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Fitch Ratings has appointed Bashar Al Natoor as Global Head of Islamic Finance, based in Dubai. In this new role, Mr. Al Natoor will coordinate all Islamic Finance activities and expertise across Fitch's Sovereign, Financial Institutions, Corporate, Structured Finance, Infrastructure and Insurance teams. As well as being involved in the rating process of Islamic Finance instruments, the Islamic Finance Group will continue to monitor and report on this sector, produce research and commentary as well as criteria development. Mr Al Natoor has more than 14 years' experience in the Islamic Finance market. Since joining Fitch in 2007, he has overseen Fitch's Sukuk criteria and Islamic Finance practices, undertaken research and written numerous published articles on Islamic Finance.

RAQABA signed an agreement for an independent external Shari'ah audit with American Finance House (Lariba) in the second half of 2014. RAQABA issued the first Shari'ah audit report in the United States after a professional work continued for several months in an examination of the structures and procedures for LARIBA’s home financing model "Declining Participation in the Usufruct (DPU)". American Finance House (LARIBA) was founded in 1987 in Pasadena, California in the US. The main objective of this company is interest-free financing for all segments of society, by leasing or participation through specialized products in home financing, commercial property financing, auto financing, and equipment financing.

To regulate and develop the Islamic financial market, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has established an Islamic Finance Department. The new specialised department shall carry out the functions of Shariah regulation and compliance, product development, market awareness, Shariah securities market development and international liaison and networking. The Islamic Finance Department will act as a backbone for co-ordination between the SECP's operational departments with the primary objective of regulating and promoting Islamic finance and Shariah compliance in the capital market. Out of Pakistan's total Islamic financial assets of over Rs 1.7 trillion, around 40 percent assets are directly or indirectly regulated by the SECP.

Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Executive Director Nasim Shahid cancelled the licence of the asset management company Dawood Capital Management on March 22, 2013. He concluded in his order that Dawood Capital Management CEO Tara Uzra Dawood used privileged information and forged documents to avoid an imminent loss of Rs18.2 million. He also imposed a penalty of Rs20 million on her. The appellate bench of the SECP set aside the earlier order on January 22, saying the SECP executive director “did not have the power to pass the impugned order”. The bench also overturned parts of the 17-page original order that held Dawood guilty of having defrauded investors in the run-up to the write-down in the value of the mutual funds.

We are in a fluid state of extremists trying to hijack the religion in the Muslim world and coordinated/lone wolf attacks in high-profile non-Muslim countries of US, UK, Australia, France. As a result, there is a vocal minority anti-shariah and halal-hysteria movement in those countries. Now, it would seem almost trivial to lump financial inclusion in context of the above-mentioned challenges, but disenfranchisement not only affects dignities of people, but is also an important pre-condition recruitment tool for those espousing hate and violence. The time has arrived to marry “compliant liquidity with compliant opportunity” as the status quo is no longer acceptable under the law necessity. The necessity is change to be relevant.

Russian banks are developing their expertise in Islamic finance to help broaden funding sources for local firms, though Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis could hinder those efforts. Banks in the Middle East and southeast Asia, the major markets for sharia-compliant debt, are wary of becoming tangled in the EU sanctions. So some Russian lenders are trying to build their own in-house knowledge of Islamic finance. State development bank Vnesheconombank (VEB) is seeking help from Middle East firms to develop its Islamic finance expertise. VTB Bank is exploring sukuk deals for several of its clients. However, the lack of a Russian regulatory framework for Islamic finance is an obstacle.

The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) has signed a new agreement with Azerbaijani microfinance institution Vision Fund AzerCredit. The objective is to provide advisory services with the aim of developing a comprehensive Shari’ah-compliant microfinance solution for the country. VF AzerCredit's work emphasizes the provision of loans to small and micro entrepreneurs in rural areas, especially those remote regions which remain largely unbanked, through 45 outlets in 38 districts. With more than 80,000 borrowers and a portfolio of over $83 million, the group is a leader in the Azerbaijani microfinance field.

The International Islamic Banking and Finance Law Conference took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, February 4-5, 2015. The conference hosted many high profile speakers including the CEO of CIMB Islamic Bank, Badlisyah Abdul Ghani, who stressed the point that everyone now working in Islamic finance should make a strong effort to learn or further develop their skills in Shari’ah. Camille Paldi, FAAIF CEO, noted that it is imperative for the Islamic Finance industry to develop a unique dispute resolution system tailored for Islamic finance. In addition, Paldi suggests that it might be wise to form a global Islamic finance bankruptcy court to handle the world’s sukuk defaults.

U.S. advisers who are not alert to the special investing needs of Muslims are missing an attractive segment of the investing populace. The U.S. Muslim population is expected to reach 6.2 million by 2030, almost three times the nation's 2.6 million Muslims in 2010. Muslim-Americans are younger and better educated than the average U.S. citizen. Moreover, they want to see a greater number of appropriate financial products. Meeting their investing needs is similar to working with clients who want socially responsible investments, but it requires additional expertise. But the main point is that advisers can help Muslims get in the market.

Credit guarantees are gaining traction in Islamic finance, helping a wider range of firms to tap the market for sharia-compliant debt, which remains stubbornly reliant on sovereign and quasi-sovereign issuers. A growing number of guarantors are developing expertise in this area, aiming to facilitate Islamic transactions both large and small. Among them is Britain's export credit agency, UK Export Finance, which plans this year to guarantee an Islamic bond (sukuk) issue for the first time under a capital market guarantee product that it launched in 2010. Demand is also growing for guarantees in markets where credit and political risks pose a greater challenge.

Islamic banks can play an important role in the economies of Maghreb countries – particularly those struggling with socioeconomic development. According to the 6th African Islamic Finance Forum (FAFI) in Casablanca, Islamic products should not be simply limited by halal and haram, but should be designed as a source of wealth and job creation. Africa offered real opportunities to develop Islamic finance, financial analyst Najib Foukari said. However, the shortage of suitable human resources is still a major challenge, he added. In 2015, a number of Islamic financial institutions are being set up in Tunisia, Mauritania, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire and Chad. Morocco has also just adopted a legal and regulatory framework for the establishment of Islamic financial institutions.

Bangladesh has long been a success story for women’s financial inclusion. But in terms of digital finance, the story is very different. Despite being identified as a “mobile money sprinter” by the GSMA, only 18% of digital finance users in Bangladesh are women, with even fewer holding registered accounts. This is perplexing, given the rapid growth of digital financial services now reaching more than 21 million registered account holders. There are a number of potential reasons, including the fact that women are less likely to have an official identification. Besides, English-language phone menus may have a disproportionate impact on women. Nevertheless, there are resources and market players available to bridge this gender gap.

Bahrain-based Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) standards will be made available online through Thomson Reuters' range of digital information platforms, including Zawya Islamic. AAOIFI Sharia standards are approved and developed under the guidance of its Sharia Board. The standards represent the broadest consensus of rules that govern the Islamic finance industry and cover Sharia, accounting, auditing, governance and ethics. By making the standards available online, accessibility to the standards will be greatly improved which in turn promotes their wider adoption.

Bahrain's central bank is drafting legal documentation to set up a sharia board of scholars that would oversee the kingdom's Islamic finance sector. The central bank already has a sharia board but its scope is limited to vetting its own products. A country-level approach could help to limit differences between products, speed the design of new products and boost investor confidence. A "legal instrument" is now being prepared that would set out details of the sharia board, Khalid Hamad, the central bank's executive director of banking supervision, said. He did not specify a timeframe. The United Arab Emirates is the only other regulator in the Gulf to have announced a plan to adopt a centralised sharia approach.

Turkey’s banking regulator took control of Bank Asya, stepping up a year-long campaign against the Islamic lender a day after self-exiled Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen criticized the government from his base in the U.S. The Savings Deposit Insurance Fund, or TMSF, the agency responsible for resolving failed banks, appointed a new chief executive officer and board of directors late Tuesday, the bank said in a filing. Its activities will continue without “any disruption” under the new management. The government’s move against Bank Asya has been expected for quite some time now. The timing of the Bank Asya move intends to minimize the damage of the decline in investor confidence.

The thematic workshop on Development of Islamic Banking in Africa held in Ilorin, Nigeria recently became apt in appraising the current challenges inhibiting the development of Islamic banking in Nigeria particularly and Africa in general. The workshop was organised by the Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI) in collaboration with the University of Ilorin and Al-Hikmah University. The workshop brought together experts in Islamic Banking, Regulations and Financial Economics in order to take stock of current academic research, policies, practice and developments on Islamic Banking in Africa. The major challenge to the development of Islamic banking is considered to be the absence of regulations.

The Islamic Finance Gateway (IFG) Briefing, published from Sunday to Thursday, carries market-moving news and data for institutions offering Islamic financial services. Stories include: Islamic finance looks to outgrow bad habits as it expands. The United Arab Emirates Insurance Authority has issued new rules for conventional and Islamic insurance firms. Pakistan's central bank governor has urged the country's Islamic banks to develop ways to reward their customers in line with a surge in the sector's profitability, or face regulatory action. The Islamic Finance Briefings also include Islamic Interbank Benchmark Rates, major FX and equity market movements and indicators for all sharia-compliant asset classes. You can view the full IFG briefin http://tmsnrt.rs/1D83Hb0 under IFG Briefings Subject.

Vodafone Qatar has completed the process to become a fully Shariah-compliant company. Professor Dr Ali Qaradaghi, commissioned by Vodafone Qatar 's Board of Directors with the responsibility of transforming the company, said Vodafone Qatar successfully refinanced its conventional interest-bearing borrowings with a Shariah-compliant 'wakala' investment agreement in December. A Shariah compliance review was conducted by the Islamic Finance consultant. Vodafone Qatar said all these activities have been performed under the supervision of Prof Qaradaghi, followed by a comments review and the arrangement of Shariah-compliant alternatives when necessary. All non-compliant activities have been discontinued.

After a year of landmark deals which are opening new markets for Islamic finance, the industry is under fresh pressure to address some of its shortcomings and prove that it is not just an imitation of conventional finance. Islamic finance was launched to promote Muslim values such as equity, risk-sharing and social inclusion, but those values may sometimes be getting lost. That's why the Islamic Development Bank is leading calls for Islamic banks to strengthen their moral foundations and promote real economic activity instead of monetary speculation. This will require the sector to go back to the drawing board and develop genuine Islamic finance products that are not only profitable but support socioeconomic development.

A unit of the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank has provided $80 million worth of sharia-compliant reinsurance to cover political risk for oil and gas projects in Egypt. The deal covers the Overseas Private Investment Corporation for its own insurance policy on the exploration projects of Houston-based Apache Corporation, the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment & Export Credit (ICIEC) said in a statement. The announcement comes as Egypt is seeking new sources of energy to cope with its worst energy crisis in decades, caused by declining gas production and rising consumption. The policy would allow the country to retain foreign direct investment during a critical transtional period.