IslamicFinance.de

AlBaraka Türk launches basic online Islamic account services in Germany utilizing solarisBank as service provider and license holder.

Schedule
October 28, 2014, Tue 09.00 - 16.45 h

Content
At the first Liechtenstein Islamic finance conference, the Financial Market Authority (FMA) and the Propter Homines Chair for Banking and Securities Law at the University of Liechtenstein will examine the challenges to and opportunities for Islamic finance structures and sharia compliant financial intermediation for Liechtenstein. We believe that Liechtenstein’s expertise as a renowned private and family wealth centre with a strong preference for non-leveraged long-term investments, well-developed trust and foundation laws, as well as a competitive financial regulation may provide the starting point for offering services in the Islamic domain. We are delighted that experts in the field of Islamic finance and sustainability will assist us in answering the questions on how Liechtenstein may benefit from Islamic finance, and how Islamic investors and clients may benefit from Liechtenstein.

We would like to advise you of the coming Liechtenstein Islamic Finance Conference and would appreciate your participation. The conference concerning

The shift in global banking is not a trend, and the challenge for all of us is to bridge the gap in financial practice and seize the opportunities that lie ahead, bringing ethics back into finance.

Thomson Reuters and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) are partnering to launch the world’s first Ethical Finance Innovation Challenge and Awards (EFICA). In the dawn of a new economic world, these awards are designed to inspire and recognise a fresh way of thinking by promoting some of the most dynamic, innovative ideas and solutions around integrity and growth.

European Central Bank, Occasional Paper No 146, June 2013

ABSTRACT

Islamic finance is based on ethical principles in line with Islamic religious law. Despite its low
share of the global financial market, Islamic fi nance has been one of this sector’s fastest growing
components over the last decades and has gained further momentum in the wake of the financial
crisis.

The paper examines the development of and possible prospects for Islamic finance, with a special
focus on Europe. It compares Islamic and conventional finance, particularly as concerns risks
associated with the operations of respective institutions, as well as corporate governance. The paper
also analyses empirical evidence comparing Islamic and conventional financial institutions with
regard to their: (i) efficiency and profitability; and (ii) stability and resilience. Finally, the paper
considers the conduct of monetary policy in an Islamic banking context. This is not uncomplicated
given the fact that interest rates – normally a cornerstone of monetary policy – are prohibited under
Islamic finance. Liquidity management issues are thus discussed here, with particular reference to
the euro area.

Over the past three years, the Hult Prize has taken on some of the planet's toughest challenges. These have included Education, Energy, Housing, and Water. For the 2013 Prize, President Clinton has personally selected the challenge: the Global Food Crisis.

A detailed case study, narrated by President Bill Clinton, will be released to all selected participants in early January to set the framework for this year's challenge. Competitors will then be asked to develop social enterprises that answer the President's Challenge.

The global food crisis can be approached through multiple lenses, such as: distribution, manufacturing, production, technology and many others. Each, represents an opportunity for innovation. Nearly 1 Billion people in the World are Hungry, that is over 1 out of every 4 children. Ironically, our global economy produces enough food each year to feed everyone, however more than one-third of the food generated for human consumption continues to be lost or wasted.

LGT Venture Philanthropy is proud to launch its second call for applications for the Smiling World Accelerator Program(SWAP) 2013 in Indonesia.

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LGT Venture Philanthropy, dengan dukungan GEPI mengumumkan pembukaan pendaftaran kedua untuk Smiling World Accelerator Program (SWAP) 2013.

SWAP merupakan program khusus selama 9-24 bulan bagi para pengusaha di bidang kesehatan, pendidikan, energi yang berkelanjutan dan diperbaharui, pertanian, serta Teknologi Informasi dan Komunikasi, yang melayani atau bermanfaat bagi orang yang kurang mampu dan yang sedang berjuang kearah level pertumbuhan dan dampak positif yang lebih tinggi.

SWAP menyediakan bantuan dana sesuai kebutuhan (sampai dengan USD 50,000 per organisasi), mentor bisnis di lapangan dan juga akses ke berbagai jaringan internasional.

LGT Venture Philanthropy telah memilih dan membantu 6 organisasi yang masih dalam tahap permulaan dengan rata-rata investasi masing-masing sebesar USD 35’000, dan memberikan dukungan berupa bimbingan teknis melalui satu konsultan bisnis tetapnya di lapangan.

Why an Islamic Finance training programme?

The Islamic banking and finance (IBF) sector has experienced substantial and unprecedented growth in recent years: growing at a rate of 10-15% per year. Today, more than 500 IBF institutions are operating worldwide, which are claimed to manage assets worth no less than $1.2 trillion, while the assets held in IBF institutions were only less than $10 billion in 1985. In Malaysia the IBF institutions are planned to capture the 25% of the market share, in terms of assets owned, by 2012, while it is expected that Islamic finance will be the mainstream finance in the Gulf region in the next decade.

Such immense growth has brought Islamic finance to the attention of the international banking and finance community, prompting the major banks to set up Islamic financial windows to take advantage of demand for Shari'ah compliant finance.

Social Finance, Ltd. created a bond with social impact. Background on this project is provided free for download and could be a good base for innovation in the Islamic finance industry:

"In September 2010, our sister organization, Social Finance, Ltd., launched the world’s first Social Impact Bond in the United Kingdom. Targeted at reducing prison recidivism, the Peterborough pilot generated world-wide interest in the potential of this innovative financial instrument. We established Social Finance, Inc. in January 2011, to bring the Social Impact Bond to the United States. Since our founding, we have been collaborating with government, investors, nonprofit organizations, and thought leaders on how Social Impact Bonds might realign incentives for delivering social outcomes and augment public funding and philanthropy to support our collective efforts to improve the lives of individuals and communities in need.

By organizing a one-day conference on Islamic finance and bringing together some of the
major players in the field of islamic and ethical finance , Islamic Relief-Italy, in collaboration
with ASSAIF, intends to share some reflections, case studies and initiatives in order
to contribute to solve the actual financial crisis. Thanks to a significant experience in
implementing development projects that are shari’a compliant , Islamic Relief represents
an interesting and successful example of Islamic finance initiatives that are born and
developed in Europe.The financial crisis which is nowadays afflicting most of the European countries has had

The financial crisis which is nowadays afflicting most of the European countries has had a significant impact on the real economy and on the society itself. Particularly, a growing
number of people are marginalized within the Italian society (not only migrants but also
the so called “new poors”) as well as within financial circuits and last but not least are
prevented from accessing credit. The Islamic finance, which is already operational in
several European countries, can provide solutions which are complementary to those

The 1st Ernst & Young World Islamic Banking Competitiveness Report 2011 presented at the 18th Annual World Islamic Banking Conference stated that Islamic banking assets with commercial banks globally will reach US$1.1 trillion in 2012, a significant jump of 33% from their 2010 level of US$826 billion. In the MENA region, Islamic banking assets increased to US$416 billion in 2010, representing a five year CAGR of 20% compared to less than 9% for conventional banks. As new geographies open up to Islamic banking, the MENA Islamic banking industry is expected to more than double to US$990 billion by 2015.

Hawkamah issues a DRAFT Policy Brief for consultation purposes only. Please find the related full document under source.

Please submit comments and feedback to Ms. Jahanara Sajjad Ahmad , Program Manager Hawkamah, The Institute For Corporate (jahanara.ahmad@hawkamah.org) .

The Zawya Collaborative Sukuk Report covers the following issues:

• What is the distribution of current and potential investors and what is their appetite?

• What is the appetite of the Supply side and what drives their need to issue?

• What are the challenges faced by the industry, what are the associated developments and what needs to be done to resolve them?

The download is free after providing contact details to Zawya:

6.10.2010: Report is update and again free for download

3.9.2009:
Funds at Work, a strategy consultant for the fund industry, updated its analysis on Shariah scholars' engagement in financial service organisations in the GCC countries and now internationally covering companies with 956 (498) Sharia Board positions and 180 (121) scholars.

The study shows that the Top 5 scholars make up at least 30.15 % of the entire univese of almost 956 board positions. The Top 5 scholars internationally (ex GCC) out of 70 scholars active beyond the GCC - make 58.21 % of all positions (201 board positions).

The detailed summary of the study is free for download.

The workshop was made up of a group of influential Islamic legal scholars, academicians, economists, and bankers, who were welcomed by the Directors of IFP and LSE, Dr. Nazim Ali and Sir Howard Davies, respectively. The inancial crisis, which was the backdrop of the discussions, and the need to revisit risk management practices were underscored in the opening addresses. The crisis, at its core, demonstrates the dangers of “group think” and overoptimism in clouding corporate decision-making and risk reigning. In this regard, risk managers and board members of risk committees would have better served institutions as contrarians in their assessment approach. Understanding risk is key to managing risk. Undermining this key tenet was the complexity of financial instruments, which managers failed to understand. The resulting underassessment fed into misaligned models concerning the true risk interactions of various securities within portfolios, causing misleading enterprise risk measures and hedges.

The summary report is free for download

The German regulator BAFIN is organising an Islamic finance conference on 29 October 2009. The announcement is in German, but the conference is held in English. The conference shall show different aspects of Islamic finance, and to determine the salient features. Further it shall discuss the developments in the insurance sector and capital markets. The aim of the conference is to sharpen the conscience about Islamic finance und its increasing role, the foundations of sharia compliant business, and the challenges involved herewith from the regulatory perspective.

Contact details:
Ricarda.Maier@bafin.de
jochenrobert.elsen@bafin.de