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Islamic banking is being touted as the next big thing for Canada's financial services sector, but experts say it's up to the new federal government to demonstrate that it welcomes Shariah-compliant investments. The Canadian government must signal that, in fact, it is open to Islamic finance. They could do so either by issuing sukuk — Islamic bonds — or by making a public statement. A study released earlier this month by the Toronto Financial Services Alliance and Thomson Reuters says Canada has a number of advantages — including a growing Muslim population, a stable banking system and a favourable regulatory environment — that make it well positioned to become a North American hub for Islamic banking.

Turkey is likely to loosen some regulations on domestic banks to spur lending, Huseyin Aydin, the head of the national banking association said, as the government looks to ease the impact of a widely expected central bank rate increase. The government is determined to pursue growth-oriented economic policies. It is expected that easing in macro-prudential measures will be carried out. Five years ago regulators introduced tighter rules designed to cool lending and close a yawning current account deficit. Those included higher reserve requirements, forcing banks to hold more capital.
Aydin said he expects changes to regulations on reserve requirements and risk weighting of assets, which should help to offset the impact of tighter monetary policy on bank costs.

The Alinma Bank Board of Directors has recommended the distribution of share dividend to its shareholders for the 2015 fiscal year. After approval at the bank’s next general assembly meeting in March 2016, shareholders will receive SR0.50 per share (5% of nominal value). The total disbursal will amount to SR745 million. Alinma Bank Chairman Engr. Abdulaziz Al-Zamil congratulated the bank’s staff and shareholders on a year of growth and success.

Qatar International Islamic Bank (QIIB) has signed an agreement with Moroccan lender Credit Immobilier et Hotelier S.A. (CIH Bank) to set up a bank in Morocco. In November, central bank governor Abdellatif Jouahri said Morocco would start issuing Islamic banking licences within the next year. QIIB will take a 40 percent stake in the new bank, which is expected to launch in coming months after necessary approvals, the Qatari institution said on Thursday without giving details of the venture. The Qatari joint venture is part of QIIB's strategy to pursue overseas investments and diversity its portfolio, the lender said in a bourse statement. Islamic banks from Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have also expressed interest in entering Morocco.

Islamic International Rating Agency (IIRA) has reaffirmed the ratings of Kuveyt Turk Participation Bank (KTPB) at ‘AA(tr)/A1+(tr)’ (Double A / A One Plus) on the national scale. Ratings on the international scale have also been reaffirmed, with foreign currency rating at ‘BBB-/A3’ (Triple B Minus / A Three) and the local currency rating at ‘BBB/A3’ (Triple B / A Three). Outlook on the assigned ratings is ‘Stable’. The assigned ratings take into account KTPB’s sound financial risk profile, against the backdrop of continued business expansion. Overall profitability position is also healthy; however, efficiency indicators have lagged behind larger players.

Bahrain Islamic Bank announces that it has appointment Fahim Ahmed, as the Bank's new Chief Risk Officer effective 01 December, 2015. Mr. Ahmed brings over 17 years of international banking experience where he held various roles in corporate banking and risk management, the last as Chief Risk Officer at Standard Chartered Bank Bahrain, where he has been for the last three years. Mr. Ahmed has served in several markets such as Pakistan, Qatar, Oman, UAE and UK. He has a diploma in Islamic Finance (CDIF) and an MBA from the University of Warwick, UK. The position's scope includes not only the historical risk management responsibility, but also credit risk management, operational risk management and portfolio management.

Maybank Islamic Bhd has clinched major mandates valued at RM9 billion under its Islamic custody services in less than a year since its launch, with more new clients expected to be on board by end-2015, the bank said. Maybank Group’s Islamic banking arm stated by year-end, the financial offering will have assets under custody (AUC) amounting to RM13 billion on the back of these new clients. The clients comprise mainly from financial institutions, inclusive of non-bank entities, the bank said. Maybank Islamic’s custody services offering also provides value-added services such as Islamic performance measurement and attributes, and compliance monitoring.

Capital Intelligence (CI) has affirmed Jordan Islamic Bank’s (JIB) Long- and Short-Term Foreign Currency Ratings (FCRs) at ‘BB-’ and ‘B’, respectively. JIB’s FCRs are constrained by Jordan's sovereign ratings (‘BB-’/’B’/ ‘Stable’), reflecting JIB’s base of operations in Jordan and its exposure to the Jordanian sovereign in the form of balances at the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ). The Support Level of ‘3’ is affirmed, on the basis of the high likelihood of support from the CBJ in case of need, and from the parent Al-Baraka Banking Group in Bahrain. The Outlook for JIB’s FCRs remains ‘Stable’, in line with the Outlook for Jordan’s Sovereign FCRs. The Bank’s Financial Strength Rating (FSR) is maintained at ‘BBB-’, on a ‘Stable’ Outlook.

Maybank Islamic Bhd has so far secured major mandates valued at RM9 billion. More clients are expected to come on board by end of this year, which will bring the assets under custody to RM13 billion, its Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Head of Product Management Nor Shahrizan Sulaiman said. He said assets under management of Malaysia's institutional investors, government-linked companies and sovereign wealth funds were valued at about RM1.4 trillion. Nor Shahrizan said Maybank Islamic's custody services also provided Islamic performance measurement and attributes, and compliance monitoring for both domestic and global funds' portfolios.

The difficulties in forming a megabank in the $2 trillion Islamic finance industry are becoming clear as Indonesia pushes back deadlines for its plan after failures in Malaysia and the Middle East. Financial Services Authority Director Dhani Gunawan Idat is the latest official to repeat Indonesia’s goal for such an entity after two years of trying, with a plan to merge the Shariah-compliant units of PT Bank Mandiri, PT Bank Negara Indonesia, PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia and PT Bank Tabungan Negara. He put the time frame as 2017 in an interview Friday, while his Chairman Muliaman Hadad said in January it may happen this year. Gatot Trihargo, deputy minister for government-run enterprises, said in June that 2016 was the target.

The former chief executive officer at HSBC Amanah Malaysia Bhd, Mohamed Rafe Mohamed Haneef, will soon head CIMB Islamic Bank Bhd. In a statement today, CIMB Group Holdings Bhd said Rafe will assume his new post on Jan 4 next year as CEO and executive director of CIMB Islamic Bank and CEO of Group Islamic Banking Division. CIMB group CEO Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz Tengku Abdul Aziz said that Rafe brings with him experience in business and functional positions in three global banks, an international asset management company and a legal firm. Rafe holds a bachelor’s degree in law from the International Islamic University Malaysia and a master’s degree in International Finance and Securities Law from the Harvard Law School.

Noor Bank was named the "Most Socially Responsible Bank"™ at the "2015 Islamic Business Awards"™ ceremony hosted by the reputed CPI Financial. Amjad Naser, Head of Sharia™, Noor Bank, collected the award at the event, which took place at the Emirates Towers Hotel on 10 December. Noor Bank was honoured for its commitment towards enhancing and enriching the lives of the less fortunate. The CPI Financial judging panel nominated the bank among several other industry leading banks in the United Arab Emirates. Following the initial nomination, Noor Bank was voted the unanimous winner by financial professionals within the region.

Suriname's Trust Bank will convert its operations to become a full-fledged Islamic bank, after it signed an agreement with the private sector arm of the Islamic Development Bank to advise on the transition. Trust Bank would become the first full-fledged Islamic bank in South America. The lender, which decided on the transition in June, is implementing a strategy focused on small- and medium-sized businesses and adopting Islamic finance principles would support this aim, Chief Executive Maureen Badjoeri said. Suriname is the only country from the Western hemisphere to be a member of the IDB group. It has received financing from the IDB worth a combined $149 million for 18 projects.

Chairman, JAIZ Bank, Alhaji Umaru Abdul Mutallab has denied that the institution is distressed and called for more players in the Islamic banking system in a bid to compete favourably in Nigeria’s financial sector. He made the call in Kaduna while donating cash and non-food items to two foundations by the JAIZ Foundation, saying the bank’s deposit base was increasing astronomically. Engr. Garba Muhammad, Mutallab disclaimed text messages in circulation that the bank was in trouble and assured that it was growing day by day. The bank has recently got approval in principle for a national licence to operate in all regions of Nigeria, he added.

Oman’s Islamic banks and window operations recorded a major growth of 65.9 per cent at OMR1.5 billion for the first nine-month period ending September 2015, compared with the same period of the previous year. Two Islamic banks and window operations of conventional banks have offered new products to lure in Omani customers, besides opening several branches in different parts of the country. The total value of customer deposits with Islamic institutions shot up by 210 per cent to OMR1.3 billion by the of September, from only OMR429.7 million for the same period of last year, according to fresh data by the Central Bank of Oman (CBO). There has been a significant increase in number of branches and assets held by these institutions since almost two year.

The Bank of England has joined the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB), the second Western regulator to do so after Luxembourg. The BoE joins as an associate member, the 65th regulatory body to join the Kuala Lumpur-based body, bringing total membership to 189, the IFSB said in a statement. The move comes at a key time for Britain’s domestic Islamic banks, as the BoE works to grow the number of sharia-compliant assets they can use in their liquidity buffers, with progress expected by the turn of the year. The IFSB has also admitted the central bank of Kyrgyzstan and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan as observer members.

Al Hilal Bank announced the appointment of Khaled Abdulla Neamat AlKhoori as its new Chief Executive Officer. Prior to his appointment at Al Hilal Bank, Khaled AlKhoori held a number of positions at Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). At ADIA, Khaled was responsible for managing the firm’s global investment mandate, ensuring a balance between different investment styles, geographies and sectors. He also served as Director of the Private Equity Department for three years, focusing on mega funds and credit investments in the US and European markets. Khaled AlKhoori holds a Summa Cum Laude BSBA degree in Finance and Accounting from Boston University, US, and has completed a General Manager Program from the Harvard Business School in 2005.

As part of its review of the economic outlook for the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the International Monetary Fund said financial intermediation in the country needs to become more efficient and broad-based. The IMF noted that the authorities expect that credit availability should increase from its low base, though they recognize that the low private credit reflects the scarcity of profitable and appropriately collateralized lending opportunities and structural challenges. The authorities wish to promote lending to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and agriculture while developing microfinance to support growth and job creation.

The UAE's Islamic finance sector has continued to outpace the UAE's conventional banking sector's growth in 2015, according to ratings agency Fitch. The agency said in a statement that it expects demand for UAE Islamic banks' lending to continue to grow, supported by wider acceptance and an expanding customer base. Fitch added that Islamic banks have managed to reduce exposure to the real estate sector, which was historically higher than for conventional banks. Moreover, UAE Islamic banks will benefit from the central bank's decision this year to include sharia-compliant securities in the range of instruments it accepts as collateral for accessing liquidity.

Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) Governor Rasheed Al Maraj has made a renewed call to Bahraini Islamic banks to merge or acquire other institutions. In his keynote address at the opening of the 22nd Annual World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC), he said given a tougher regulatory environment, challenges to their business model and increased competition from Islamic as well as conventional competitors, the preferred path, particularly for Islamic investment banks, was to merge in order to create institutions of size. Earlier this year, the CBB launched a new Sharia-compliant Wakala liquidity management tool aimed at absorbing excess liquidity of local Islamic retail banks. Mr Al Maraj also said the CBB is introducing a centralised Sharia Board with a broad mandate.