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Reuters reported on 31 December that Indonesia plans to issue international bonds, and Sukuk. Timing is not scheduled yet. Treasury Director General Rahmat Waluyanto was quoted.

More background: http://in.reuters.com/article/asiaCompanyAndMarkets/idINJAK38567320081231

Dubai`s corporate bonds pricing in further economic difficulties according to Nish Popa, ING Investment Management. The yield on the 3-year Sukuk issued by Nakheel Development, soared to 32% from 5% in January 2008.

Reuters reported on 30 December that Japanese investors have expressed interest in developing Islamic capital market products, according to a local newspaper quoting Aseambankers Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Rashdan Mohammed Yusof. No company names were disclosed in the interview, however Aseambankers, the investment bankers of Maybank Group plans to develop the Sukuk market in Japan.

Mohammed Abbas and John Irish, reported on Gulf News (Reuters) on 9 March about the Sukuk market tendencies driven by sellers issuing in local currencies at low rates. The fallen LIBOR rates due to Federal Reserve policy are above off-setting for the increased margins asked for credit clients.

Local currencies are in favour as long as speculation is around about reevaluation of the dollar peg - this also limits the foreign demand for Sukuk and exposure to Gulf credit markets. Local currency Sukuk are relying on the GCC internal demand for such paper.

Source: http://archive.gulfnews.com/business/money/10212004.html

Trade Arabia reported on 28 April that the RM 500 mn Sukuk issues is approved by the market regulator.

Bank Islam Malaysia and Kuwait Finance House (Malaysia) are the joint principal advisers, lead arrangers and lead managers for the issue.

Kuwait Finance House shall be the guarantor for the sukuk programme. Malaysian Rating Corp has assigned a long-term rating of AA+(bg) for the issue.

Source: http://www.tradearabia.com/news/newsdetails.asp?Sn=CM&artid=142568

Arabian Business reported on 28 April that Investment Dar its proposed British bank unit 'Dar Capital' might start with capital of up to GBP 100 mn. A project study should be finished by year-end.

Chairman of Investment Dar is Adnan Al-Musallam.

Source: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/517695-dar-eyes-uk-bank-with-up-to-100-ml...

The Guardian reported on 25 April that Pakistan appointed advisers for first domestic Sukuk, being Dubai Islamic Bank and Standard Chartered Bank Pakistan as Managers. The estimated size of the Sukuk might be 20 bn Pakistani rupees.

Ashfaque Hasan Khan is special secretary at the Finance Ministry.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/feedarticle?id=7484821

Mohammed Abbas reported on Arabian Business on 27 April that state-owned Nakheel, developer of three palm-tree shaped islands off Dubai's coast, set price guidance for the 2-year USD 1 bn Sukuk Al Ijara at 225 to 250 basis points above the Emirates Interbank Offered Rate (Eibor). The Sukuk will be denominated in Dirham. 3-month Eibor is at about 1.92 %, according to data from newswire Reuters. Date for sale is not yet set.

Dubai Islamic Bank, JPMorgan Chase & Company and Dubai-based Emirates NBD are Arrangers.

Kar Tung Quek is Nakheel Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Source: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/517621-nakheel-sets-1bn-bond-price-guiden...

Christopher Mangham reported on Arabian Business 19 April that Syndication markets for Mideast borrowers are increasingly difficult to price with higher margins coming up, while also country limits are often reached. The market remains, however, active with USD 37 bn in Mideast awaiting launch or are under syndication. It becomes more common that bank committments are held flexible in pricing and margins supposed to be increased.

Corporate lending in the Gulf, which did not exist in 2001-2002, totalled USD 67 bn in 2007.

Source: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/516908-loan-market-drying-up

Reuters reported on 20 April that JP Morgan eyes a stake in Kuwait Finance House quoting a local daily al-Anba based on an unsourced report. The local paper shall have said that the U.S. bank had applied to the central bank of Kuwait to approve a stake buy, adding it was unclear how large a stake it wanted to acquire.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/innovationNews/idUSL2066795520080420

Business 24/7 reported on 16 April that Dubai International Capital (DIC) talks with Dubai Islamic Bank about setting up a Shariah-compliant Islamic bank in Jordan.

Sameer Al Ansari heads Dubai International Capital. DIC manages a $500 million (Dh1.8 billion) fund investing in Jordan.

Source: http://www.business24-7.ae/cs/article_show_mainh1_story.aspx?HeadlineID=...

Kuwait Finance House aims to re-arrange Bahraini investments according to a report by Ulf Laessing on Reuters on 11 April, citing Al Watan newspaper. KFH shall attempt to invest USD 1.5 bn in Real Estate Investment in Bahrain.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssFinancialServicesAndRealEstateNews/id...

Business 24/7 reported on 13 April that National Central Cooling Co (Tabreed) has mandated Morgan Stanley, Standard Chartered and National Bank of Abu Dhabi as lead managers for its planned USD 300-500 mn convertible Sukuk due by 2011.

Source: http://www.business24-7.ae/cs/article_show_mainh1_story.aspx?HeadlineID=...

Souhail Karam reported on Reuters, 13 April, on the profit rise of 2.1 % of Saudi-based Rajhi Bank in Q1 from core business operations.

Net Income from investment rose 11.5 % to SAR 2.03 bn. Income from banking services increased 18 % to SAR 454 mn. Growth is targeted by diversifying its sources of revenue, developing the investment and corporate banking sectors along with retail banking. According to analysts posted profits could be even higher, but were impacted by the cost of international expansion.

Rajhi plans to add 160 branches in Saudi Arabia by mid-2008.

Chief Executive is Abdullah Sulaiman al-Rajhi.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssFinancialServicesAndRealEstateNews/id...

Harry Suhartono from Reuters reported on 8 April that Indonesia's finance ministry plans for the second half of the year 2008 two Sukuk domestically and international following the approval of the new bill.

Indonesia's finance ministry plans to sell Islamic bonds in the international and domestic markets in the second half of 2008, a senior official said late on Monday following the approval of new bill on Islamic debt.

Rahmat Waluyanto is the treasury director general at the finance ministry. According to him the ministry has suitable underlying assets worth 15 trillion rupiah (USD 1.63 bn).

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said it might take between one to 1.5 months for the ministry to draw up the necessary regulations following the approval of the bill.

Source: http://in.reuters.com/article/asiaCompanyAndMarkets/idINJAK28409420080408

More information in regard to the Sukuk bill:
http://in.reuters.com/article/asiaCompanyAndMarkets/idINJAK29608520080408

Reuters reported on 7 April that Pakistan has shortlisted six banks to manage a local currency sukuk to be mandated according to sources Reuters spoke with, those are ABN Amro Pakistan, Dubai Islamic Bank, Meezan Bank, MCB Bank, Standard Chartered Bank Pakistan, United Bank Ltd. Last month the finance minster, Salman Shah, indicated the issuance till 30 June, the end of the fiscal year. A banker familiar with the plans estimates the size at least to be Rps 20 bn (USD 318 mn).

Source: http://in.reuters.com/article/asiaCompanyAndMarkets/idINISL24089920080407

John Irish reported on Monday, 24 March in ArabianBusiness that Dubai-based mortgage lender Amlak Finance plans to sell as much as 1.8 billion dirhams convertible and 3 billion dirhams non-convertible Sukuk this year to help finance expansion.
 
The CEO, Arif Al-Harmi confirmed the approval to Reuters given by the extraordinary general meeting of the board and the Chairman, Nasser Al-Shaikh, revealed that the total plans are to raise 6 billion dirhams this year. Amlak, an affiliate of Emaar Properties, will launch operations in Qatar and Jordan this year and has applied for a licence in Bahrain, Al-Harmi said. Syria is in discussion state.
 
Amlak delayed a sale of Sukuk late 2007 because of unsecure demand situation caused by the US credit crisis.
 
Source: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/514474-amlak-to-sell-islamic-bonds-worth-...

Saeed Azhar reported on Reuters on 18th March, that Asia-focused Standard Chartered Bank has applied for a license to set up a separate Islamic banking unit in Malaysia, aiming to capture growth in a business that has escaped global credit turmoil.

Standard Chartered had $1.4 billion (699 million pounds) of Islamic banking assets in Malaysia at the end of 2007, more than double the year ago period, he said.

HSBC and Singapore's third-biggest lender, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp , have already received regulatory approval to set up Islamic banking units in Malaysia.

Source: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080318/tbs-uk-standard-chartered-malaysi...