IslamicFinance.de

Mushtak Parker covered the controversy regarding the decision to abolish Organised Tawarruq of the International Council of Fiqh Academy (ICFA) in Arab News.

Badlishah Abdul Ghani, CEO of CIMB Islamic Bank seeks further clarification whether the decision covers only the so-called organized Tawarruq and reverse Tawarruq on the one hand or the classical commodity Murabaha contract likewise. In the classical Tawarruq, the third party has to be identified and cannot have any link with the financier or bank. In a commodity Murabaha this is not necessarily the case.

Tawarruq has been practiced in most countries except perhaps in Qatar where the Shariah scholars have discouraged its use per se. More and more Islamic banks in countries including Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Kuwait and UAE, are now shunning Tawarruq, even the accepted form.

The first onshore Shariah-compliant real estate fund in the Australian market, The LM Australian Alif Fund, was officially launched at end of May in Bahrain. The fund is managed by LM Investment Management Ltd., a specialist Australian income funds manager operating internationally and which is aimed at Islamic investors who are looking for opportunities in alternative investments and in new markets.

Mushtak Parker interviewed Ken Scott-Hamilton, general manager (Middle East), LM Investment Management Ltd., for Arab News about the rationale behind launching the fund and the opportunities and challenges for Islamic finance in Australia.

Azerbaijan, the oil-rich Caspian country with a population of about 9 million and a member of the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank (IDB), is reaching out to Islamic finance. Faig Mammdov, special adviser to the chairman of the International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA), Jahangir Hajiyev, focuses on the current developments and future prospects for Islamic finance in the country and region and gave an interview to Mushtak Parker, Arab News. Currently there is no specific regulation and no stand alone Islamic banks, but some products, as well as Islamic microfinance.

"The opportunities offered by Islamic finance in promoting global financial stability and financial inclusion are worth assessment by the leadership of the G-20 countries," said Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank President Ahmed Mohamed Ali, reported Mushtak Parker in the Arab News.

The President told an Islamic Financial Architecture Colloquium hosted yesterday by Lord Mayor of the City of London Ian Luder at his official headquarters that it is time that the wider world should consider mainstreaming Islamic financial services. And the best way to do this is to accord the relevant Islamic finance stakeholders "observer status" within the framework of the G-20 and the expanded Financial Stability Forum of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) is offering Export Credit Insurance which offers to protect the exporters from the risk of payment default by their buyers or importers on one hand, and offers them a number of indirect and direct financing products on the other hand. This dual solution approach mitigates the principal inherent risks in international trade, encouraging exporters in entering new markets and expanding customer base.

The concept was presented in Saudi-Arabia and the ICIEC is going to present the possibilities to other IDB member countries.

The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) said that it planned a USD 500 mn sukuk, to finance its 2009 financing program.

The appointment of Muhammad Al-Jasser last month as the new governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA). Foreign regulatory officials and bankers expect a much more proactive policy approach from the new governor. Others expect SAMA under Al-Jasser to open up to Islamic banking in particular and to show leadership in this field in the light of the growing globalization of the industry.

Mushtak Parker writes in Arab News on 23 February that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government is finalizing new tax laws which would facilitate the introduction of Islamic finance on a par with equivalent conventional products, and there is a strong possibility that the Hong Kong Airport Authority (HKAA) will issue the debut quasi-sovereign Sukuk from the island enclave during 2009.

However, Hong Kong is concerned about the effect on Islamic finance of the credit crunch and the global financial crisis, since no economy, including those in the Middle East and GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, have gone untouched. Thus it seems unavoidable that Islamic finance will slow its pace of development in the near term, "alongside growing downside risks in the global financial scene."

Mushtak Parker reported in Arab News on 26 January about the launch of Falcom Sharia Index licensed by Tadawul (the Saudi stock exchange). The promoters claim that this index is the first of its kind on the Tadawul, and comprises some 112 companies which in turn comprise nearly 78 percent of the Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI).

Mohammed Rasooldeen reported in Arab News on 12 January that Saudi-based Alinma Bank will launch operations at the end of the 2nd quarter of 2009. The bank had a declared net income of SAR 390 mn for the interim period, including SAR 274 mn pre-operating income. Total assets stood at SAR 15.56 bn with total investments of SAR 14.97 bn, and shareholders' equity SAR15.39 bn.

Abdulmohsen Al-Fares is the chief executive officer of Alinma.

The Shariah guidance committee members are Abdulrahman Ibn Saleh Al-Atram, president, Abdullah Ibn Wakeel Al-Shaikh and Suliman Ibn Turki Al-Turki, members of the board.

Arab News reported on 31 December that Saudi Hollandi Bank closed its SAR 775 mn first tranche of a SAR 1.5 bn Tier-II Sukuk issuance approved by the bank`s shareholders. The 10-year floating rate note is 2 % above SIBOR (Saudi Interbank Offered Rate) and can be called at the end of 5 years. According to the Chairman Mubarak Al-Khafrah Saudi Hollandi is the first to support its capital in this way. Saudi Hollandi Capital acted as sole lead manager & book runner for this transaction.

Geoff Calvert is the managing director.

Arab News reported 28 April about Jordan Islamic Bank (JIB), being one of the oldest establishments along with Dubai Islamic Bank and Kuwait Finance House. Fitch Ratings end March 2008 assigned a 'BB-' foreign currency long-term issuer default rating (IDR) and a 'B' foreign currency short-term IDR to JIB with a long-term stable outlook.

JIB is a subsidiary of the Al-Baraka Banking Group (ABG), which is incorporated in Bahrain and is the restructured holding company of the financial services division of Jeddah-based Dallah Al-Baraka Group (DAG) headed by Saleh Kamel.

Musa Shihadeh is the general manager of JIB.

Source: http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093194499