IslamicFinance.de

The Faisal Islamic Bank of Egypt has reported a 9.3% increase in its volume of business to EGP 112.751bn in August 2020, compared to EGP 103.149bn in August 2019. The bank’s total assets reached EGP 109.713bn in August 2020, which reflects a 13% growth compared to the EGP 97.124bn reported in August 2019. Faisal Islamic Bank aims to open five new branches over the course of the current year, bringing its total network of branches to 41. It aims to further expand its branch network to 46 by the end of 2021. The bank also plans to offer a number of new services, including “Meeza” debit and pre-paid cards, and new bill e-payment service “Fawri”.

Egypt’s Ministry of Finance has signed the first conventional and Islamic financing facility, worth $2bn, to finance the state’s budget deficit. The facility was closed by Emirates NBD Capital Limited, and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) as the transaction’s global coordinators, mandated lead arrangers, and book runners. The main authorised regulators and the offering managers include Mashreq Bank, ABC Islamic Bank, British Standard Chartered Bank, Islamic HSBC, the Arab Banking Corporation (ABC), and the Japanese Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.

The consolidated financial results of Faisal Islamic Bank of Egypt showed a 53.6% year-on-year (YoY) drop in its net profits to EGP 483.53 million in the first quarter (Q1) of 2020 from EGP 1.043 billion. Meanwhile, the bank’s revenues fell to EGP 2.63 billion in the January-March period, compared to EGP 3.22 billion in the corresponding period a year earlier. It is worth mentioning that in 2019, Faisal Islamic Bank of Egypt reported consolidated net profit of EGP 2.78 billion, up from EGP 2.56 billion in 2018, including minority shareholders’ rights.

Sarwa Capital finalise une opération évaluée à 152,2 millions $. Ce sera la deuxième émission de ce type de produits financiers sur le marché financier égyptien après celle de Talaat Mostafa Holdings en avril 2020. Sarwa Capital est aussi en train de mener des discussions avec de potentiels arrangeurs et garants de l'opération. Pour l'heure, seules deux entreprises financières égyptiennes sont habilitées à émettre des sukuk. Il s'agit de Sarwa Capital et EFG Hermes. Celle-ci est cotée sur la Bourse du Caire.

Clifford Chance has advised four international development finance institutions on a US$125 million Islamic financing facility to Humania. Led by International Finance Corporation (IFC), the institutions involved in the consortium were: the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation (Finnfund), and OPEC Fund for International Development (OPEC Fund). Humania is a private healthcare company within the Bait Al Batterjee Group. The financing will be used to develop greenfield general hospitals in Alexandria (Egypt), and Casablanca (Morocco).

Egyptians have been paying tribute to Saudi businessman Saleh Kamel who died in Jeddah on Monday after suffering a heart attack. Members of the country’s business, political, religious, and entertainment communities joined in mourning the passing of the prominent figure. Kamel, who was the chairman and founder of the Dallah Al-Baraka Group established part of his economic empire in Egypt including Arab Radio and Television (ART), and Al-Baraka Bank. He also used the ART Institution to fund charity projects throughout Egypt. Kamel had always been a strong supporter of Egypt and in March 2015 headed a delegation of 100 businessmen and investors at a major conference in Sharm El-Sheikh aimed at boosting the Egyptian economy.

The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) has signed a US$100 million financing agreement with the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) to cover the Egyptian Government’s commodity needs during the Corona outbreak. ITFC CEO Hani Salem Sonbol said the financing supports the importation of critical basic commodities such as wheat and sugar. The wheat policy is of strategic importance to the Egyptian Government to ensure food security for all Egyptians. Since 2018, ITFC has been supporting the Governments’ efforts through a trade finance facility benefiting the GASC, Egypt’s largest wheat purchaser.

Egypt's Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) plans for five new sukuk offerings worth EGP 5 billion this year. In early April, FRA approved issuing the first-of-kind sukuk in favor of the Arab Company for Projects and Urban Development, a subsidiary of TMG Holding (TMGH). The total value of this Islamic financing facility is estimated at EGP 2 billion. Additionally, Sarwa Capital has been granted in July 2019 the country’s first sukuk issuer license by FRA. This gives Sarwa the green light to issue Islamic bonds through its sukuk arm, Sarwa Sukuk Company.

Egypt's Financial Regulatory Authority approved the first issuance of sukuk worth 2 billion Egyptian pounds ($127 million) by a subsidiary of Talaat Mostafa Group. The sukuk, issued by the subsidiary Arab Company for Projects and Urban Development, will be available for trading and for expedited payment but will not be transferable for shares. The new sukuk period is for 57 months, up to the end of 2024. Talaat Mostafa Group is Egypt's largest listed real estate developer.

Egypt’s regulators have approved the sale of 75% of Tokio Marine Egypt Family Takaful Co. for nearly 85 million Egyptian pounds ($5.4 million). Hermes Finance Group and GB Capital will each buy 37.5% of the takaful insurer. Mr Reda Abdel Moaty, FRA vice chairman, said that Cabinet approval is required under the law for investments in Egyptian insurance companies exceeding 10% of the issued shares.

Al Baraka Bank Egypt is establishing a digital bank, as it decided to increase the capital to EGP 5 billion through 3 years abiding by the Central Bank of Egypt's (CBE) new act. The bank injected EGP 1.7 billion joint funding to the national projects aiming to reach EGP 5 billion in 2023, as well as it will provide in principles 100 Automated Teller Machines (ATM), targeting to reach 200 ATMs during the upcoming period.

Egypt will approach investment banks soon to advise on a planned international bond issuance to raise between $3 billion and $7 billion by June 2020. The new offering could include Egypt’s first Panda, Samurai, Sukuk and green bonds as well as euro- and dollar-denominated bonds. Khaled Abd Elrahman, the Egyptian Deputy Minister of Finance, said that the so-called request for proposal is being prepared and will be sent to banks imminently. Egypt was able to return to global bond markets in 2017, lowering its borrowing costs overseas as domestic rates soared amid a far-reaching economic reform programme. The government is now seeking to vary its instruments and gradually move toward longer-term credit to reduce the burden of debt. Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said that foreign holdings in Egypt’s Treasury bills and bonds currently stand at about $20 billion.

Ayman el Segeny, CEO of the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) met Sahar Nasr, Egyptian Minister of Investment and International Cooperation. Segeny said that ICD's investment in Egypt reached $230 million, of which $75 million were invested in the food industry and $75 million in the renewable energy in Benban Power Station. Futhermore, Segeny noted that ICD participated in financing petroleum Services Company by $20 million. Both sides discussed activating the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the organization and the Investment Ministry on the cooperation to develop Egypt's infrastructure. Nasr said that there are vast opportunities for investment in Egypt especially in the Suez Canal Development corridor, the New Administrative Capital and New Alamein.

The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) will provide Egypt with $1 billion to support the provision of basic goods. The financing is part of a $3 billion agreement with the ITFC, which is part of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB). Egypt's economy was battered after a 2011 uprising ushered in political instability that scared off tourists and foreign investors.
Earlier this week Egypt signed contracts with two global banks to hedge against fluctuating global oil prices. The investment ministry said the ITFC financing was part of a new cooperation strategy between Egypt and the IDB lasting until 2021.

Faisal Islamic Bank of Egypt (FIBE) will start appointing women to all of its branches for the first time since the bank was established in 1979. Egyptian member of parliament Inas Abdel Halim had submitted May 31 a briefing paper to then-Prime Minister Sherif Ismail about reports whereby the FIBE does not employ women. Abdel Halim stressed that the bank is violating Article 9 of the Egyptian Constitution, which stipulates that the state shall ensure equal opportunity for all citizens. She called on both the prime minister and the governor of the Central Bank to investigate the incident. According to Sahar el-Damaty, the first female vice president of Banque Misr, FIBE and its relationship with its founders in Saudi Arabia is the main reason behind the strict rules relating to the appointment of women. It seems the FIBE decision falls within a series of societal changes both in Egypt and Saudi Arabia aimed at granting women their full rights.

The Egyptian government plans to issue dollar-dominated and euro-dominated sukuk over the next fiscal year. Finance Minister Mohamed Maait made the announcement, expecting that the issuance of the Sharia-compliant bonds would attract huge demand. He added that the government would introduce amendments to the existing laws to enable the issuance. On April 11, the government approved a draft law to establish a sovereign fund aimed at making the best use of state assets with a capital of 5 billion Egyptian pounds (about $279 million). The Egypt Fund will benefit several infrastructure projects, create more job opportunities and reduce the budget deficit. The Egyptian government is also planning to float shares in state-owned companies to draw more local and foreign investors to the stock market.

Egypt is considering tapping the international sukuk market in the coming fiscal year, as it looks to diversify funding sources. The issuance would mark a revival of a plan shelved since 2013 when the government issued the law to pave the way for the country’s first Islamic bond. Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said that the ministry has yet to discuss how much it wants to raise from conventional bond sales in the coming fiscal year. The focus is shifting toward long term borrowing. The government is also planning on launching the first offerings of stakes in public sector companies in July or August. The initial stakes are expected to raise between 15 billion and 18 billion pounds.

UAE based natural gas producer Dana Gas has now received almost $90mn so far this year from the North African nation.

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has raised around $260 million via three Islamic finance facilities to support small- and medium-sized businesses in the region. The Egypt-based bank obtained a $100 million financing from the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD). It also signed two financing agreements with the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) worth $100 million and 50 million euros ($59.8 million) to help finance exports among African countries. Both ICD and ITFC are part of the Saudi-based Islamic Development Bank group of companies.

The Grand Mufti of Egypt has explicitly prohibited trading in Bitcoin, explaining that it is forbidden in Islamic Sharia for the risks it holds, and its been used to fund terrorists. A Fatwa has been issued that the virtual currency should not be used to make financial transactions because it has no monetary cover by the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE). Mufti Allam remarked that Bitcoins undermine the legal system, as companies can evade taxes and not disclose their profits due to the fact that Bitcoins are untraceable. Furthermore, companies turn their attention to crypto currencies as it allows them to launder money or finance terrorist activities and engage in other fraudulent behaviors. The Mufti concluded that Bitcoin does not have a physical form and leads to fraud, therefore prohibited its use as it leads to more corruption.