IslamicFinance.de

The GCC Takaful report caters to investors looking for investment opportunities in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Takaful (Islamic Insurance) industry. The focus of the report is on opportunities and challenges for growth of the industry, industry trends, financial performance, valuations, stock liquidity and governance & transparency.

Alpen Capital expects the GCC Takaful industry:

• to grow at a CAGR of approximately 16.1% per annum in 2009 to 2012.

• to continue to grow faster than conventional insurance.

Full details of the findings are in the report for download at the below source.

A leading industry expert has predicted a huge growth potential for Qatar’s Takaful (Islamic insurance) market, estimating its annual growth at 25%.

Salaam Halal insurance, part of Principle Insurance Holdings and the first independent takaful provider in the UK, has stopped accepting new business, following a failed rights issue. It is now in a ‘solvent run-off’ situation, whereby its existing polices (there are about 10,000 policyholders) will operate until expiry, when they cannot be renewed

Bahrain-listed Takaful International Co. BSC said it has signed an agreement with Hannover Retakaful to increase its family takaful insurance coverage up to US$5 million per individual, aiming to improve its insurance services and portfolio expansions.

The Financial Times produced a special looking into the Future of Islamic Finance.

The download is free of charge.

Press Release

Karachi, October 7: Standard Chartered Bank Pakistan (SCBP), the largest international Bank in Pakistan, has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Pak-Qatar Family Takaful, Pakistan’s first and largest family Takaful operator, and FWU AG, a global facilitator of bancatakaful.

This agreement will lay the foundation for Standard Chartered to launch Pakistan’s first Shariah compliant Bancassurance (BancaTakaful) products across its branch network. These products will provide Standard Chartered’s customers with Long term Savings plans specifically catered to fulfill their future financial needs. In addition, the Takaful cover, will offer financial protection to families for the fulfillment of the above obligations in case the breadwinner is unable to do so due to untimely death. All this without having to compromise on their beliefs.

Yasaar media published a new report called Islamic Finance in North America 2009 for free download, which is co-published by Codexa Capital, UM Financial Group, King & Spalding, and Doha Islamic.

According to the report Islamic finance in North America has developed along two quite separate paths:

• The first path focuses on retail Islamic finance and centres mostly on home financing products and credit cards.

• The second path involves a number of high profile GCC-based Islamic investment banks and their deployment of hundreds of millions of dollars in private equity and real estate developments in North America.

Read the full report for free at the link below.

AXA has partnered with SALAMA - Islamic Arab Insurance Company to offer Group Life Solutions to AXA’s clients in the UAE.

Insurer Manulife Holdings Bhd will submit an application before the end-October deadline for a takaful licence to tap into the growing Islamic insurance market. The plan by Manulife to seek a takaful licence is in line with the Government’s move to liberalise the financial sector and allow more takaful players into the market.

SALAMA, the world's largest Takaful and Re-Takaful Group ties up with Crédit Agricole Asset Management Group (CAAM Group), to offer 3 Islamic funds: BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) quantitative fund, an active Asian equities ex-Japan and a Global Equity fund of Islamic funds.

Prudential Assurance Malaysia Bhd (PAMB), part of UK-based Prudential Plc, has posted a 17 % growth in new business sales in first quarter 2009 compared to the same period last year. The company's new business annual premium equivalent (APE), which consists of retail life insurance sales and takaful contributions, rose to RM122 million from RM105 million previously.

Dubai Islamic Insurance and Reinsurance Co released its Q1 results for 2009 being AED 10 mn, a 68 % increase.

Islamic Arab Insurance Co (Salama) is looking for acquisitions in a number of markets including Turkey.

Press Release

LONDON, April 29, 2009--In the spring of 2009, uncertainty remains the dominant theme for insurance companies and banks across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, as it does internationally, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services noted in a report, titled "Insurance Markets In Saudi Arabia In The Wake of Regulatory Restructuring And The Global Economic Downturn."

Even within the GCC, however, Standard & Poor's detects a widespread belief that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and its financial institutions have been less affected by the downturn than most of its neighbors, and that recovery will likely come more quickly there than elsewhere. Meanwhile, the ongoing flow of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) on the Tadawul Stock Exchange in Riyadh in 2009--including the April IPOs of insurers Al Rajhi, Weqaya, ACE Arabia, and AXA Cooperative to raise a cumulative Saudi Arabian riyal 260 million (approximately $69 million) of new capital--indicate that Saudi investors still have considerable liquid assets with which to support attractive business propositions.

Four Saudi insurance firms launched on Saturday initial public offerings to raise a total SAR 260 mn. Axa Cooperative Insurance Co and Wiqaya Takaful Insurance and Re-insurance Co will offer a 40 % stake, or 8 mn shares each. Ace Arabia Cooperative Insurance Co will also offer a 40 % stake equivalent to 4 mn shares, while Al Rajhi Company for Cooperative Insurance will offer 30 %, or 6 mn shares.

Chase bank in Kenya has launched Shariah compliant products writes Mwaniki Wahome in the Daily Nation.

Known as Imam Banking, products are tailored for corporate, small-and-medium enterprises, as well as individuals. The accounts will include current accounts, savings accounts and fixed period investments. Together with Genghis Capital Limited and Winton Investment Services Sharia compliant investment banking and wealth managements products are planned. Further the management studies to introduce Takaful.

Zafrullah Khan is the MD of Chase.

Cecilia Valente reported on Reuters that Lloyd's of London is examining the viability of an Islamic reinsurance, or takaful, syndicate with interested parties planning capacity of up to GBP 200 mn (USD 294.5 mn) according to
Mohammad Khan, director for takaful at PwC. A previous syndicate in 2006, Creechurch Underwriting Limited , did not underwrite ultimately because the firm was taken over.

Growth in the takaful industry, has slowed slightly as a result of the global economic crisis but is still outpacing the Islamic finance sector as a whole, Peter Hodgins, partner at international law firm Clyde & Co told Reuters: "In percentage terms it is growing faster than the Islamic finance sector and 30, 40 or 50 percent growth in premiums is not unheard of."

A recent report by HSBC estimated the global takaful market at $14.4 billion by 2010.

Kuala Lumpur-based Islamic reinsurer ACR ReTakaful SEA expects to grow its business in Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. The company is interested in specialized risk, including special liabilities, offshore energy, aviation and satellite and space insurance. The firm was in talks to enter into a strategic alliance with an Islamic reinsurer in Malaysia, which would likely take place in September.

Islamic insurer t'azur is looking to make acquisitions in the Gulf Arab and Middle East regions, in particular Saudi-Arabia.

T'azur, which offers family and general insurance, started operations in Bahrain and Kuwait last year and has an initial authorised capital of $500 million.