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Barwa Bank has been appointed as one of five Joint Lead Managers for the UK's £200m debut sovereign sukuk. The Qatari lender takes its place alongside HSBC, Standard Chartered, National Bank of Abu Dhabi and CIMB of Malaysia. Of the five banks involved, Barwa Bank is the only Qatari bank selected and the only wholly Shariah-compliant mandated bank on the panel. Britain's first sovereign sukuk delivers on the government's commitment to become the western hub of Islamic finance. Very strong demand for the sukuk is expected, resulting in a price that delivers good value for money.

The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group announced the launch of the US$2 billion Islamic Development Bank Infrastructure Fund II (the IDB Fund II), on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the IDB. The IDB Fund II will have a broad sectorial focus beyond core infrastructure sectors of power, telecommunications, transportation, and will include investment in oil and gas, refinery and petrochemicals, steel and aluminum, mining, logistics and an allocation for healthcare, education, and financial services. Its several founding investors have aggregate commitments totaling US$750 million for the first closing.

Saudi Postal Corporation and Alinma Bank, one of the fastest growing banking institutions in Saudi Arabia, have entered into an agreement with Western Union to offer Western Union money transfer services in the kingdom. Under the agreement, remittance services will be offered through the Ersal money transfer service which is the money transfer joint venture launched by Saudi Post and Alinma Bank in 2013. Starting in Ramadan, the service will be available at 15 post office locations across the kingdom, taking the number of Western Union locations in the country to over 200.

Turkish lender Turkiye Finans Katilim Bankasi plans to sell 3 billion ringgit ($933 million) of Islamic bonds in Malaysia. The bank will initially raise 800 million ringgit with a five-year sukuk on June 30 which will have an annual return of six percent. Sukuk under the programme will have a tenure of one to 20 years. Funds raised will go towards general corporate purposes. The so-called sukuk murabaha will be issued through TF Varlik Kiralama, a wholly-owned unit of Turkiye Finans. Malaysia's RAM Ratings has accorded the programme an indicative long-term rating of AA3. HSBC Amanah Malaysia and Standard Chartered Saadiq are joint advisers.

The spread of Islamic trade finance is boosting demand for Shariah-compliant reinsurance in the Gulf, trade credit insurer Euler Hermes says, predicting the sector could eventually account for over a third of its business in the region. Euler Hermes, part of Germany’s Allianz insurance group, is involved in the business because it is one of the region’s biggest trade credit insurers. The company launched a Shariah-compliant trade credit insurance product in 2008 and the business began growing substantially three years ago, now accounting for about 10% of Euler Hermes’ total GCC business. Euler Hermes’ GCC operations had total turnover exceeding $40mn last year, and exposure to its clients of more than $12bn.

Shareholders of Jaiz Bank Plc yesterday approved the bank's bid to get a national operating licence in order to establish its presence across the country. It also emerged that the bank has grown its assets base to N34 billion as at the end of its 2013 financial year. This represented an increase of 141 per cent compared to the N14 billion recorded in 2012. The bank hopes to acquire the National Operating License before the end of the third quarter, to enable it operate in all the 36 states of the federation. Chairman of the bank, Alhaji Umaru Abdul Mutallab, said that in no distant future, the company would be listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Bank Negara Malaysia is issuing two concept papers on Ijarah and Istisna' for public consultation. The concept paper aims to seek feedback from members of the public, Islamic financial institutions and related stakeholders on the Shariah and operational requirements for the application of ijarah and istisna' contracts.

Background
As part of the initiatives to strengthen the Shariah-compliance practices among Islamic financial institutions (IFIs), Bank Negara Malaysia is developing a Shariah-based regulatory policy with the objective to provide a comprehensive guidance to the lslamic financial industry to enhance end-to-end compliance with Shariah and therefore, ensure the integrity and sustainability of the IFI.

Government-owned Al Hilal Bank PJSC raised $500 million from the sale of perpetual bonds. The Shariah-compliant securities, which don’t mature, will pay a coupon of 5.5 percent. Pricing was tightened from an original guidance of about 6 percent as bids of about $5 billion were received. Al Hilal Bank, Citigroup Inc., Emirates NBD Capital Ltd., HSBC Holdings Plc, National Bank of Abu Dhabi PJSC and Standard Chartered Plc managed Al Hilal’s bond sale. The lender has the fifth-highest investment grade rating at Moody’s Investors Service.

Islamic Bank of Britain plc (IBB) has appointed Sultan Choudhury as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Director. He previously held the position of interim Managing Director of IBB. IBB is celebrating its 10 year anniversary this year and Mr Choudhury is the Bank’s longest-serving employee. He joined IBB when it was formed in 2004 and has since set up the Bank’s Head Office operations and Branch Network. Mr Choudhury has also led the development and implementation of IBB’s full product range and service delivery channels. As CEO, Mr Choudhury is working with IBB’s new parent company on plans to expand property finance to businesses, including development finance.

UK-based retail lender Islamic Bank of Britain (IBB) plans to broaden its product range to win business both locally and across Europe, aided by the backing of its new Qatari shareholder Masraf Al-Rayan. IBB is developing its commercial property business to widen fee-based income as it aims to post a profit for the first time, newly-appointed CEO Sultan Choudhury said. Masraf Al-Rayan in February injected 75.8 million pounds ($129 million) into IBB to support its expansion plans. The bank's property finance business has doubled in size in the last year, which could allow IBB to expand later into Europe, said Choudhury, adding its retail operations would remain focused in the UK. IBB also aims to buy some of the 200 million pounds of sukuk that the British government will issue this week.

Gatehouse?Bank has completed its first real estate financing deal. The £11.7m deal funds a joint venture between Princeton Property Partners and Resolution Property, and will turn an office block in Fitzrovia into eight flats. Meanwhile, Gatehouse Bank has hired Nick Westoby from RBS, Arnaud Schaller from Credit Agricole and Eduardo Martin from Banco Popular Espanol to bolster its real estate financing unit. Gatehouse said it has financing deal worth more than £500m in the pipeline.

The Ghana Islamic Microfinance, the first Shariah-compliant financial institution in Ghana, is to receive the Women’s For Development Award 2014 from the Islamic Development Bank. The award will be presented to the financial institution at an event of the Board of Directors of the Islamic Development Bank, taking place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from June 22 – June 26. Ms Suwaiba Mohammed Amin, the Programmes Manager of Ghana Islamic Micro-finance said the aim of the financial institution is not to bring Shariah law to Ghana but to use its principles to promote ethical financing and fight against the exploitative loans currently going on in the country.

Shaikh Abdulmalik bin Abdullah al Khalili, Minister of Justice, has officially launched the first full-fledged Islamic insurance in the country called Takaful Oman, in the presence of Sayyida Rawan Ahmed al Said, Managing Director and CEO of Takaful Oman Insurance Company, Ahmed Ali al Mamari, Acting General Manager, Directorate of Insurance Supervision, CMA, and a number of dignitaries and senior executives from various sectors at the InterContinental Muscat. Al Madina, which has a customer base of 37,000 policy holders, expects the market to grow between RO60 million to RO70 million in worst case scenario and RO150 million to RO180 million in best case scenario in the next three to five years.

Jaiz foundation, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of Jaiz Bank, has donated relief materials worth N10 million to victims of Boko Haram insurgency in Borno state. The items donated included 200 bags of grains, 1,600 pieces of clothing materials for both men and women, 660 gallons of groundnut oil, among others. Borno state governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, assured that the materials will be distributed to victims of Boko Haram insurgency, especially during the Ramadan. Shettima assured of the state government's readiness to continue to identify with the bank and called on other institutions and corporate bodies to emulate Jaiz and Dangote foundations.

Maybank Islamic Bhd is optimistic of up to 12% growth this year, news that bode well for its parent Malayan Banking Bhd’s (Maybank) aspiration of 15% return on equity (ROE) for 2014. Maybank Islamic accounts for 40% of the group’s revenue and profit for the first-quarter ended March 31, 2014 (1Q14). In 1Q14, total income grew 26% to RM1.319 billion. Nevertheless, pretax profit and zakat for the same period dropped 7% to RM315.1 million, mainly due to the increase in the overhead expenses. This was disclosed at Maybank Islamic launch of its MasterCard Ikhwan Card-i, the bank’s first Mastercard offering.

MAA Group Bhd is caught between Bursa Malaysia’s PN17 rules (practice note) – which requires it to buy another business to lift the status – and the Islamic Services Act 2013, which only allows it to buy a financial services company. MAA has been granted an extension of time of up to July 31, 2014 to submit a regularisation plan to the regulator. The firm is now looking at the takaful market of the Philippines to strengthen its insurance business, and possibly pave the way towards exiting its PN17 status. Chief executive officer Muhamad Umar Swift said that MAA seeks a lifting of the PN17 status by virtue of having a takaful business instead of acquiring another business. He said the group has allocated RM177 million for capitalisation and expansion plans for this year, particularly in the takaful business.

Pakistan's central bank will sell 49.5 billion rupees ($503.8 million) of Islamic bonds, the country's first such issuance in 15 months, with pricing to be set on Wednesday. The sukuk will inject a much-needed liquidity management tool for the domestic Islamic banking industry. The appetite for local currency sukuk has grown with Islamic banks posting double-digit asset growth, but the government has been unable to match demand, constraining the sector's financing and investment capability. The government has not indicated whether it would issue more local currency sukuk this year, although the finance ministry has said it was considering issuing dollar-denominated sukuk.

The Islamic Development Bank Group is holding its Annual Meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from 22-26 June 2014 and celebrating the IDB’s 40th Year Anniversary. The meetings will be attended by finance and economy ministers of the (56) member countries and more than 1,000 delegates. The Annual Meeting of the IDB Group will take place over a five-day period in conjunction with sub-meetings. Meanwhile, on the occasion of the 40th Anniversary of the IDB Group, a number of events will be held including a forum titled “Fostering Dynamic Ecosystems in Developing Economies”, which will be held on June 23, 2014. In addition, an exhibition on innovation will be held alongside the Annual Meeting, with more than 40 innovative projects and solutions from 19 member countries.

Fitch Ratings has affirmed the Islamic Development Bank's (IDB) Long-term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'AAA' with a Stable Outlook and its Short-term IDR at 'F1+'. The affirmation and Stable Outlook reflect the following key rating factors: IDB is one of the strongest-capitalised multilateral development banks rated by Fitch, with an equity-to-assets ratio of 54% and a debt-to-equity ratio of 79.5% at end-1434H (3 November 2013). Credit risk remains moderate, other risks are manageable. Profits are moderate compared with commercial banks, but are steady and in line with peers, ensuring regular equity strengthening. Shareholder support, a secondary rating driver, remains strong.

The investment banking arm of Saudi Arabia’s Al Rajhi Bank has received regulatory approval for its first mutual fund that will invest in sukuk. Interestingly, Al Rajhi has never raised money through a sukuk issue itself. The fund, in the pipeline since 2012, has reportedlly been prompted by a growing number of client inquiries about investing in sukuk. Sukuk issuance in Saudi Arabia rose to the equivalent of $15.2 billion through 20 deals last year, compared to $11.2 billion through 18 deals in 2012. However, a number of the kingdom’s sharia scholars view trading in sukuk as outright trading of debt, which is banned by Islamic principles.