Kosovo. Factors like growing environmental awareness, evidence of climate change, scarcity of fossil fuels, and an increasing commitment by governments to support new sources of energy lead to growing interest in renewable energy in these countries.

Read more on: http://www.abc.az/eng/news_12_10_2012_68763.html

According to the investment banking analysis for the Middle East by Thomson Reuters for 2012 so far, M&A activity has reached US15.7 billion during this period. During the same period last year the activity was only half of this year's (US7.5 billion). Telecoms is said to be the most targeted industry in the Middle East. The leading country in activity are the United Arab Emirates.

Read more on: http://www.menafn.com/menafn/1093567713/Middle-East-M&A-activity-doubles...

An analysis by the Daily Telegraph shows that Gulf Finance House (GFH), which plans to buy Leeds United, is short of money. The investment-banking group held less than £4million in cash in June 2011, which is £800million less than the cash sum at the end of 2008. As a subordinate company to GFH, GFH Capital claims to have the money for the acquisition and not to be involved in the financial shortage of its parent company. However, further details on this issue are not revealed.

Read more on: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/leeds-united/9597049/Lee...

Together with a Malaysian Sovereign Wealth fund, London-based Gatehouse Bank has finished the £165 million acquisition of the offices of the law firm SJ Berwin. Gatehouse played the role of an investment and Sharia adviser for the deal. The investment of the Malaysian client is of major importance for its wider global investment strategy.

Read more on: http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=339370