IslamicFinance.de

The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) is considering options for support of the private sector in Azerbaijan. According to the Ministry of Economy and Industry, Minister Shahin Mustafayev has received Khaled Mohammad Al Aboodi, ICD CEO. During the meeting, the Minister proposed to cooperate in the industrial and agricultural sector including the project of the Sumgait Chemical Industrial Park and establishment of agricultural parks in Azerbaijan, the Ministry said. Aboodi expressed his satisfaction with the cooperation with Azerbaijan and proposed to expand it.

The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) plans to expand its cooperation with Azerbaijan in respond to the request of the national government. In this regard the bank may send the MDPS to the country. The material is distributed only on private subscription conditions. If you are interested in it please contact the Marketing Service of Fineko Agency.

According to Behnam Gurbanzadeh, IBA Islamic Finance Department Manager, the idea to establish the CIS Islamic Development Bank, proposed by IBA several years ago, has become attractive for their Russian colleagues. The interest of Russian banks for instruments like Islamic financing has suddenly increased. Russian banks have problems with funding and are actively looking for alternative sources of financing, Gurbanzadeh said. Last November he revived the idea of the CIS Islamic Development Bank and Russia together with Kazakhstan. IBA agreed to work on the establishment of a Working Group on Islamic financing under the CIS Financial and Banking Council.

Baku will become the regional Islamic financial center and has a potential to press internationally recognized centers. According to Behnam Gurbanzadeh, IBA (International Bank of Azerbaijan OJSC) Islamic Financing Department Manager, the idea to establish the CIS Islamic Development Bank proposed several years ago has become very attractive for the countries of the Commonwealth. In addition to Azerbaijan, Russia and Kazakhstan are very interested in establishing such a bank, Gurbanzadeh said. Today there are up to 700 million users of Islamic financial services in the world.

The Board of the Islamic Development Bank approved an operation plan for the new fiscal year 2014-2015 at its 300th meeting held on 19 -22 October in Jeddah. According to the Bank, the plan has a budget of US$ 5.1 billion not including the administrative budget for the Bank and its Funds and Programs. The Bank also approved US$ 814.2 million for development financing. Amongst the approvals of the Board was US$ 230.2 million for Development of Sharm El –Sheikh International Airport Project (Phase-II) – Egypt. IDB has already contributed US$ 226.8 million to the project and with the new approval IDB contribution to the project reaches US$ 457 million.

A new $50 million fund - the Central Asia Renewable Energy Fund - was launched by the Islamic Corporation for Development of Private Sector (ICD). According to the CEO of the corporation, Mr. Khaled Al-Aboodi, the money will be used to benefit countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia Regions, most important of which will be Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkey. Further target countries of the fund include Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Bosnia, Albania and Kosovo. Factors like growing environmental awareness, evidence of climate change, scarcity of fossil fuels, and an increasing commitment by governments to support new sources of energy lead to growing interest in renewable energy in these countries.

Read more on: http://www.abc.az/eng/news_12_10_2012_68763.html

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. GRBS jointly with Dar Al Istithmar, a UK-based Shari’a advisory firm and the global leader on Islamic Finance System, is to conduct "Global Islamic Finance System" Master Class in Azerbaijan for the first time.