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Kuwait’s Alafco Aviation Lease and Finance Co. announced that Ahmad Alzabin will no longer be chief executive officer. The deputy CEO of the company - Abulqassim Abdul Ghaffar - will take over his position. Alfaco has not given any information on whether or not Alzabin has stepped down from his position as a chairman.

According to the Economy Minister Sultan Al Mansouri, restructuring of Amlak Finance is considered a particularly complicated problem. However, solution is near. Amlak is currently discussing proposals to restructure bank debt of about US$2 billion (Dh7.34bn). Since the Dubai property crash in 2008, the company has been facing uncertainty in terms of finance due to the suspension of its shares. The authorities treat the situation with renewed urgency. The government of the UAE has summoned a special committee to resolve Amlak's problems.

Bank AlJazira registered a net income of SR 98 million for the fourth quarter of 2012. Compared to Q4 2011 this is a decrease of 11% from SR110 million. The difference compared to Q3 2012 is 25% in favour of Q3. Other important parts of the annual financial results of the bank are a total operating income of SR372 million for the last quarter of 2012 which is a 13% increase to the SR330 million for Q4, 2011. The net special commission income for Q4 2012 registered an increase of 25% from Q4 2011 reaching SR247 million.

The National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) has received the award Dubai Chamber of Commerce '&' Industry Centre for Responsible Business CSR Label. The award is a reflection of the recognition of the bank's responsible and sustainable business practices in the fields environment, marketplace, workplace and community. Senior Manager of Sustainability at NBAD - Belinda Scott - explained that being a major player in the economic development of the country goes hand in hand with caring for the social and environmental effect of the bank's activities.

Due to orders by Dubai's ruler, all legal action in the Dubai International Financial Centre courts involving Amlak Finance were transfered to a special judicial committee outside Dubai's normal legal system. According to a decree, which was issued on December 16th by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, all Dubai courts including those in the DIFC are not allowed consideration and settlement of any application or claim related to Amlak Finance. A decree from 2009 established a special judicial committee which serves to hear claims against Amlak and Tamweel. That decree relocated all cases in the Dubai courts to the committee, did not however discuss cases in the DIFC courts, which have a separate set of procedures based on English common law.

This year, contracts worth $159 billion are to be awarded across the Middle East. Project finance loans are expected to grow almost 15% this year. It is expected that the area of project finance will grow from about $35 billion in 2012 to about $40 billion due to the increase in significance of infrastructure demand. On February 17-20 the Qatar Projects 2013 conference will be held in Doha, organized by Meed Events. The key part of the event will be a comprehensive review of contract financing opportunities and challenges in Qatar.

Emirates NBD surged after the forecast of its Islamic unit that profits would double. The stock gained 6.4% reaching Dh3.31 a share, which is the biggest increase since April 2011. On Wednesday, about 1.3 million shares were traded, which is three times the three-month daily average. The stock is said to be the biggest gainer on the Dubai Financial Market General Index. Emirates Islamic Bank will look for ways to boost net income to Dh150 million this year increasing it from Dh80m in 2012.

According to an announcement by BankDhofar, its Maisarah Islamic banking branch in Azaiba is planned to be opened in the coming weeks. The new branch shall further cement its commitment to putting its customers first, Oman's community and economic stability. A team of highly skilled Islamic banking specialists will operate at the new branch. Most advanced technology aiming to ensure Maisarah operates smoothly will be utilized and a complete suite of services compliant with the Sharia-law will be offered.

Executes, administers and monitors the products and services provided by SABB Amanah and IBSA HSBC to ensure compliance with Shariah rules and guidelines (Fatwas) at all times. Highlights cases of non compliance by a particular team/department and regularly monitors the same to ensure closure of gaps thereby enhancing the Amanah image among its customers and improving the overall profitability of the Business.

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This is a lead role, so only apply if you have deep relationships in Qatar with a lot of experience in the GCC. Arabic speakers/GCC nationals is a benefit but not essential. Department: Corporate Clients/ Commercial Clients/ Financial Institutions/Government/quasi-Government/International Banking Division: Relationship Management Group: Wholesale Banking

High command of broad product range for credit, investment banking, transaction banking and Islamic banking products

Bank Muscat together with the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) were hosts of a workshop on January 15th. The topic of the workshop was Environmental and Social Risk Analysis (ESRA). The event was held under the auspices of Sheikh Mohammed bin Said Al Kalbani, minister of Social Development. The goal of the two-day event at the headquarters of the bank is to identify environmental and social risks in lending and investment projects as a consequence of the activities of the financial and banking sector. Among the participants there were risk managers and analysts from banks, CSR and sustainability professionals, government representatives and consultants.

When last week Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid explained his vision of the emirate becoming a global hub for Islamic finance and economy, the head of Islamic finance structuring at Deutsche Bank (DB) in Dubai Ibrahim Qasim was pleased but not really caught by surprise. He considers the initiative a very positive one and thinks it will solidify Dubai and the UAE's current standing as an important Islamic finance hub. He further explains that the UAE already has an advantage in the area of Islamic economy. DB is prepared to help and support the policymakers of the emirates in their ambitions.

In a recent announcement SHUAA Capital made known that its wholly-owned subsidiary - Gulf Finance Corporation - has engaged with the UAE Central Bank for a license which shall serve to establish an Islamic Window for some of its financing activities. The plans of Gulf Finance include the submission of the necessary applications in the first quarter of 2013. It is expected to be market-ready in the spring of 2013, subject to regulatory approvals. The proposed programme to offer Islamic financial services is consistent with the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. He recently explained the necessity to establish a platform of Islamic economic products and services aiming to grow the Islamic economy.

According to research by Kuwait Finance House, the total of sukuk issuance by end of 2012 has amounted to $131bn. This is an increase of 54% compared to 2011. The total sukuk issuance in December is $8bn marking a 61% increase in comparison with the previous year. Malaysia is the country which issued the most sukuk, followed by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Indonesia.

Abu Dhabi Equity Partners (ADEP) closes first Sharia-compliant agricultural inventory finance transaction in Brazil. The investment deal is a combination of a mix of asset backed financing, capital and profit protection from Global investment bank, five to ten times US Dollar deposit yield pick-up, and global trading houses as counterparties. According to the Managing Partner of the company - Mr. Muneef O. Tarmoom - the combination of "back-to-basics" physical asset backed financing and Global 'A' rated banks' capital and profit protection features enables ADEP to originate financing opportunities with a yeald 5 to 10 times larger than current US Dollar murabaha rates. The company's landmark Brazilian agri-based inventory transaction shall serve to finance a leading sugar and ethanol producer in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

Property lending company Amlak Finance is in discussion with creditors about restructuring about AED7bn (US$1.9bn) of debt. This is the latest try to resurrect a victim of Dubai's property crash. THe creditor committee consists of six members including two government-owned funds, Dubai's largest lender and its biggest Islamic bank. Since November 2008, Amlak has not been able to trade due to suspension of its shares along with Tamweel. At that time, the credit markets had dried up the prices of real estates in Dubai began a slump leading them to a decrease of over 50%.

The countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have a very high chance of success in the development of their financial markets and promoting their competitiveness. This is shown in a recent research by Deutsche Bank. One of the key factors stressed on in the research report is progress made in corporate governance-related matters. The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf countries has made significant advances in establishing effective financial market regulation and oversight as well as a strong grip on market abuse and financial fraud. Continuing to follow this direction and committing the resources needed to achieve optimal consistency and effectiveness in regulation and market supervision is seen as crucial for achieving the goals of financial development and economic diversification.

Alinma Bank registered a net income for the fourth quarter as high as SAR 208 million. Compared to that, it was SAR 136 million in the same period in the previous year. Thus, the increase is 53%. Compared to the third quarter of 2012, the increase is 6%. The total operating income in 2012 reached SAR 490 million, which with SAR 490 million is 0.6% higher than the SAR 487 million for the same quarter of last year.

Standard & Poor's affirmed the rating of the Islamic Development Bank at 'AAA/A-1+'. The stand-alone credit profile of the bank is 'aaa', which is a reflection of the rating agency's assessment of the bank's "very strong" business profile and "extremely strong" financial profile. The outlook is said to be stable. According to expectations, IsDB will continue and maintain its strong credit metrics.

Amlak Finance PJSC is discussing with creditors the restructuring of about US$2 billion of bank and government debt. The negotiations are being held between the company and a committee of five banks representing creditors. Amlak is being advised by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP on the matter. Since the suspension of shares of Amlak and Tamweel PJSC in November 2008 following the blockage of the companies' access to borrowings by the global credit crisis, Amlak has experienced serious losses. In 2011 the company registered a third-quarter loss of 40 million dirhams (US$11 million).