IslamicFinance.de

Islamic bonds, led by securities in the Arabian Gulf, underperformed emerging-market debt in February as spreading unrest across the Middle East caused the biggest monthly rise in yields since May.
Investors are shunning Middle East assets as protests expanded to Oman, Bahrain, Yemen and Libya, holder of the largest proven oil reserves in Africa. Moody’s Investors Service and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank say Islamic bonds aren’t likely to recover unless demonstrations that have toppled Tunisia’s and Egypt’s rulers and killed hundreds end soon.

ABC Islamic Bank expects to expand its customer base and develop new products this year as customers' appetite for borrowing returns.
The subsidiary of Bahrain-based Arab Banking Corporation on Thursday posted a net profit of $2.1 million this year compared to $10.1 million in 2009.

Dow Jones Islamic Market Index (DJIM) suffered the largest losses in February. Political crisis and civil unrest in Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Yemen, Morocco, escalating even to a civil war like in Libya, weighed on the markets.
The turmoil led the DJIM Kuwait Index to drop 8.64% . DJ Dubai Financial Market (DFM) Titans 10 Index lost 4.83%.These declines stand in stark contrast to the rise in energy prices, which usually lift Middle Eastern markets.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services placed its 'BBB' long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on Bahrain-based insurer Takaful International Co. BSC on CreditWatch with negative implications.
This rating action follows the recent downgrade of the long-term local currency sovereign rating on the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Some economists and bankers in Bahrain blamed the hesitant approach of the Central Bank of Bahrain for failing to identify problems in the country's banking sector in the lead-up to the crisis. That is the oppinion of WikiLeak.
The alleged cable was sent on November 24 2009 by Joseph Adam Ereli, the United States' ambassador in Bahrain to the US Secretary of State.

The political conflict that has spread to Bahrain, Libya, Yemen and Morocco will make it more expensive for companies to issue Islamic bonds in the region and in Malaysia. The Asian nation is attractive to borrowers because of its lower yields.
But spreading unrest across the Middle East may be encouraging Shariah-compliant investors to increase purchases of Asian assets and will spur sales of Islamic bonds.

Bank of London and The Middle East (BLME) has received a licence from the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) to open its regional office in the Kingdom.
LME provides a wide range of services and advice to businesses and individuals, with a strong focus on Europe, the Mena region, as well as the US.
The opening of the Bahrain office, BLME’s first overseas office in the Gulf region, reinforces its ambition to provide a bridge between the UK and the GCC to offer a range of investment opportunities to the global investment community.

A long-touted Islamic megabank has received approval from Bahrain and a preliminary green light from Malaysia to begin operations.
Saudi Arabia's Sheikh Saleh Kamel said the venture is still in discussions with Qatar to obtain a licence.

Bahrain's Gulf Finance House (GFH) has announced the appointment of Kuwait Investment Co (KIC) to assist the Islamic lender with the recapitalization and raising up to $500m program through a convertible Murabaha as part of the restructuring plan agreed to by shareholders.

The Bank of London and The Middle East has been granted a licence by the Central Bank of Bahrain to open an office in the kingdom. The bank is a Financial Services Authority authorised independent wholesale Sharia-compliant bank based in London.

Viva Bahrain has signed a $280 million Shariah compliant financing facility with two of the region’s key financial institutions, HSBC and Saudi-based Samba.
The facility is seen as a highly sought after opportunity to establish long term business partnership with Saudi Telecom Company's wholly-owned subsidiary brand named Viva in Bahrain.

The downgrade of the BFSR and issuer ratings of Bahrain Islamic Bank reflects
- the difficult market conditions in which Bahraini banks continue to operate;
- the bank's deteriorated asset quality and heightened provisioning needs;
- Bahrain Islamic Bank's weak financial performance stemming from the cost of concentration risks materialising in heavy losses for two consecutive years;
- uncertainties over the bank's ultimate shareholding structure.

Norton Rose (Middle East) LLP confirms that Dubai-based partner and Global Head of Islamic Finance, Neil D Miller will be retiring from the practice on 2 April 2011.
Neil will be joining one of the big four professional services firms in Dubai, where he will lead the establishment of a global Islamic financial advisory business.
Norton Rose Group’s award winning global Islamic practice will be led by three partners who will act as regional heads. Mohammed Paracha, based in Bahrain, will be responsible for the Middle East and Africa, Farmida Bi in London for Europe and Davide Barzilai in Hong Kong for Asia Pacific.

Arcapita Bank B.S.C. announced today that it and its affiliates have completed the sale of a portfolio of 29 senior living communities in the United States.
The portfolio is being acquired by a joint venture between Sunrise Senior Living, Inc. and CNL Lifestyle Properties, Inc. for a total transaction value of US$630 million. Returns to investors will exceed the projections made at the outset of the investment seven years ago.

The nation’s Islamic capital market is seen as being intelligently positioned within the evolving Islamic financial-services industry.
As one of the panel members at the 17th Annual World Islamic Banking Conference 2010 (WIBC 2010) in Manama, Bahrain, Zakariya cited two key factors that must be taken into consideration when tackling legal constraints namely the competency of the civil courts in hearing Islamic banking and finance cases, as well as the adherence to a recognised body such as the Syariah Advisory Council of Bank Negara, or Securities Commission of Malaysia.

In order to meet the banking needs of corporates in Bahrain and Bangladesh, HSBC Amanah has launched a range of products and services.
HSBC Amanah corporate banking products available in Bahrain include business accounts, investment solutions, working capital finance solutions, trade finance solutions.
HSBC Amanah is also planning to open a branch dedicated to Shariah-compliant banking in Bangladesh this December.

The Central Bank of Bahrain wants to reinvent Islamic finance as it suggests that smaller players may be squeezed out of the US$1tn market as regulatory standards tighten.
Governor Rasheed Al-Maraj told the 17th annual World Islamic Banking Conference in Bahrain that Sharia compliant institutions must rethink their business model as credit and growth levels enjoyed prior to the 2007-8 crisis are unlikely return.

The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector launched the Ijarah Management Services Company (IMC), which will be based in Bahrain.
The chief executive officer of ICD, Khaled Al-Aboodi, hopes the IMC will work with various governments and its agencies in developing leasing industries and leasing laws in countries, where leasing is still not developed.

Abdulhakeem Yaqoob Alkhayyat, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Kuwait Finance House
- Bahrain gives Robin Amlôt the low down on Islamic high finance.
The bank mainly invests URIA funds in its general financing portfolio. It also offers investment savings, current and electronic accounts.
A notable innovation is the Baytik Ijara card which is the world's first Islamic financing card that allows cardholders to acquire durable goods on a lease-to-own basis. Its corporate finance products are wide-ranging and include Ijara and Ijara Wa Iqtina, Istisna'a, Murabaha, Salam, Musharaka, Mudharaba and Riba Al-Fadl.

The asset-backed sukuk is set to be reality soon largely due to the efforts of the International Islamic Financial Market (IIFM) to develop a master agreement on this new form of Islamic bonds.
All concerned parties have been consulted to prepare a master agreement paving the way for a shift from the asset-based to asset-backed sukuk, or Islamic bond structure.
Besides the founding members, IIFM is supported by its permanent members, namely State Bank of Pakistan and Dubai International Financial Center Authority.