IslamicFinance.de

In order to to improve the operational model of the entire takaful industry, the Central Bank of Bahrain is set to issue new enhanced draft rules. Thus, it will also be able to make the country a preferred choice for all takaful and retakaful. The new rules are part of solvency (Phase II), and are related to corporate governance and actuarial reporting requirements. With the introduction of these rules in 2013, the central bank aims to accelerate growth of the country’s takaful industry while protecting the interest of all industry participants.

Bank Syariah Mandiri is set to sell shares in an initial public offering next year, aiming to raise more than Rp 1 trillion ($103 million) as the first Islamic lender at the Stock Exchange. Having the largest Muslim population in the world, Indonesia lags behind its neighbor Malaysia in terms of the development of Islamic finance. The total assets of Islamic compliant lenders in Indonesia accounts for around 4.7 percent of the total banking assets in the country. Moreover, it is home to 120 commercial lenders with combined total assets of Rp 4,000 trillion.
Bank Syariah Mandiri is one of a few units of Bank Mandiri, the country’s largest lender by assets. Other units include Bank Sinar Harapan Bali and Mandiri Sekuritas.

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 Egyptian Finance Ministry will start its Sukuk issuance project in the last quarter of the current fiscal year. The project for financing economic and social projects will help to curb budget deficit. For Sukuk issuance, a central Sharia panel of seven members will be formed. The premier will be responsible for the appointment of the panel members.

Without contradicting the values and practices of Islamic banking, a new regulation is awaited for the Islamic banks. The goal of the legislative reform is to make tools for growth available. This regulation would force non-Islamist banks to comply to the same laws and standards of Islamist banks.

After advising Goldman Sachs on a controversial 2$ billion sukkuk programme, Dar Al Istithmar has closed down.
Sources say that most of the staff moved to Khalij Islamic, with offices in London and Dubai. Clients have moved to Khalij Islamic as well.

Insurance for life and even buildings has remained under-exploited in the Middle East. The problematic of the business is the socio-cultural barrier, on top of the weak demands, by international standards, and low market penetration.

The first Sharia-compliant fund will be introduced in Oman by Vision Investment Services. All financial instruments of the fund are in compliance with Sharia principles and policies. It is the perfect tool for conventional investors who are seeking capital appreciation with lower risk.

Khalid Hamad, executive director of the Bahrain Central Bank, said that the implementation of the Malaysian-based Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) should be mandatory. These rules and regulations would contribute to better growth of the industry. He further pointed out that the role of the IFSB is very similar to the one of the Basel committee in terms of issued guidelines and standards.

The conference titled "Arab Youth & Entrepreneurship: Holistic Approaches to Nurturing Local Ecosystems", which will take place on February 16-18, 2013 in Doha, Qatar, will focus on creating economic opportunities for young people in the Middle East and North Africa. Issues to be addressed include gender issues and job creation for low-income groups. The organizer of the conference is the MENA Child and Youth Program of the Arab Urban Development. The registration is free of charge and all sessions will be simultaneously available in Arabic and English.

Oman is the last of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council to introduce Islamic banking, thus being able to encourage the development of sharia scholars. The highly detailed rules for the Islamic banking sector include the plan to enlarge the pool of qualified scholars as a scholar can only be appointed for two three-year terms in the Sharia Board. The higher demand for scholars calls for a scholar development program that needs to be developed in parallel with the initiative.

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.

Bahrain's Al Salam Bank confirmed media reports related to a potential merger with an unnamed regional bank. One potential merger prospect is Khaleeji Commercial Bank , after Gulf Finance House, which owns 47 percent of the lender, said last week it was studying tie-up options with other Bahraini banks. In February, merger talks between Bahrain Islamic Bank and Al Salam Bank collapsed due to disagreement on valuation.

Gulf Finance House (GFH) has issued a statement denying the suspension of the firm’s Acting CEO Hisham Alrayes. GFH clarified that its ex-CEO Mr Ted Pretty and Ex-Deputy CEO Mr Mohd Al Nusu were suspended for a period of three months. Both have already resigned from the company. According to the statment, the CMA had not imposed any financial penalty on the firm.

Bank Islam Malaysia today confirmed that the suspension of its chief economist Azrul Azwar Ahmad Tajudin was due to his prediction of the results of Election 2013. The bank's current policy is to suspend its staff if they engage in political activity or make political comments. According to a statement, any staff irrespective of their position, who has breached the Bank’s internal policy, will be suspended with full pay, to facilitate investigation.

BankIslami Pakistan Limited on Tuesday joined the Global Trade Finance Programme, which promotes trade in emerging markets by supporting the flow of goods and services. The programme was established by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), who will support BankIslami’s trade finance business by providing partial or full guarantees for individual trade transactions. Since the trade finance programme’s inception in Pakistan in 2006, IFC has provided more than 3,500 guarantees worth $1.74 billion to financial institutions.

The Islamic Bank of Britain (IBB) launches a rent only plan, that means a variable rental rate product which is available to landlords of any faith with a deposit of 35 per cent and at a rental rate of 5.49 per cent. The plan offers financing between £30,000 and £500,000 on a minimum property value of £90,000. According to IBB head of sales and services Imran Pasha, there is a growing demand from landlords for Sharia compliant property finance.

Big local bank looking for a Credit expert to work in Credit Review and Policy on the corporate side.

Candidates must:

- Have 5-8 years experience working for reputable institutions
- Good experience and understanding of Islamic Banking
- Have experience and a proven track record in developing and reviewing credit policies
- Strong communication skills (Arabic speaker preferred)

The Credit documentation position sits within Credit administration.

The candidate should:
- Have at least 3 years experience working within documentation in banking
- Have experience facilitating and processing insurance, mortgage documents etc.
- Have experience and a good understanding of Islamic products
- Have good communication skills