IslamicFinance.de

Herman Gref, the head of Russia’s largest bank Sberbank, welcomed the introduction of Islamic banking in the country’s traditionally Muslim regions, saying it would help attract capital from Arab countries. The rapid growth of the Muslim population in Russia contributes to a sharp increase in demand for Islamic banking tools expected in the coming years, said Samir Tagiyev, manager for business development in the CIS and Europe, the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD). The Russian government has to elaborate a legal framework that will integrate Islamic banking into Russia's financial system.

Speaking in the aftermath of the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency’s seizure of publicly traded Islamic lender Bank Asya, Lawyer Süleyman Ta?ba? vows that the continued illegal measures were political and illegal. He states that the unjust seizure will inevitably come to an end, even if it means going to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Ta?ba? also expressed that the takeover was an attempt to incite panic and cause a run to the bank, calling for the customers to display the same solidarity as in the aftermath of February 3 measure. Banking sector experts warn that illegal bank takeovers have cost Turkey dearly in international courts.

Information technology specialists from Turkey's banking watchdog, the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK), discovered that 800,000 transaction records were deleted at Bank Asya, which was seized by the Saving Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) in February. According to an investigation, the mentioned transactions were deleted just after the Dec. 17, 2013 operation. After the Gülen Movement was included in the Red Book as a national security threat and deemed a terrorist organization, the accounts of some of the people that are included in the movement will be investigated. In case any relations to the movement's members are revealed, the bank may be forcibly terminated for national security reasons.

Turkish authorities said on Friday they had decided to take over Bank Asya. The move was announced by the banking watchdog BDDK just over a week ahead of a parliamentary election and on the same day that Erdogan launched the Islamic business of the state-owned Ziraat Bank. The BDDK statement said it acted as "problems experienced in the bank's activities with its financial structure, its partnership and management make-up presented a danger ... in terms of confidence and stability in the financial system." It handed over control of the bank to Turkey's Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) which said that the bank's operating licence had not been cancelled at this stage.

Turkish regulators seized the remaining shares in Bank Asya, the Islamic lender taken over by authorities this year amid a political dispute. The move against the bank was announced late Friday on the website of the bank watchdog. The aim was to protect savers and ensure “stability and confidence in the financial system,” it said. Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan denied that the seizure was politically motivated in an interview late Friday. The seizure comes before parliamentary elections on June 7 and about two weeks after the cabinet appointed Mehmet Ali Akben, a career Islamic banker and board member of the state Savings Deposit Insurance Fund, to head the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency.

Denying any political motives, Turkey Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says regulators’ action purely based on “technical, fiscal and financial” evaluation. Turkish regulators on Friday seized remaining shares in Bank Asya. Appeals process is open on Bank Asya seizure: Bank Asya went beyond “normal banking” due to ties with "parallel state,” Davutoglu says in reference to supporters of Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, accused of plotting to overthrow the government.

A branch of al-Baraka Bank Syria had been opened on Thursday in the coastal Tartous city with the participation of official and economic figures. Governor of the Central Bank of Syria (CBS) Adib Mayaleh affirmed in a press statement that banks in Syria have had an effective contribution to national economy, considering it a sign of growth and recovery despite the critical stage that Syria is passing through. Several branches of a number of banks are under construction in different areas in Syria, Mayaleh added. For his part, Mohammed Halabi, Chief Executive Officer of Al Baraka Bank Syria highlighted the importance of opening the bank’s tenth branch in Syria.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he expected other state banks to establish Islamic banking units soon after state-run Ziraat launched an Islamic unit on Friday. Erdogan, speaking at the launch ceremony of Ziraat's new business, said he also expected Ziraat to set up an Islamic insurance unit.

BIMB Holdings Bhd is expecting a 15% growth in assets for its banking arm Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd for 2015, despite saying that it will be a very challenging year for the banking industry. Hizamuddin Jamalluddin, chief strategy officer of the managing director's office, said the expected asset growth is based on the group's current balance sheet. He added that in terms of loan growth, the group is expecting this year's growth to be similar to that of last year's. Hizamuddin was speaking to reporters during BIMB's launch of three new term investment accounts under the Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 (IFSA). The three products launched are the Special Investment Account Mudarabah, Waheed Investment Account Wakalah, and the Al-Awfar Account.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the launch of Ziraat Bank's Islamic business should help to attract new funds to Turkey and urged other state lenders to help to triple Islamic banking's share of the market by 2023. Speaking at Friday's launch ceremony for Ziraat's new business, Erdogan said he also expects Ziraat to set up an Islamic insurance operation and called on other state lenders to introduce Islamic banking divisions soon. Turkey's other two state lenders, Vakifbank and Halkbank, have also been looking to set up Islamic banks as part of the government's efforts to develop the sector and tap a pool of cash-rich investors in the Gulf and southeast Asia.

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank will convene shareholders on June 21 to vote on a rights issue worth Dh504 million ($137.2 million) and raise its sukuk limit to $3 billion from the existing $2 billion ceiling. Under the rights issue plan, 168 million shares will be offered at a price of Dh3 per share, equating to a 40 per cent discount to Wednesday's closing share price. Shareholders will be allowed to subscribe for 56 new shares for every 1,000 they currently own. Adib will also seek shareholder assent to expand its existing Tier 1 sukuk programme to $3 billion from $2 billion.The bank wants to keep expanding its retail network in the UAE, as well as its financing in the SME, large and emerging corporate segments.

Alkhair Islamic Bank Bhd (AKIIB) has appointed Datuk Adissadikin Ali as its new chief executive office, succeeding Ikbal Daredia effective June 1, 2015. The bank said on Friday that Adissadikin would be responsible for the development of AKIIB, as it is the first Islamic bank in the country to conduce a full range of non-Malaysian ringgit banking activities. He will also oversee all aspects of AKIIB business in Malaysia and the surrounding regions. Meanwhile, it noted that Adissadikin has 15 years experience in the financial services sector which gave him wealth of management and leadership exposures in the industry.

Absa Islamic Banking business has seen growth across South Africa and the continent in recent years. The appointment of Uwaiz Jassat as the head of Islamic Banking will further help the Group to achieve its goals regarding Islamic Banking. Uwaiz has been in an acting role heading up Islamic Banking since October 2013. In this time Islamic Banking has enjoyed growth with more than 120,000 customers across the continent. Uwaiz joined Absa in 2009 and held a number of roles in the financial services industry in prior years. Apart from his leadership of the Islamic Banking team he brings with him additional skills having founded Takaful South Africa – an Islamic insurance offering.

Moody's Investors Service says that the Indonesian government's (Baa3 stable) Islamic finance roadmap will encourage consolidation among smaller Islamic banks in the country, and foster the development of a larger domestic Sukuk market. The consolidation of state-owned and commercial Islamic banks will increase the size of the banks' capital bases, improve cost efficiencies, and allow increased underwriting in the corporate and infrastructure sectors. Moody's report points out that Islamic banks operate less extensive branch networks when compared to conventional banks, and their capital bases are smaller. Their riskier customer base has led to non-performing financing ratios that are consistently higher than the comparable non-performing loan ratios at conventional banks.

Bonki Rushdi Tojikiston (BRT), based in Tajikistan, has signed an advisory services agreement with the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) to process and support its conversion into Shariah-compliant operations. The agreement is designed to develop an advisory process to effectively deliver full conversion by also identifying challenges and addressing impediments. The ICD will dedicate seven key teams across the full conversion process in areas of project management, Shariah compliance, treasury, accounting, human resources, information technology, marketing and legal framework. BRT is hoping to become the leading Shariah-compliant platform in Tajikistan.

The United Arab Emirates' bank industry association has discussed a proposal to create a centralised sharia board that would monitor Islamic banking. The central bank had proposed setting up a Higher Sharia Authority that would complement and oversee the work of sharia boards at individual Islamic banks. Details of the timing and structure of the new entity were not specified. The UAE Banks Federation, which represents 50 banks, also said on Sunday that it had approved the appointment of a new, independent monitoring agency that would help to implement its code of conduct for member institutions. It did not give details.

Islamic lender Bank Asya has not yet filed all the documents sought by Turkey's banking watchdog BDDK after the regulators took over the bank's management and seized a small stake in it earlier this year, BDDK head Mehmet Ali Akben said on Wednesday. The government has said the management of the bank, founded by followers of President Tayyip Erdogan's ally-turned-foe Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, was taken over because it failed to meet some legal criteria.

BankIslami Pakistan Limited formally started an Internal Hiring program for former KASB employees to help them assimilate better in the amalgamated entity. While interacting with former KASB employees at the launching ceremony of the Internal Hiring initiative, Mr. Hasan A Bilgrami, CEO BankIslami, reiterated that the Bank shall ensure maximum job security and adjust the staff in internal placements by training them in Islamic Banking as well as other job related skill set.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said on Wednesday that the growth of Islamic banking would strengthen Turkey’s financial system, praising the rapid growth of Islamic banks. Speaking at the 14th General Assembly meeting of the Participation Banks Association of Turkey in Istanbul, Babacan said the latest global economic crisis showed that interest-free financial methods are much more reliable, much more stable, and much more robust. His remarks came after one of Turkey's largest state-controlled banks, Ziraat Bank, was authorized by the country's banking regulator to start operations in its Islamic banking division last week. He also stated that an insurance system should also be developed using interest-free practice

Al Rayan Bank PLC, formerly known as Islamic Bank of Britain, has officially opened its new private banking branch in Knightsbridge, London. The flagship branch adds to Al Rayan Bank’s existing network of five branches and three agencies throughout the country. It will provide high net worth individuals and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) clients with private banking services including real estate finance, day-to-day banking services and bespoke investment opportunities. In 2014 the bank’s operating income increased by 168 per cent, customer financing increased by 86 per cent and retail deposits increased by 59 per cent. The bank also transformed a £5.5 million loss in 2013 to an after tax profit of £1.2 million, the first time in its eleven year history that it has posted a profit.