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While Islamic banking is on a solid path to form competitive ecosystems within the global finance industry, takaful is still an underperformer within the sector. A look at the figures shows that takaful remains a small-volume and fragmented industry with total contributions of just $25bn and only around 300 takaful and retakaful operators worldwide. In comparison, the global volume of life- and non-life insurance was worth $3.6tn in contributions in 2016, according to figures from Allianz Group. According to Deloitte, the challenges are underdeveloped risk management and internal controls, improvable operational and business excellence, achieving better product governance and strategy, governance and regulatory compliance and a lack of talent building. Adding to these issues is that takaful is currently concentrated on just a few world regions. Most Islamic jurisdictions have untapped market potentials, but takaful operators are struggling with product innovation and general outreach to uninsured persons.

The entire business of Solidarity General Takaful (SGT) is proposed to be transferred to Al Ahlia Insurance Company. The Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) received separate applications from SGT and Al Ahlia. SGT has applied to transfer its business to Al Ahlia and be dissolved under article 66 of CBB Law. SGT, a subsidiary of Solidarity Group Holding, is aiming to consolidate its position through the merger. The combined entity, which would be named Solidarity Bahrain, will have a paid-up capital of BD11.2 million and an estimated 15% market share with 10 branches, making it the largest takaful company in the country. In order to facilitate the merger, Al Ahlia shareholders approved the conversion of the insurance licence from conventional to takaful. Last year, Solidarity acquired a majority stake in Bahrain Bourse (BHB)-listed Al Ahlia Insurance Company via an open offer in a deal worth BD10.7m. Officials had said then that Al Ahlia would continue to be listed on BHB.

Islamic insurers in the GCC will probably continue to face headwinds, despite a better overall. The forcasted slowdown follows years of annual growth in gross premiums of up to 20 %, which was mainly driven by the introduction of new mandatory covers, as well as strong increases in premium rates in Saudi Arabia, as new covers and actuarial pricing guidelines were adopted, S&P Global Ratings noted yesterday.
“Now that more policies are adequately priced, overall premium growth has slowed,” said S&P Global Ratings’ credit analyst Emir Mujkic. “The slowdown in premium growth has also been influenced by lower economic activity across all GCC states, as governments are trying to reduce or delay their spending due to lower revenues from hydrocarbon sales,” Mujkic added.

Deux banques islamiques ou ''participatives'' ont démarré mercredi 26 juillet 2017 officiellement leurs activités au Maroc. Le takaful n’existant pas encore sur le marché, explique Adnane El Guetari, le directeur général d'Umnia Bank. Si les Umnia Bank et Bank Assafa se sont engagées dans ce créneau pour des opérations de base, toute la profession attend cependant la réaction de la Banque centrale du Maroc, Bank Al Maghirb, et les modèles de contrats contrat ijara et au placement des dépôts d’investissements. Selon l’agence américaine de notation Standard & Poor's, la finance islamique pourrait représenter entre 10 et 20% du système bancaire du Maroc.

Health insurer Saudi Enaya has joined hands with Shariyah Review Bureau, a global Sharia Advisory firm, to offer Sharia-compliant value creating policies. CEO Lee Shurey stated that offering Sharia compliant products provides a tremendous opportunity to strengthen Enaya’s position in the region. The company had already identified Islamic cooperative insurance as a major potential more than three years ago. Enaya's HR director Moneer Brembali said that the insurer has undertaken several initiatives over the years and this agreement with SRB is another demonstration of their commitment to customers. He added that SRB’s Sharia Review Certification and Audit experience will complement the company's knowledge. SRB is a Sharia Advisor which currently serves 24% of the Saudi Cooperative Insurance market in the kingdom. It also has an established record of innovation to expand and improve leading insurance practices.

#Kenya’s first fully Shariah compliant bank Gulf African is banking on a Shariah compliant insurance premium financing facility. The regular Insurance Premium Financing (IPF) enables customers to cover costs of immediate insurance premiums while spreading repayment over an agreed period. This Shariah compliant IPF enables the lender to enter into an agreement with both the insurer and the insured. The bank pays the full insurance premium of the insured immediately while operating under the Tawarruq model. Gulf African Bank CEO Bdalla Abdulkhalik said this policy will act as security for the bank and customers will also enjoy effortless renewals as agreed upon. Gulf African Bank will also act as the billing and collecting agent.

According to the Global Takaful Report 2017, the Takaful industry has grown in double digits across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in recent years. Between 2012 and 2015 the GCC markets grew by a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18%. While South East Asia reported a negative growth of 4% due to currency depreciation, Africa reported a CAGR of 19% during the same period. According to Safder Jaffer, Consulting Actuary at Milliman, Saudi Arabia is the largest Takaful market with a gross written contribution (GWC) of $9.7 billion (Dh35.62 billion) in 2015. The Saudi market is dominated by general insurance with limited life insurance business. GCC markets continue to dominate general takaful whereas South East Asia continues to dominate life takaful. In the GCC, family takaful achieved a record growth of 34% in 2015. Global takaful GWC is estimated at $14.9 billion as at the close of 2015. There is strong growth in overall global takaful market in the range of 13 to 14% each year. The split of the family and general takaful market in 2015 is approximately 17% and 83% respectively.

The Kenyan Treasury will push through the country’s first Sukuk bond in the coming year. The changes will see the Public Finance Management Act amended to allow the issuance of the bond, which has been in the works since 2014.
Treasury CS Henry Rotich said that the Capital Markets Act, the Co-operatives Societies Act and Sacco Societies Act are also lined up for ammendment.
The government plans to borrow up to Sh256 billion from external sources in the next fiscal year, to plug a budget deficit of Sh524 billion. The State has in the recent past taken up foreign loans in form of the Eurobond and syndicated loans from commercial lenders. Kenya has been mulling over a Sukuk bond for the past two fiscal years, given its highly discounted nature, which would provide cheaper financing compared to commercial loans. The lack of the necessary regulatory framework has, however, delayed this option. In the current fiscal year, Kenya has turned to syndicated loans to finance part of her budget deficit. These loans include the just signed $800 million loan from four international banks, and a similar $500 million facility taken from the African Export-Import bank.

Takaful Ikhlas aims to introduce its online platform for basic term life insurance to encourage youths to obtain insurance coverage. Senior Vice-President, Wan Rosli Shaharuddin Wan Yaacob is optimistic the online platform will attract youths as they will be able to compare the products' features, policies, as well as pricing via the platform. He said Malaysians below 35 years old currently constituted the largest group in the country who have yet to be covered by any insurance company. According to Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Financial Stability and Payments Report 2016, Malaysia's overall insurance penetration remained flat, within the range of 54% to 56% over the last five years. The central bank had earlier set the penetration rate target at 75% by 2020. It specifies that standalone protection products must be available through direct channels from Jan 1, 2017, followed by critical illness and medical and health insurance/takaful products by Jan 1, 2018.

The insurance sector across the GCC is expected to report growth in gross premiums on continued growth in infrastructure investment and favourable regulatory changes. S&P Global Ratings analyst Emir Mujkic said gross premiums will increase in 2017 by around 30% in Kuwait, and by up to 10% in the other three markets. GDP growth will range between 1.5% for Kuwait and about 3.5% for Qatar. The Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) is expected to support the efforts of the traffic police to ensure drivers of illegally uninsured vehicles to buy motor coverage. There are currently 2.5 million Saudi nationals working in the private sector that are not covered by their employers’ group medical schemes.During 2017, the authorities will seek to prompt private employers to provide medical cover for all their staff.

The Jaiz Foundation has expressed readiness to commence Islamic Takaful Insurance in 3 Nigerian states, Kaduna, Kano and Lagos, with the head office being in Abuja. This was disclosed by the Chairman of Jaiz Takaful Insurance, Dr Umaru Abdul Mutallab, who explained that the insurance products give equal opportunity for customers to be owners of the company as well. Also speaking on the operation of the insurance policy, the Managing Director of Jaiz Islamic Takaful Insurance, Momodou Musa Joof, said the company shares profit by 80% to its participants who have not suffered losses. In the meantime, those who suffer losses would have been paid first before the distribution of profit. The element which goes to the needy called Zakat is also distributed before profit is shared. Joof noted that the good thing in Takaful is that, if no loss occurs, the customer's contribution becomes an automatic investment.

The Jaiz Foundation is set to kick start Islamic ‘Takaful’ Insurance in Kaduna, Kano, Lagos with head office in Abuja. As part of the final preparation, the Foundation held a week induction training for the staff of the organization. The chairman of Jaiz Takaful Insurance advised Nigerians to take advantage of the new insurance concept. According to Mananging Director of Jaiz Islamic Takaful Insurance, Momodou Musa Joof, the company shares profit by 80% to its participants who have not suffered losses. In the meantime, those who suffer losses would have been paid first before the distribution of profit. The elements which goes to the needy, which is called Zakat is also distributed before profit is shared. Prominent scholars like Prof Muhammed Nasirudeen Maiturare, the Vice Chancellor of Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida University, also participated in the induction training for the staff of Jaiz Takaful Insurance.

Summit will explore intersection of #fintech, #ESG and #Islamicfinance. #RFISummit17

January 24, 2017, Zurich, Switzerland –

Bringing together a diversity of perspectives is critical for continuing the growth occurring within responsible finance. On this premise, the Responsible Finance & Investment Summit 2017 will convene in Zurich, Switzerland from 3-4 May 2017 around the theme “Building Bridges, Expanding Impact”.

Recent estimates from industry stakeholders show continued growth in responsible finance assets in many geographies and sectors. Responsible investment in Europe grew by 42% during the past 2 years, while in the U.S., assets grew by 33%. In Islamic finance, which has a global presence with a significant presence in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, growth in the last 2 years has been 21%. Identifying actionable areas for collaboration will support continued growth towards a more sustainable financial system.

According to Fitch Ratings, Malaysia's takaful sector continues to enjoy higher growth than the conventional sector. This growth is driven by a low base, stable domestic consumption and increasing consumer awareness. The rating agency said that regulatory pressure would drive sector consolidation in the short term. As takaful operators realign their strategic focus and gradually retain more risks, Fitch expects some bottom-line volatility in the short term. For the first half of 2016 (1H2016), family takaful grew by 9.8%, while general takaful grew by 5.8%. This compared to 8.2% growth in conventional life and 2.6% in general insurance.

Two Takaful insurance companies have commenced operations in the country, thus, becoming the first set of fully-fledged Takaful Insurance companies in Nigeria. The two companies are Jaiz Takaful Insurance Company, with head office in Abuja, and Noor Takaful Insurance Company based in Lagos State. Although there is still a misconception about Takaful Insurance that it is a scheme for the Muslims, the two operators believe that with increased awareness and education they will correct this misconception. The chairman of Noor Takaful Insurance, Ambassador Shuaibu Ahmed, said Takaful is about joint guarantee, whereby individuals jointly guarantee themselves against any loss or damage. The CEO of Jaiz Takaful Insurance, Momodu Musa Joof, said his company’s products are inspired by the need for customers to benefit from the contributions they pay as policyholders.

Jaiz Takaful has unveiled its profit sharing insurance concept to the Nigerian public. The CEO of Jaiz Takaful Insurance, Momodu Musa Joof, said that their products are inspired by the need for customers to benefit from the contributions they pay as policyholders. He added that the concept is very transparent and practical. Jaiz Takaful Insurance is a public limited liability company registered with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and regulated by National Insurance Commission (NAICOM). It is among the first full-fledged Takaful insurance providers in Nigeria which are shariah compliant and it is now open for business to Muslims and non-Muslims across Nigeria and beyond.

The Islamic Insurance Association of London (IIAL) has called on brokers to better serve the needs of Muslim clients by offering solutions that comply with Sharia or Islamic law. The trade group conducted a global survey of potential buyers and almost 50% of the respondents felt that they were not offered the right option by their brokers when it comes to placement or renewal discussions. IIAL chairman Max Taylor said there is a real need for the Islamic insurance markets to work together to tackle the misconception that cover is not currently available. He added that global standards would create a level playing field and provide clarity for the buyers, leading to an increased appetite for Islamic insurance products.

In Uganda the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) is now awaiting Parliament to pass the Bill that proposes to amend the Insurance Act (2011) in order to cater for Islamic Insurance. Earlier this year, President Museveni assented to the amendment of the Financial Institutions Act (2014) that caters for Islamic Banking. Sande Protazio, the assistant director research at the IRA, said the Insurance Act was at the committee stage in parliament and the Bill would be important for the sector in opening up opportunities within the Shari'ah compliant insurance avenue. In the proposed amendments to the Insurance Act, insurance companies intending to offer Islamic insurance have to separate their assets, liabilities and expenses.

In #Nigeria the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) will soon approve dedicated companies that will sell takaful and micro insurance products. The Commissioner for Insurance, Mohammed Kari, said that the products would ensure that everybody is carried along and actively participates in the financial sector in the country. He explained that since the release of the regulations of micro insurance and takaful, companies had opted to use the window opportunities for the products. The commissioner said that various proposals have been submitted regarding the approach to adopt and NAICOM would consider them and select the best that suits the Nigerian market.

Allianz Malaysia has received the green light to begin stalks to acquire HSBC Amanah Takaful (Malaysia). According to Allianz, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has no objection in principle for Allianz to commence negotiations with HSBC Insurance (Asia Pacific) Holdings, JAB Capital and the Employees Provident Fund Board on the proposed acquisition. This is subject to all parties concluding the negotiations within six months from BNM's written approval. Pursuant to the Islamic Financial Services Act 2013, parties concerned are required to obtain the prior written approval from BNM or the Minister of Finance on the recommendation of BNM, before entering into any agreement to effect the proposed acquisition.