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The NBAD Islamic MENA Growth Fund has been named the Best Islamic Fund 2014 by Global Islamic Finance Awards. The Fund invests in a balanced portfolio of equities based on Islamic Shari’ah principles, with a view to achieve capital growth, primarily in the MENA. NBAD’s award-winning Asset Management Group, designed and manage NBAD Islamic MENA Growth Fund and various other products, which include conventional and Islamic offerings ranging from equity funds and fixed income funds to exchange-traded funds (ETF), structured products, and discretionary portfolios and advisory services. NBAD’s Asset Management Group manages assets in excess of AED 11.28 billion.

EIIB-Rasmala, a Dubai-based investment bank and asset manager, is moving to buy the remaining 49 per cent of an associate company based in Egypt. The takeover of Rasmala Egypt Asset Management (Ream) follows new strategic initiatives for next year. EIIB-Rasmala is now opening discussions with potential joint venture partners to expand its investment activities in both Egypt and other parts of Africa, its chief executive Zak Hydari said. In November, EIIB-Rasmala announced it was finalising the launch of two leasing fund strategies and planning to expand its UAE property business. The Dubai investment bank also said it expected to raise about US$1 billion for its growing leasing and alternatives business and approximately $250m to invest in a broad mix of property transactions in the United Kingdom.

The Middle East and North Africa is in dire need of entrepreneurial growth and opportunities. However, research from the Wamda Research Lab highlights substantial challenges preventing companies from receiving the funding they need to grow. In the recent report, Enhancing Access: Assessing the Funding Landscape for MENA’s Startups, a sample of 254 companies analyzed that have received equity investment as well as 65 institutions providing funding to entrepreneurs in the region. To capitalize on the region's burgeoning startup community, the supporting ecosystem will need to understand the most appropriate sizes, types and frequency of funding that its most promising companies need.

Last week, the Chairman of the IDB Group, Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, signed a US$ 50 million agreement with Dr. Mohammed Saeed Al-Sa’adi, Yemeni Minister of Planning and International Cooperation and IDB Governor for Yemen. The agreement aims to provide economic empowerment to the needy Yemeni youth and families by contributing to capacity building and providing them with production inputs for job creation in various fields such as construction of rural roads, coffee cultivation etc. The financing arrangement is expected to pay great attention to employment of less-privileged females as well as the youth who will be employed in these projects. The agreement comes within the framework of the US$ 250 million Youth Employment Support (YES) Program launched by the IDB in 2011.

Tadhamon International Islamic Bank, a Sharia'a-compliant Bank licensed by the Central Bank of Yemen, has announced management changes in its investment arm in Bahrain, Tadhamon Capital BSC, by appointing Mr. Ahmed Hatam Sultan as its new Chief Executive Officer. In addition and as part of Tadhamon Capital's new changes, the company has appointed Mr. Hesham Al Gassab as the Executive Director of Investments overlooking the investment portfolio managed by the company and Mr. Maisarh Yaseen Omar as Director of the Treasury Department. Tadhamon Capital specializes in structuring and managing new investments and products across its business lines, consisting of Real Estate, Alternative Investments, Treasury & Capital Markets and Investor Relations.

Tunisia, where citizens started voting for a new parliament, plans to raise $500 million from the sale of sukuk by the end of November, according to Finance Minister Hakim Ben Hammouda. Consultations with Citigroup Inc., Natixis SA, Standard Chartered Plc and Qatar-based QInvest are ongoing, Hammouda said. Former Finance Minister Elyes Fakhfakh in July 2013 said the nation would raise as much as $700 million from the sale of Islamic bonds, the same month it approved a sukuk law. Tunisians cast ballots for a new parliament today, marking a milestone in the North African nation’s transition to democracy following the ouster of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali more than three years ago. Results are expected Oct. 29, and presidential elections are scheduled for next month.

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Morocco's BMCE Bank is preparing to launch an Islamic subsidiary as a joint venture with a major Islamic financial institution from the Middle East. Moreover, the Moroccan parliament is discussing a bill that would regulate Islamic banks and sukuk issues; approval is expected before the end of this year. Meanwhile, Tunisia is gearing up for its first sovereign sukuk issue, and in July, regulators in Jordan introduced rules for sukuk. Banks from Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have expressed interest in entering Morocco when its Islamic finance bill comes into force. Moroccan authorities are expected to guide the foreign banks toward partnering with local banks rather than establishing fully owned Islamic subsidiaries.

The Middle East conflict raises concerns over the general outlook for the sukuk market. But portfolio managers remain positive both on fundamentals and technicals for sukuk as they also offer a potentially attractive alternative amid prospects of rising interest rates. Sukuk are considered as an attractive option for those whose mandate allows to test new boundaries. Mohieddine Kronfol, chief investment officer of Global Sukuk and MENA fixed income at Franklin Templeton Investments said, that "the lower duration and persistent strong demand from Islamic financial institutions should continue to support the market and allow it to perform well relative to other fixed income sectors, particularly those that have higher average durations."

The Republic of Tunisia has sent banks request for proposals for a potential US dollar denominated sukuk transaction. The sovereign, rated Ba3/B/BB-, hopes to complete the debut Islamic bond by the end of the year and thereby becoming the fifth sovereign to issue a debut sukuk this year, after the UK, Sharjah, Hong Kong, South Africa and Luxembourg.

World Bank and IMF annual meetings began in Washington. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagardes opening remarks addressed inclusive growth for the MENA region. The growth is projected to average 4.2 percent in 2015, up from 3.5 percent this year. The World Bank adds though, that violent conflicts in the region in countries such as Syria, Iraq, Gaza, Yemen and Libya, as well as their effects into neighboring countries like Lebanon and Jordan, were seriously hampering regional growth. The region is said to thus have “great potential”.

As the government and consumers adapt to troubled financial conditions, there is growing support for financial products and institutions in Tunisia that correspond to principles of traditional Islamic law. Tunisia’s government has even discussed plans to issue a sukuk, to raise $700 million this year. Proponents of Islamic finance say the industry is still underdeveloped in North Africa. There is significant potential for growth in the region, however, particularly in Tunisia. In June, Thomson Reuters released a report on the Islamic finance industry in the country called ”Cautiously Optimistic Tunisia.” The reports findings highlight the prospects as well as the challenges of Islamic finance in Tunisia.

On 24 July, under the auspices of the Prime Minister Dr Abdullah Ensour, Jordan officially inaugurated regulations for the issuance of Sukuk. The inauguration ceremony was organized by the Jordan Securities Commission ( JSC ) and followed its conclusion of the preparation of all legislation and instructions required by the Islamic Finance Sukuk Law No. 30/2012 and legislation governing the issuance process of Sukuk for all economic activities in both the public and private sectors alike. Available structures include Ijara, Mudaraba and Musharaka. The Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) is a regular player in the bonds market. A clear signal to local financiers and corporates would be an Islamic issuance by the CBJ, now that the legal framework is in place.

Egypt's Wethaq Takaful Insurance has purchased EGP 17 million worth of investment certificates to fund the new waterway along the Suez Canal, said General Manager of Financial and Administration Affairs Abd El Aziz Labib. Labib referred to the Suez Canal investment certificate as a guaranteed saving pool, at an interest rate of 12%, which is higher than those invested in the Treasury bill and bonds. Furthermore, the Egyptian official said Wethaq Takaful's portfolio of total investments reached EGP 230 million by end of last fiscal year 2013/2014. The company plans to boost its investment portfolio to EGP 250 million by end of the current fiscal year.

Egypt said on Sunday it expected to receive around $425 million in funding from the Islamic Development Bank to develop an oil refinery in Assiut and an airport in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. The first agreement is for $198 million earmarked for the refinery. A further $226.8 million (not $8.23 million) will go towards the first phase of the Sharm el-Sheikh airport project. Egypt has requested a further $223.2 million for the second phase of the project. The Islamic Development Bank made financing contributions worth about $1.85 billion in Egypt between July 2013 and August 2014. The country will also seek external sources of funding for other development projects.

Egypt's President Abdel-Fatah Al-Sisi has ordered the formation of an independent Zakat House with the purpose of raising charity funds in accordance with Sharia. A presidential decree stipulated the formation of a charity fund called Zakat House, which will have a legal jurisdiction and will be financially and administratively independent, but will be overseen by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar. The decree aims at receiving Zakat, alms, donations, and subventions from Muslim citizens to spend them on the development of the individual and society as stipulated by Sharia law. The board of trustees which will manage the fund will include a number of public figures with backgrounds in Sharia law, economics, finance and business.

Morocco's Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) weighed in on the Islamic bank bill on August 28th, proposing two changes. Two negative remarks were made by the CESE. The first related to a lack of consumer information necessary to avoid unfair marketing by Islamic banks. The second dealt with the need to clarify the roles of the National Council of Ulema and the central bank in the oversight of the sector. However, civil society activist and CESE member Hakima Naji opposed the intervention of the High Council of Ulema in the financial sector. She criticised the idea of religious management of finance and said that the central bank had the necessary ability to both traditional and Islamic banks.

Takaud, the Bahrain-based specialist savings and pensions provider for the MENA region, has announced the appointment of an experienced sales management team, which will be based in Bahrain. The new appointments include Loay Ragheb as Chief Distribution Officer and Jason Reeves and Nabil Karameh both as Senior Managers responsible for regional distribution. Eric Van Biesen, Acting Chief Executive Officer TAKAUD, said, that the new appointments underpin the company's focus on expanding direct and third party distribution channels (banks, financial intermediaries, professional consultants), in order to support the on-going rollout of innovative savings and pension solutions for both Retail and Corporate clients across the region.

Managing Director of Egyptian Takaful Company (Life) GIG Hisham Abdel Shakour revealed that the company plans activating marketing its products through Audi and Abu Dhabi Islamic banks by October. Abdel Shakour explained that GIG obtained the initial approval of Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority ( EFSA ) to start activating its various products via the two banks' branches along with obtaining the approval of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE). GIG is still waiting EFSA 's final approval to activate this new marketing activity in Egypt, Abdel Shakour added. The company is planning promoting new five products according to the new marketing system as it contributes to facilitate for the customer to obtain automatically policies with high speed.

L’assurance islamique, dite “takaful”, débarque en Algérie grâce à la compagnie Salama Assurances Algérie. La compagnie algérienne prévoit de lancer des produits d’assurance islamique, soit l’équivalent de la mutualité, dans un proche avenir, comme l’a indiqué Abdelhakim Hadjou, son directeur général. Selon ce dernier, le fait que la législation algérienne n’encadre pas encore ce type d’assurances ne sera pas un frein à la commercialisation de ce service. Il peut y avoir dans les mois à venir un intérêt. On a même parlé de cela au Parlement avec la participation des banques. Il y a eu débat sur l’opportunité de légiférer sur le takaful, a-t-il ainsi déclaré.