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Capital Intelligence (CI) has downgraded the ratings of Tadhamon International Islamic Bank's (TIIB), based in Sana'a, Yemen. TIIB's Financial Strength Rating (FSR) is downgraded to 'B' from 'B', and the Outlook for the FSR is downgraded to 'Negative'. The Outlook for TIIB's Foreign Currency Ratings, which are affirmed at 'C' Long-Term and 'C' Short-Term, are downgraded to 'Negative' as is the case with all CI-rated Yemeni banks, reflecting the current turmoil and severe economic weakness. The Support Rating is maintained at '4', reflecting the limited capacity of support. Non-performing loans (NPLs) and assets are expected to rise, which will require additional provisioning, thereby hitting profitability.

Dubai Islamic Bank said its first quarter profit rose 34 per cent as the biggest Islamic bank in the UAE by assets shrugged off a sharp drop in the price of oil and continued to gain market share in Sharia-compliant financial services. Net income rose to Dh850 million in the first three months of 2015 from Dh637m in the same period last year. Revenue increased 20 per cent to Dh1.56 billion from Dh1.3bn in the same time frame. Chief executive Adnan Chilwan said that he expects 15 to 20 per cent growth in loans this year. He said this year that loan growth would continue to come from corporations and individuals.

Emirates Islamic Bank (EIB) is willing to invest in the Moroccan Islamic banking sector in the two upcoming years. EIB’s CEO, Jamal Bin Ghalaita, said the bank is planning to explore the potentials of the Moroccan Islamic finance through a policy of acquisitions and obtaining operating licenses from regulating authorities. He added that the Moroccan Islamic banking market is among the markets with the greatest potentials for Islamic banking outside the GCC. Ghalaita also said the bank has the same planned investments in other countries with strong economic ties with the United Arab Emirates and GCC countries. He said the bank is also assessing opportunities for expansion in the coming period in Egypt and Turkey.

Qatari banks plan to borrow more than $6 billion to finance a construction boom ahead of the 2022 soccer World Cup as slumping oil prices constrain government deposits. Shareholders in Al Khaliji Commercial Bank approved a $2.5 billion bond program, and Qatar National Bank said it arranged a $3 billion loan. Qatar International Islamic Bank may issue sukuk. Government deposits at Qatar’s banks more than tripled in the five years ended February 2014 before declining 4 per cent the following year. Qatar is spending $182 billion, or 90 per cent of its 2013 gross domestic product, on roads, stadiums and other facilities by 2019 to play host to the World Cup.

The Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) is adding financial inclusion to the industry's to-do list, launching initiatives aimed at widening the reach of sharia-compliant banking to include poorer people. After years of rapid growth, Islamic finance is under pressure from some scholars to build stronger credentials for social responsibility. One criticism is that it has neglected farmers, small traders and poor households. Guidance from the Kuala Lumpur-based IFSB could help address this issue in majority-Muslim countries where less wealthy people have stayed out of the formal banking system for religious reasons. The IFSB plans to include a dedicated work stream on financial inclusion in its new strategic performance plan 2016-2018.

Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) is set open operations in Kenya, in what could be the start for Gulf-based lenders scouting for growth outside their home markets. The Emirate's largest Sharia-compliant lender has started head-hunting top managers for its Nairobi unit. DIB Kenya said it is obtaining a banking licence from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). DIB Kenya Ltd has been issued with an approval-in principle- to operate pending completion of the licensing process. The lender is seeking qualified persons in multi-nationals and local banks in Kenya to fill some 36 top and middle level positions within the bank.

Indonesia’s branchless banking initiative faces an uphill battle against misconceptions of financial services in the country, a survey report from consultancy firm InterMedia Indonesia revealed. Nearly half of Indonesians do not use any form of financial services, according to the firm’s Financial Inclusion Insights report. It also found that one-third of people who use informal financial services cited “an inability to afford an account” as the main reason behind their reluctance to use formal banking services. The report surveyed 6,000 people across 24 provinces in Indonesia between August and November last year.

Former central bank governor Durmu? Y?lmaz, who is running for Parliament in the June 7 general election on the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) ticket, has criticized the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government over its efforts to sink Bank Asya, claiming that the bank is strong and that it will be the nation that suffers most if the bank is destroyed. Y?lmaz said the public authority would have the duty of taking necessary action if Bank Asya had been involved in any wrongdoing; however, he said no clear or concrete mistakes, allegedly committed by the bank, have been revealed so far.

Malaysia Building Society Bhd (MBSB) has not initiated any new merger discussions with any organisation after the deal with CIMB Group Holdings Bhd and RHB Capital Bhd fell through. President and chief executive officer Ahmad Zaini Othman reaffirmed that MBSB has not received the green light from its shareholders to talk to any financial institution on a potential merger and acquisition. Meanwhile, Ahmad Zaini signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of MBSB with Credit and Debt Management Agency (AKPK). The MoU will enable MBSB to participate in AKPK’s debt management programme, which will see the latter extending its services.

It was reported that Standard Chartered PLC’s Chief Executive Officer for Bahrain, Hassan Jarrar, is leaving to head Bahrain Islamic Bank BSC. Standard Chartered confirmed his departure. Jarrar served as CEO of its Bahrain unit since November 2011, and was earlier the head of origination and client coverage for the lender’s wholesale banking unit in the UAE. Jarrar’s departure comes amid a shake-up in top management at the London-based lender after profit slumped. Chairman John Peace, CEO Peter Sands, Asia head Jaspal Bindra and Viswanathan Shankar, head of Europe, Middle East, Africa and Americas, are all leaving the bank.

Saudi Arabia’s Bank Aljazira has appointed the investment banking arms of Gulf International Bank and Riyad Bank to advise it on a SAR3 billion ($800 million) rights issue. The price and number of shares to be issued under the offering, which will be arranged by GIB Capital and Riyad Capital, is still pending approval from the relevant authorities and shareholders, the bank said in a bourse filing. The rights issue by one of the Kingdom’s smaller lenders by assets will be used to strengthen its capital base and finance its activities, the bank added.

Islamic International Rating Agency ( IIRA ) has assigned ratings of 'A/A1' (Single A / A One) to Dubai Islamic Bank ( DIB ) on the international scale. On the national scale, ratings have been assessed at AA-(ae)/A1+(ae) (Double AMinus / A One Plus). Outlook on the assigned ratings is 'Stable'. Ratings are supported by DIB 's strong franchise and retail market presence, ensuring steady access to cost effective funding. The recent tier-1 capital issue in early 2015 has reinforced capital adequacy ratio to 18.5%. The fiduciary score has been assessed in the range of '76-80', which indicates strong fiduciary standards, wherein rights of various stakeholders are well defined and protected.

Regulatory proposals for a liquidity coverage ratio for Islamic financial institutions could help address some of the industry's long-standing weaknesses, particularly the lack of high quality liquid assets (HQLA), Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said in the report “Basel III Requirements Could Strengthen Islamic Banks' Liquidity Management”. Moreover, last year, the Islamic Finance Services Board (IFSB) published guidance on quantitative measures for liquidity management in institutions offering Islamic financial services. This note set three main characteristics of high quality liquid assets (HQLA): low correlation with risky assets, an active and sizable market, and low volatility.

Turkey's Islamic banks are turning to Malaysia to cut costs as stubbornly high interest rates and slow trading hamper development of the domestic Turk?sh sukuk market. Kuveyt Türk Kat?l?m Bankas? A? plans to offer a five-year bond this week via private placement from a 2 billion ringgit ($539 million) sukuk program. Türkiye Finans Kat?l?m Bankas? A? was the first Turkish bank to sell the debt in Malaysia last year, issuing similar-maturity securities at a coupon of 6 percent. It paid 15.2 percent for a 2017 lira-denominated sukuk. Corporates from Indonesia and France are also coming to Malaysia to raise funds.

Bahrain-based Ithmaar Bank has announced that the strategic decisions taken by the Bank's Board of Directors early in 2014 have already started yielding results. The decisions, which aimed at turning the Ithmaar Group around by significantly transforming operations, included initiatives for increased revenue, improved margins, divestment of non-core assets and cost reductions across the Group. Ithmaar Bank 's financing business in Bahrain increased by 23 percent to US$914 million at the end of 2014. This growth in 2014 was driven mainly by Home Financing and Personal Financing. Similarly, total customer current accounts, savings accounts, Thimaar and URIA deposits, increased by 11 percent in 2014.

Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) has offered 1.25 dirhams per share in cash to buy the remaining shares in its mortgage unit Tamweel. The offer will be open for one month until it expires on April 30. DIB currently holds 86.5 percent of Tamweel and is in the process of buying the remaining 13.5 percent. It took a 57.33 percent stake in 2010, a move that rescued the mortgage lender, which was struggling during a crash of Dubai's property market. The bank's board in January 2013 approved plans to fully acquire Tamweel.

Dentons has advised Ajman Bank on $155 million Islamic financing facilities made available by a syndicate of banks. The facilities comprise of a dual commodity Murabaha and Wakala arrangement with a two year lifespan. Noor Bank acted as the arranger and bookrunner for the deal, and along with Emirates Islamic Bank, First Gulf Bank, United Arab Bank and Warba Bank which participated in the facilities. This transaction follows on from the $200 million Shari’ah-compliant syndicated facility to Ajman Bank that Dentons worked on in December 2014.

While the first theoretical work began in the 1940s, the experimental work regarding Islamic banking did not start until 1960. In 1963, the Mit-Ghamr Islamic Savings Bank (MGISB) started in Egypt which is regarded as the first Islamic bank in the world. The first private commercial Islamic Bank 'Dubai Islamic Bank' was established in 1975 by a group of Muslim businessmen from several countries. Within ten years since the establishment of Dubai Islamic Bank, more than 50 Islamic banks came into being not only in Muslim countries but also in some of the Europe countries. The first Islamic bank in Bangladesh was set up in 1983.

Indonesia's sharia banks expect to raise a large amount of inexpensive funds from Islamic charity foundations following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Bank Indonesia, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and several alms and zakat collecting bodies.Under the agreement signed in Jakarta on Monday, the central bank and the MUI's National Sharia Council (DSN) agreed to work together to encourage the Islamic charity foundations to keep their funds in the country's sharia banks.

Britain's Bank of London and The Middle East (BLME) said on Sunday its chief executive Humphrey Percy would step down effective June 11. Percy, who has served as CEO since August 2006, will also step down as a board member of the bank, BLME said in a statement. No reason for his departure was given in the statement, which quoted him as looking forward to the new challenges. An announcement on his successor as chief executive of BLME will be made in due course, the statement added.