IslamicFinance.de

According to Standard & Poor’s (S&P), global sukuk issuance fell short of market expectations last year, although it was higher than in 2015. The sukuk market will remain subdued in 2017, since the issuance process is still quite complex. S&P Global Ratings' Global Head of Islamic Finance Dr. Mohamed Damak said the sukuk market did not play a countercyclical role in core Islamic finance markets in 2016 and a stabilisation of total issuance in 2017 is forecasted at around $60 billion-$65 billion. Standard & Poor’s do not foresee a substantial increase in sukuk issuance in the GCC this year. The rating agency thinks that some member countries might take the Islamic finance route alongside a conventional one. Bahrain will most likely remain a prominent player after issuing $3.2 billion of sukuk in 2016. Other GCC members will probably tap the market in 2017.

Islami Bank Bangladesh has undergone abrupt, major changes in its three top positions - chairman, vice chairman and managing director. Arastoo Khan, the former chairman of Commerce Bank has now become chairman of Islami Bank, replacing incumbent Mustafa Anowar. As a representative of Ibn Sina run by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, Mustafa Anowar was serving as the chairman of the bank. He also resigned from the post of director as well as from the post in the bank’s foundation. The board of directors also replaced the bank’s managing director (MD) Mohammad Abdul Mannan by Union Bank’s MD Abdul Hamid Mia. Islami Bank Bangladesh has 307 branches including 57 AD branches and three offshore banking units as well as 13,229 staff members, as of December 2015.

The Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) has approved the draft of the governance standard on central Shari’ah boards. The proposed standard covers several key aspects such as the appointment, composition and dismissal of the board members; tenure of the board; functions of a central Shari'ah board; responsibilities of the appointing authority; fit and proper criteria and independence. The draft is expected to be issued by beginning of 2017 and will be posted on the AAOIFI website. The AAOIFI board also discussed progress on projects being carried forward into 2017, including the Internal Shari’ah Audit, Shari’ah Compliance and Fiduciary Rating, and Comprehensive Ethics projects. The next meeting is proposed to be held by March 2017, in Oman.

#Oman is preparing an international bond sale, as the country seeks to plug a budget deficit caused by low oil prices. The sultanate has sent invitations to banks to arrange the sale of a dollar or Islamic bond and responses are due this week. A fresh sale would be the latest in a series of issues by the oil-producing state. The sultanate sold US$2.5bn worth of bonds in June last year and tapped the bonds for an additional US$1.5bn in September. It was reported to have raised US$1bn from the international loan market last January and will get RO600mn from local debt in 2017. Oman is also seeking to reduce expenditure and from this month will impose new tariffs on its biggest electricity consumers. The state’s budget deficit is estimated by the International Monetary Fund to narrow to 10.3% of gross domestic product this year, from 13.5% in 2016.

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) has acted as the sole bookrunner on a AED 1 billion Islamic financing facility for the Meydan business group. Dubai Islamic Bank and Al Hilal Bank were both mandated lead arrangers for the financing, which matures in December 2018. The deal was structured to meet Meydan’s financing objectives, on the back of its ongoing District One Project, a master-planned luxury residential neighbourhood in Mohammed Bin Rashid City in Dubai. Commenting on the transaction, ADIB's CEO Tirad Al Mahmoud said this deal demonstrates ADIB's ability to bring together diverse elements with a particular focus on high-growth companies and the real estate sector. Earlier this year, Meydan raised AED 1 billion Islamic financing through a dual tranche offering, comprising a AED 700 million Sukuk issue and a AED 300 million term facility, both maturing in 2024. ADIB acted as the sole coordinator of the transaction.

Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) sold its stake in Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank. DIB held 20.8% in Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank through a 40% shareholding in MESC Investments. MESC Investments had completed the sale of its stake in Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank to Jordan-based Bank Al Etihad and Etihad Islamic Investment Company. The value of the sale was not disclosed.

The Bahrain-based Al Baraka Banking Group (ABG) has obtained the approval of the Bank Al Maghrib (the central bank of Morocco) to establish a new bank in Morocco. The Group is now represented in all countries in the Maghreb. The Group now owns banking subsidiaries in Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Morocco, as well as the African continent in Egypt, Sudan and South Africa. The Group has already obtained the approval of the Central Bank of Bahrain to establish the Morocco bank and will carry the name of Al Baraka Bank Morocco. The new bank will be under the management of Al Baraka Banking Group and will operate within its network of subsidiary banking units, which are currently located in 15 countries and in turn own more than 700 branches.

ASMA Capital owned by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Public Pension Agency (PPA), Ministry of Finance of Bahrain and Ministry of Finance of Brunei has signed a deal with Utico for a significant minority stake. The deal with Utico for a stake in its water business is done through Asma Capital managed IDB Infrastructure Fund II. The deal is valued overall at $ 147 million in equity and project finance and will be completed in the first quarter of 2017. Ernst & Young, Hatch USA, ILFS, GU Advisory UAE, Latham and Watkins, Trowers and Hamlins and Taylor Wessing are advisers to the deal. Utico is making significant investments in the UAE and expanding its infrastructure assets in water, power, transmission and distribution, storage, billing and collection. Richard Menezes, Utico’s Managing Director stated that its model of development has saved the governments billions of dirhams in capital expenditure and subsidies.

Due to sharp declining trend in oil prices, slow economic pace and Arab spring, the trend of the Islamic Banking & Finance had been slow in 2016 in the Middle East and Arab region. A sufficient development was recorded in Africa, Central Asia and Far East, especially in the African market. Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, Pakistan, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain are prominent where the contribution of their total assets of Islamic banking is 82% to the Global Islamic Banking market. According to a research by CIBE CEO Zubair Mughal, there will be a steady growth of approximately 13% to 15% in Islamic finance market during 2017 and the total volume of Islamic finance will cross $3 trillion figure by 2020, which will be accompanied by a definite addition of Sukuk along with Islamic banking. While the Sukuk market in Malaysia, Pakistan, UAE, Turkey, Central Asian countries and Africa seem determined in 2017.

Five Islamic banks are set to open in Morocco after Bank Al-Maghrib, the country’s Central Bank, approved five applications. A further three banks have been given permission to sell Islamic products. A Shari’ah committee which will govern all Islamic finance activities will also be established. The five banks are: CIH Bank in partnership with Qatar International Islamic Bank; BMCE Bank of Africa jointly with the Saudi/Bahraini group Dalla Al Baraka; Banque Centrale Populaire with the Saudi group Guidance; and Crédit Agricole du Maroc in partnership with the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD). Attijariwafa Bank is currently in talks about a future partnership. Banque Marocaine du Commerce et de l’Industrie, Crédit du Maroc and Société Générale have all been given the green light to sell Islamic products.

The Insurance (Amendment) Act 2016 signed into law by President Uhuru Kenyatta is set to enhance Kenya's position as the premier Islamic financial hub in Africa. The move came a week after the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) was admitted by the Council of the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) as an associate member of the board. The new law provides for the licensing and regulation of Takaful insurance business in Kenya in order to encourage international investment in this sector. The decision to admit CMA was made at the 29th IFSB Council meeting held in Cairo, Egypt on December 14. In October, the government launched the Islamic Finance Project Management Office (PMO). CMA's Chief Executive Paul Muthaura said the authority membership in IFSB is a key step towards the development of Kenya as an Islamic finance hub. The Insurance (Amendment) Act 2016 now enables the operationalisation of risk-based solvency requirements for insurers that were introduced in the Finance Act 2013. Among those proposals is a requirement that an insurer should maintain a 100% capital adequacy ratio at all times.

The Federal Board of Revenue has proposed Shariah-compliant criteria for companies whose shares are traded on a stock exchange to avail the reduced rate of tax under Income Tax Ordinance 2001. According to the SRO.1173(I)/2016 issued by the FBR, the Board has proposed amendments to the Income Tax Rules, 2002. To avail reduced rate of tax, the FBR has proposed Shariah-compliant criteria for a company whose shares are traded on a stock exchange.

Firstly, the business of the company should be Halal i.e. it shall not include processing or manufacturing of pork, liquor, non-Halal products, pornographic material or any other activity not permitted by Shariah. Secondly, there should be Riba-free (interest-free) financing on the balance sheet of the company; however, the company may be leveraged through Islamic modes of financing obtained from licensed Islamic financial institutions.

Thirdly, all the investments made by the company should be one hundred per cent Shariah compliant; therefore, it would not be permissible for the company to acquire non-Shariah compliant instruments/securities which yield interest or income that is not Halal.

Iranian insurance firms generated 21.7 trillion rials ($525.9 million at market exchange rate) from selling life policies during the eight months to November 20, marking a 37.19% growth compared with the same period of last year. Central Insurance of Iran’s database also shows that life insurance accounted for 12.15% of insurers’ total premium income during the period. The share was recorded at 10.66% during the same period of last year and 11.98% in the month ending October 21.

Insurers paid 7.4 trillion rials ($179.3 million) to 240,000 life policyholders as indemnity. The payout ratio of the category stood at 34.2% for the eight months to November 21.
According to Sanhab data, insurance firms collectively earned 179 trillion rials ($4.33 billion) from selling 34 million insurance policies in all categories during the eight-month period. A year-on-year comparison of data indicates a 20.4% growth in premium income and 9.8% increase in the total number of sold policies. The total paid claims amounted to 101 trillion rials ($2.44 billion) during the period, marking a 25.6% growth YOY.

It seemed as if the path had been cleared for the introduction of Islamic finance in India after the country’s central bank made a proposal to launch Islamic banking windows at conventional banks. With two crucial effects awaiting: Firstly, greater financial inclusion of unbanked Indians, not necessarily only around 170mn Muslims, but also those interested in ethical banking, and, secondly, an increased influx of investments from Muslim regions, namely the Gulf, into India.
However, the proposal got rebuffed in December by the Indian finance ministry which, in a surprising declaration, argued that Islamic banking was “not relevant” any more in achieving the objectives of financial inclusion as the government had already introduced other programmes for all citizens towards that end.

India’ Minister of State for Finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar also said that a number of legal changes would become necessary even if limited Islamic finance products were to be introduced, which would result in “numerous legal hurdles.”

Although Malaysia is a leader in Islamic finance research, very few of the research papers published have translated into feasible innovations, until recently. To help push the sector forward and bring the research and ideas to fruition, International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance, with the support of Bank Negara Malaysia, the Association of Islamic Banking Institutions Malaysia and the Malaysian Takaful Association, recently held the Islamic Finance InnoFest 2016. For this festival, INCEIF accepted idea submissions from all over the world, including Japan, Australia and Pakistan, to promote inclusiveness.

“We believe that to really push for innovation, we cannot be stuck in a silo. That is why it is not limited to only Malaysians,” says Associate Professor Dr Baharom Abdul Hamid, director at INCEIF’s Centre of Research and Publication and InnoFest chairman.

The Federal Land Development Authority is set to raise funds for its 37% stake acquisition in PT Eagle High Plantations Tbk via a mix of loans and sukuk issuance.
Sources familiar with the matter said that 50% of the acquisition figure of RM 2.26 bil would be financed through a loan with a major European banking group. The remaining funds will be raised through a sukuk issuance.
“The sukuk issuance could be announced as early as late January. The debt will be serviced by the cashflow generated by Felda Investment Corp’s (FIC) assets,” said a source. It is probable that the sukuk would come with an explicit government guarantee, given that Felda is a government-backed agency. This is because most institutional funds – which are the likeliest parties to subscribe to the sukuk – can only purchase high-rated bonds as part of their investment mandate. A guarantee would ensure that the bonds are rated at or close to the top investment grade.

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) is leading a $272m Islamic financing facility for Meydan Group to fund its projects in Dubai. The deal was structured to meet Meydan’s financing objectives, on the back of its ongoing District One Project, a master-planned luxury residential neighborhood in Dubai’s Mohammed Bin Rashid City.
Dubai Islamic Bank and Al Hilal Bank were both mandated lead arrangers for the financing, which matures in December 2018. Tirad Al Mahmoud, CEO of ADIB, said: “[The deal] also evidences the results we are achieving through stepping up our corporate financing activity, with a particular focus on high-growth companies and the real estate sector.” The deal will help utilise financing for the group’s current and future projects including those along the Dubai Water Canal. The funding will also help finance continued investment across all Meydan areas.

Nigeria is looking for financial and legal advisers and trustee firms to organise its first Islamic bond in the domestic market, the country's Debt Management Office (DMO) said on Monday. The Opec member, which is Africa's largest economy, is working on a debut sovereign sukuk but has yet to determine the size of a potential deal. Nigeria, which is in a recession and needs to raise funds to plug a budget deficit, has set up a government committee to advise on the amount to be raised from the Islamic bond sale, the timing and jurisdiction of the issue. Issuance of a sovereign sukuk is part of a plan by Nigeria's debt office to develop alternative sources of funding and to establish a benchmark curve.

The fintech event, held earlier this month, was organised by GlassQube and Startup Weekend, a global movement coordinated by TechStars and supported by Google for Entrepreneurs, with the support of Abu Dhabi Global Market, Abu Dhabi’s financial free zone and financial regulator, and Temenos, a global financial software vendor. It brought together more than 100 developers, designers and aspiring entrepreneurs – many of are at university and some still at school – and challenged them to build a functional minimum viable product.
"We took those products and judged them based on their technical aspects, their commercial viability, how thoughtful those teams were about what is the actual potential of these products and services to find a market," says Bernard Lee, GlassQube’s chief executive and a co-founder.
"What’s important here is that it’s not just an idea. It is how do we take this idea and how do we actually convert it into something that is real? Something that shows how a consumer base can potentially interact with this particular application."

Meezan Bank, Pakistan’s first and largest Islamic bank has recently signed an MoU with Al-Sadiq Consulting Ltd, China’s first Islamic Finance consulting Company to explore opportunities for Islamic finance in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The agreement focuses on the ever-increasing economic participation between Pakistan and China and the opportunities that may be derived from improved Islamic banking channels between the two countries.
The MoU was signed by Mr. Irfan Siddiqui, President & CEO – Meezan Bank and Mr. Ibrahim Ding, Managing Director and Senior Partner – Al-Sadiq Consulting at Meezan Bank’s Head Office, Karachi. A
Meezan Bank has also expressed interest in providing financial, advisory and Shariah-related services to such and similar projects and transactions in collaboration with Al-Sadiq Consultancy. Mr. Irfan Siddiqui, President & CEO – Meezan Bank welcomed the enthusiasm of the Chinese experts/delegate and said, “We are extremely confident that our new partnership with Al-Sadiq Consulting Ltd, China’s first Islamic finance consultancy company will successfully be able to drive more advantages for Islamic finance in the near future.