IslamicFinance.de

Oman’s Al Madina Insurance Co (AMIC) plans to list its shares on the local bourse as part of its transformation into a takaful firm. AMIC plans to issue 66.67 million shares with a face value of 0.1 rial per share, equating to 40 percent of its total post-IPO capital. The offer will take place this year depending on approval from Oman’s Capital Market Authority (CMA). It was unclear how much money AMIC planned to raise. Oman decided in 2011 to introduce Islamic finance; its draft takaful regulations require local Islamic insurers to be public companies, and AMIC said it expected to become one of the first takaful companies on the market.

Al Madina Insurance Company is planning to float an initial public offering (IPO) in the fourth quarter of this year in an attempt to change its status to a Sharia-compliant takaful firm. As per the draft takaful regulation, insurance companies have to be public firms to function as takaful companies. The promoters will reportedly divest 40 per cent of their holding in the company in favour of investing public through the IPO, which will be a premium issue. Al Madina Insurance, which has branch operations in several parts of the country, has a capital base of OMR10 million. Besides, three other companies made similar proposals: Al Maha Ceramics, Sembcorp Salalah Power and Oman Arab Bank. Al Madina has received an 'in principle' approval from the Capital Market Authority for converting its status into an Islamic insurance firm and a final approval will be given only after the company lists its shares on the Muscat Securities Market (MSM).

ONIC Holding negotiates with Royal and Sun Alliance to mutually promote takaful insurance company in Oman. ONIC Holding has already obtained an approval from the Oman's Capital Market Authority, after the government decision to allow Islamic banks. However, ONIC has to wait for announcing of a separate set of rules for Sharia-compliant insurance firms, as these are still waiting to be defined by the Capital Market Authority.

Al Madina Insurance Company is the first one to be granted a Takaful license by Oman.
The new firm will give Life, Medial and non-Life Takaful in the Sultanate.
Mohammed al-Barwani, the firm's chairman, presented his desire to become a publically-listed company.
Al Madina stated that it will be arranging its own in-house Shari'ah board to govern its operations and will chase a hybrid version of a Wakala contract for its insurance products and a Mudarabah model for its investment functions.