IslamicFinance.de

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.

The UAE was ranked first in Islamic trading among members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in 2012, with trade valued at $91.3 billion. The UAE accounted for 13.40 per cent of the volume of trade between member countries, said Ambassador Hameed Opeloyeru, Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs of OIC, in a statement on the sidelines of the preparatory meeting for the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (COMCEC).

Qatar's Barwa Bank has been appointed by the International Finance Facility for Immunisation Company (IFFIm) as Joint Lead Manager (JLM) and bookrunner for a benchmark medium term sukuk issue. Rated AA by Standard and Poor's, Aa1 by Moody's and AA+ by Fitch, IFFIm, for which the World Bank acts as Treasury Manager, has mandated Barwa Bank , amongst four other banks, to arrange investor meetings in the Middle East, with a sukuk expected to follow the roadshow. The proceeds of the sukuk will be used to provide free vaccines and related health system strengthening support to many of the world's poorest nations.

The total value of investment revenues of Arab Orient Takaful Insurance within the first quarter of the fiscal year 2014/2015 inched by 38% to EGP5.8 million in compared to EGP4.2 million within the same period of the previous year. Mohamed Akef, deputy executive director of financial and administrative affairs of the company explained that the allocated investment revenues reached EGP3.971 million at the end of September while the unallocated investment revenues were EGP1.821 million in the same period. The total value of premiums which attained by Arab Orient Takaful in the first quarter of the fiscal year of 2014/2015 reached EGP63.8 million in compared to EGP52 million in the same period of the previous year, he asserted.

The Arabia CSR Network brings the GRI G4 training in the Arabic Language for the first time to the Arab world. The training will be held on the 17th -18th December in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The move is a significant step for Sustainability reporting in the region and will support the regional and national strategies that call for organisations to report on their sustainability performance. The training course will be attended by multi-sectoral participants who will benefit from cross fertilization of ideas and experience. G4, GRI's latest sustainability reporting framework was released last year.

Emirates Islamic has announced a philanthropic community initiative to collect donations on behalfof Dubai Health Authority (DHA) for their MOSA'ADAH charity programme. MOSA'ADAH aims to help patients and familieswho cannot afford medical treatment,as well as contribute to projects in support of hospital equipment and medical facilities. As part of this initiative, Emirates Islamic customers can donate funds to MOSA'ADAH under a specially created charity account: Emirates Islamic 0384 540010 001 under 'MOSA'ADAH'. Donations can be made through any Emirates Islamic branch, ATM or CDM across the UAE or via online banking and by SMS. Previously the Bank made contributions to DHA to support Dubai Hospital and Rashid Hospital in purchasing new medical equipment.

The Islamic International Rating Agency (IIRA) has reaffirmed a national scale rating of A+/A-1(sr) (A plus/A-One) to Bank AlJazira ( BAJ), incorporated in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. IIRA has also reaffirmed the bank's international scale ratings at A-/A-2 (A Minus/A-Two). Outlook on the ratings is 'Stable'. BAJ has posted continued business growth over the years. Moreover, capital adequacy ratio (CAR) has remained consistently above 15% over the last 5 years, sustaining the increased business levels. BAJ 's fiduciary score has been assessed in the range of '71-75', reflecting adequate fiduciary standards. The overall governance framework and practices are largely at par with international best practices.

Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) and Paris Dauphine University (UPD) have entered into a landmark agreement to extend cooperation in Islamic Finance education and training. Both parties will work closely to design programs and initiatives in Islamic Finance tailored for the GCC and MENA regions. They will also jointly develop curricula that will give full credit for courses taken in either of the institutions.

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.

The IREF Summit 2014 will be taking place on the 16th-17th December 2014 in London. The theme 'Real Estate - The Asset Class of 2014 & Beyond: Sustainability & Innovation in an Ever-Changing Global Real Estate Market', is gathering speakers from the UK, Middle East & Asia. The session themes are focused and aimed at providing a platform to discourse the pertinent current themes and trends marking the sector, with a particular emphasis on the Islamic real estate finance market segment. On the evening of the first day of the IREF Summit, ICG will once again host the 2014 IREF ME Gala Dinner Awards Ceremony. For further information on the Summit, how to nominate and attend the Gala Dinner Awards Ceremony, please visit www.irefsummit.co.uk or contact info@icg-events.com.

Islamic Bank of Britain (IBB) has announced the promotion of Matthew Glover to the newly created positon of Head of IT & Change. Mr Glover's remit is to manage the Bank's transformation programme as it enters a period of expansion. His is the third senior appointment this year, including Keith Leach as Chief Commercial Office and the confirmation of Sultan Choudhury as Chief Executive Officer. All three appointments have followed the Bank's acquisition, in early 2014, by Masraf Al Rayan (QSC). Since then, IBB's new parent has invested £100milion of capital to support the Bank's ambitious growth targets. IBB also recently announced that subject to formal shareholder approval, it will be changing its name from Islamic Bank of Britain to Al Rayan Bank, in December 2015.

Saudi Arabia's Kafala loan guarantee program proves to be a vital conduit between banks and smaller businesses, a report recently produced by the global publishing firm Oxford Business Group (OBG) revealed. The Report: "Saudi Arabia 2014" provides extensive coverage on the national drive to boost lending activity and facilitate growth in the Kingdom's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The report also looks in detail at the impact of e-banking and online services. Facing lengthy bureaucratic procedures and licensing is a big problem for SMEs. Another problem is accounting, as most SMEs are single proprietor companies, and the distinction between company and private assets is often hazy.

Saudi Arabia will again host the CSR Forum to be held 24- 26 November 2014 in Jeddah. The forum will gather representatives of corporate organizations, ministries and other government bodies, NGOs, foundations, universities and SMEs, who will discuss topics including how to embed corporate and social sustainability into CSR programmes to drive community development, strengthen education delivery and empower the Kingdom's youth. Employment generation and the development of women are other key topics on the agenda. More information can be found on www.csrsummitsaudi.com .

Dubai Islamic Bank CEO Adnan Chilwan has no doubt that Dubai is well-poised to become the global capital of Islamic economy. The key sectors such as real estate, travel, tourism, hospitality, healthcare, and education are equally poised for future growth. Keeping this in mind, there's an overwhelming support from the government as the setting up of Dubai's Islamic Economic Development Center has just shown, he said. However, there are challenges like skill, efficiency and investor confidence. And most of these challenges can be overcome just by pure innovation, Chilwan believes. About Dubai Islamic Bank, he said that service and innovation are a very integral part of its strategy.

There has been a surge in UAE's Islamic banking and capital market activities, but more government support at policy level could help speedy growth of the industry, said Hussain Al Qemzi, Group CEO, Noor Investment Group and CEO Noor Bank. Data suggests that Islamic banks’ asset growth is outstripping their conventional peers in the Gulf region especially in Saudi Arabia and Qatar due to government support. As the biggest borrowers, government entities in the Gulf need to push Islamic structures. Going forward, more Islamic issuances, especially by players who have already transacted conventional issuances, will provide greater depth to the market and confidence to investors who are yet to invest in Islamic instruments.

The Muslim world must focus on efforts to rediscover Islamic principles and promote regional cooperation in order to successfully overcome economic challenges, The Hon. Dato' Sri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister of International Trade and Industry, Malaysia, stated during a panel discussion on the opening day of the 10th World Islamic Economic Forum in Dubai yesterday. The minister added that Malaysia is ready to share its experiences in economic prosperity with other countries. The 10th World Islamic Economic Forum, which runs until Thursday, October 30, is being organised by the WIEF Foundation in collaboration with Dubai Chamber.

Economic strategist James Rickards, pointing to another collapse of the international monetary system will reveal to global financial experts in Dubai next month how new "rules of the game" will be written to prevent disaster. The American lawyer, economist, investment banker and author, says investors should not be surprised if another collapse happens soon, following previous breakdowns of the system in 1914, 1939 and 1971. His presentation will show what those new rules of the game might look like, and helps investors understand what they can do today in their portfolios to preserve wealth in the collapse and prosper in the new system. Rickards is one of the speakers at the ICA Conference taking place in Dubai from 6-9 November.

Islamic Bank of Britain (IBB) plans to change its name to Al Rayan Bank PLC, subject to formal shareholder approval. The change will be completed in December 2014. The rebrand follows IBB's acquisition, earlier in the year, by Qatar-based Masraf Al Rayan (MAR). Rebranding activity will involve the introduction of a new Al Rayan Bank logo and brand identity. It will continue to operate as a UK regulated bank, and customers' deposits will remain protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. With an increased focus on corporate and real estate finance, Al Rayan Bank will develop its presence in London. Its retail banking and operational head quarters will remain in Birmingham.

Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Sustainability Network members, in cooperation with the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP), took part in a 'Rice Bowl Challenge' to raise awareness amongst employees on the issue of hunger and mobilise funds for WFP in the fight against world hunger on World Food Day. The Rice Bowl Challenge was a call to corporates to replace their regular lunch with a bowl of plain rice for the day. It was carried out under the umbrella of 'Eat and Feed' a fundraising initiative by the Al Aroud Group a member of the Dubai Chamber Sustainability Network. The funds collected will go to the WFP to provide food assistance to families most in need across the Middle East.