IslamicFinance.de

Mashreq has reported a net profit of AED1.3 billion for the last year, constituting a 60 per cent increase on the previous year. The annual increase is on the back of fee income and investment income. The board has proposed a cash dividend of 38% subject to Central Bank and shareholder approval. According to the Chief Executive Officer of Mashreq, H.E. Abdul-Aziz Al Ghurair, the sucess of Mashreq in 2012 is based on commitment to customer centricity and staying at the leading edge of banking innovation. The bank also received several awards last year.

Tamweel today announced that it had repaid in full a $300 million five-year Sukuk, which was issued in early 2008 and matured in January 2013. The proceeds were used for general Islamic financing and corporate purposes. The timely repayment of the Sukuk demonstrates the financial strength of Tamweel and its majority shareholder Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB).

Bena'a Productive Families Center (Jana) in the Eastern Region and the Saudi Arabian Oil Company ( Saudi Aramco ) have signed a partnership deal which will contribute to the development of skills amongst women who will own and run small-scale projects in different parts of the Kingdom. Saudi Aramco will fund 250 projects which are scheduled for launching in the next six months and will be run by women. Among other thins the program will be dedicated to train productive families and prepare women both economically and socially to realize production sustainability for their projects. Next year, Jana plans to create 9,500 jobs for women in eight cities.

Eight additional directors have passed the Mudara Institute of Directors Accreditation programme. Nick Nadal, Head of Mudara Institute of Directors, said the he is delighted to welcome this new batch of directors, which will bring more diversity in competence, experience and perspectives. He also pointed out that co-operation with the new directors will be positive for advocating for greater director professionalism.

The Al Hilal Islamic Banking services launched their first branches that provide Islamic banking products and services. The chairman Hamdan bin Ali bin Nasser al Hinai said the goal of the new services is to meet the needs of all customers in terms of truth, transparency and being fully sharia compliant as the integration of ethical and moral values with the banking operations is a unique and salient characteristic of Islamic banking.
An implemented independent Sharia Supervisory Board has the power to audit all contracts and transactions, give opinion and guidance and the bank´s management shall strictly follow the guidelines outlined by the board.
Shaikh Aflah bin Ahmed bin Hamad al Khalili, member of the Sharia Supervisory Board of the bank said that the products on offer will contribute to the efforts made by the Sultanate´s government to enhance the role played by Islamic banking in achieving sustainable development as well as more progress and prosperity for the Omani people.

The Kingdom Holding Company ( KHC ) established a Shariah Committee to study the gradual conversion of future sources for loans for the company to be Shariah compliant. The committee consists of chairman Sheikh Abdullah Sulaiman Al Manee'a, two members and a secretary general. During the first meeting it was decided to prepare an integrated strategic plan for the conversion of future loans in accordance with the Islamic Shariah.

SEDCO Holding Group has announced the appointment of Anees Ahmed Moumina as Chief Executive Officer succeeding Dr. Adnan Abdulfattah Soufi whose three-year term expired at the end of 2012. Moumina has had a banking career that has brought him into contact with a variety of business sectors including contracting, trading, manufacturing, investments, real estate, transportation, leasing, government and public sector activities, remedial management and Islamic banking.

Ali Rashid Lootah, the chairman of Dubai government-owned developer Nakheel, assured that his company is in a good financial position and has about $600 million of cash on its balance sheet. The comments followed a recent report from analysts at boutique investment bank Exotix that estimated Nakheel may have difficulties repaying a $1.1 billion Islamic bond and about $2 billion of bank debt due in 2016 with its own resources. Nakheel issued the Islamic bond, or sukuk, as part of its restructuring settlement. According to Mr. Lootah further sukuk shares will be issued.

Due to the growing number of Shariah-compliant funds in Luxembourg, four companies have launched the service ALIF (Alliance for Luxembourg Islamic Finance) which offers administration and custody of Islamic funds in a Shariah-compliant manner. The service includes legal work and Islamic Finance expertise. The portfolios and processing of the funds registered by ALIF will be periodically reviewed by the Shariah Supervisory Board of Amanie Advisors.

Last Sunday, Meethaq, the Islamic banking window of bank muscat opened its first branch in Ghubra. More branch openings are planned in all major cities across Oman this year aiming to reach customers and attract them through Sharia-based products and services. The final amount of capital for the bank’s operations will be determined by business opportunities.

The Islamic Financial Services Board is actively working on organizing an Islamic Financial Services Industry (IFSI) Stability Report. The publication is due in May 2013. The goal of the report is to achieve a number of objectives, among which to stress on the growth trend and challenges faced by the IFSI post-crisis, and to bring the progress on various financial initiatives undertaken to promote global financial stability and the impact on the IFSI up to date. The Roundtable on the Islamic Financial Services Industry Stability Draft Report will take place on 21st of January 2013 at Sasana Kijang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

In a report titled "The growing crisis of affordable housing in MENA" Ernst & Young explain that the growing crisis of affordable housing can be fought if regional governments involve the private sector in the matter. Even though a number of countries in the MENA region have made commendable efforts, affordable housing is still far from enough and the demand is continuously rising. The government is not able to deal with the issue of supplying affordable housing on its own. That is why both supply-side and demand-side strategies should be used to mobilize the private sector and thus expand government resources.

Abu Dhabi Equity Partners (ADEP) closes first Sharia-compliant agricultural inventory finance transaction in Brazil. The investment deal is a combination of a mix of asset backed financing, capital and profit protection from Global investment bank, five to ten times US Dollar deposit yield pick-up, and global trading houses as counterparties. According to the Managing Partner of the company - Mr. Muneef O. Tarmoom - the combination of "back-to-basics" physical asset backed financing and Global 'A' rated banks' capital and profit protection features enables ADEP to originate financing opportunities with a yeald 5 to 10 times larger than current US Dollar murabaha rates. The company's landmark Brazilian agri-based inventory transaction shall serve to finance a leading sugar and ethanol producer in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

The headquarters of Bank Nizwa will open today at Al Qurum. At the same time, its branches in Sohar and Nizwa will be opened as well. Gradually, several further branches will be opened. The launch of the bank was announced after the Central Bank of Oman (CBO) released the Islamic Banking Regulatory Framework (IBRF). It is expected that Bank Nizwas launch will push Islamic banking and economy in Oman and attract more deposits from Omanis, who have their deposits outside the country.

The Dubai Government is set to create a comprehensive platform of Islamic economy products and services, thereby strengthening its position as a global centre for Islamic economy. The initiative includes standardization and regulation of Islamic products, services and practices. Thus, Islamic economy will become stronger and independent from conventional and interest-based financial practices. As a regional business and trade centre, the UAE already has world class ‘hard’ infrastructure. According to Chief Economist of National Bank of Abu Dhabi Dr. Giyas Gokkent, now the ‘soft’ infrastructure will be added thanks to the initiative, this way encouraging and attracting Sharia compliant activity in various services and industries.

Recently, United Arab Bank (UAB) held its year-end Board Meeting at the new regional office in Al Khalidiya, Abu Dhabi. Including its network of 20 branches across the UAE, the bank reported net profit of Dh298 million and operating profit of Dh382 million for the first nine months of 2012. The meeting was called to order by the founder and chairman of UAB - His Highness Sheikh Faisal bin Sultan Salem Al Qassimi. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss and review the performance in 2012 and the outlook for 2013. According to His Highness Sheikh Faisal, The opening of our new and up-market regional office in Al Khalidiya, Abu Dhabi will enable UAB to offer their discerning customers a superior banking experience.

The Saudi British Bank (SABB) held three seminars on the topic of Islamic Banking Services. THe seminars took place in Riyadh, Jeddah and Alkhobar, and were organized by the Commercial Banking Services Department. A large group of SABB 's prominent corporate customers attended the events. Some of the specific topics discussed at the seminars were opportunities and challenges facing Islamic Banking as well as the promising future of Islamic Banking in light of how it differs from conventional banking, particularly in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

According to experts from Ernst & Young, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are poised to become the most attractive private equity (PE) destinations in the MENA region. Saudi Arabia is the first in the ranking of the most attractive PE investment destinations in 2011. The reasons for that were the initiatives of the Kingdom's government and its relaxed foreign ownership norms. There are some basic factors such as demographics, the robustness of its financial institutions, a very healthy economic outlook and steady growth which play a key role in positioning Saudi Arabia as a leading PE destination.

France is gradually developing its Islamic financial sector. The absolutely first french Sukuk was launched in 2011 with aim of investing in the food sector in France. Later followed two more Sukuk issues in 2012 for both individual and institutional investors. Through these Sukuk issues France demonstrates its disposition to support Islamic financial structures and develop the market.

Dubai's ruler Shaikh Al Maktoum decided to finance small and medium enterprises by a new SME Fund. Fund will offer financiall help to around 100 national entrepreneurial projects every year and thus support expecially young citizens in order to grow up a new generation of entrepreneurs to help UAE economy to thrive.