Competitive pricing, product innovation and deeper liquidity have made Shariah-principled finance increasingly appealing as a funding source in the global financial industry, according to QInvest head of financial institutions and structured finance, Alex Armstrong. Finding that several issuers from outside the Islamic world - including the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the UK government - have successfully raised funding through sukuk or Islamic bonds in recent months, he said, others are expected to follow suit. Investor demand for Islamic products is strong and QInvest fully expects demand to exceed supply for some time to come, he added.