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Harry Suhartono from Reuters reported on 8 April that Indonesia's finance ministry plans for the second half of the year 2008 two Sukuk domestically and international following the approval of the new bill.

Indonesia's finance ministry plans to sell Islamic bonds in the international and domestic markets in the second half of 2008, a senior official said late on Monday following the approval of new bill on Islamic debt.

Rahmat Waluyanto is the treasury director general at the finance ministry. According to him the ministry has suitable underlying assets worth 15 trillion rupiah (USD 1.63 bn).

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said it might take between one to 1.5 months for the ministry to draw up the necessary regulations following the approval of the bill.

Source: http://in.reuters.com/article/asiaCompanyAndMarkets/idINJAK28409420080408

More information in regard to the Sukuk bill:
http://in.reuters.com/article/asiaCompanyAndMarkets/idINJAK29608520080408

Business Intelligence Middle East reported on 9 April that Standard & Poors revisied Saad Group outlookto 'stable' on improved capital structure. At the same time, the 'BBB+' long-term corporate credit ratings were affirmed.

Standard & Poor's credit analyst is Mohammed Fayek.

The potential for a rating upgrade is constrained by leverage and the potential for volatility in portfolio value. A sustained weakening of equity markets or a more aggressive growth strategy and subsequently higher leverage for the group could have negative implications for the rating.

Saad issued a Sukuk.

Source: http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&cg=2&t=1&id=19032

Parag Deulgaonkar reported on 7 April about the extraordinary shareholder meeting of Tamweel, deciding to restructure Tamweel as a holding firm. The UAE mortgage business, property investment, escrow management services and Tamweel International will be the first four operating units.

The company also plans to raise Dh 5.1 bn through sukuk in 2008. This total amount includes Dh 1.1 bn of convertible sukuk and Dh 4 bn of non-convertible sukuk.

Further Tamweel has signed a joint venture agreement with Al Oula Development Company in Saudi Arabia, where the company expects to open a subsidiary later this year. Other expansion plans include Egypt.

Wasim Saifi is CEO of Tamweel.
Zayed bin Saqer Al Nehayan is Chairman of Tamweel.

Source: http://www.business24-7.ae/cs/article_show_mainh1_story.aspx?HeadlineID=...

Yoon Ja-young reported on 7 April that Korea regulators plan to revise laws to support banks to reach out to the markets of Islamic countries.
The Financial Services Commission (FSC) plans to revise laws through a revision this year. FSC Chairman Jun Kwang-woo sees bankers requests in this regard very positive. Steps should include opportunities for Sukuk.

Source: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2008/04/123_22065.html

Reuters reported on 7 April that Pakistan has shortlisted six banks to manage a local currency sukuk to be mandated according to sources Reuters spoke with, those are ABN Amro Pakistan, Dubai Islamic Bank, Meezan Bank, MCB Bank, Standard Chartered Bank Pakistan, United Bank Ltd. Last month the finance minster, Salman Shah, indicated the issuance till 30 June, the end of the fiscal year. A banker familiar with the plans estimates the size at least to be Rps 20 bn (USD 318 mn).

Source: http://in.reuters.com/article/asiaCompanyAndMarkets/idINISL24089920080407

Trading Market reported on 7 April that three local Islamic banks arranged Rs 91 bn Sukuk in Pakistan: Meezan Bank participated in Rs 57 bn worth of Sukuk financing. Dubai Islamic Bank during the year 2006-07, arranged Sukuks worth Rs 24 bn, which is 41% of the total domestic Sukuk issuances. BankIslami managed Rs. 5 bn in the last quarter of 2007.

Source: http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1316415/

Gulf News reported on 6 April that Amlak Finance reported a 425 %growth in first quarter net profits to Dh 126 mn compared to only Dh 24 mn in the first quarter of 2007.

Amlak also reported an impressive 165 per cent rise in revenues to Dh 270 mn during the first quarter of 2008 compared to Dh 102 mn in the same period last year.

The Extraordinary General Meeting mandated the board of directors with the issuance of convertible sukuk, up to Dh1.8 billion, in addition to non-convertible sukuk up to at Dh3 billion, for a total value of Dh4.8 billion.

Nasser Bin Hassan Al Shaikh is the chairman of Amlak Finance.

Source: http://archive.gulfnews.com/business/Banking_and_Finance/10203528.html

Ulf Laessing reported in ArabianBusiness on 27 March about NBK Capitals plans to arrange Sukuk issues worth up to USD 700 mn in 2008 and to finalise four purchases for a Private Equity Fund.

The article confirms the slow down due to the credit crisis and that the pricing does not meet the clients requirement easily.

Further the company is buying into a car leasing company in Saudi, according to the Head of investment and merchant banking, Amjad Ahmad. It also aims to open offices in Qatar and Saudi-Arabia next year. It is operation in Turkey and interested in Syria.

NBK Capital operates currently in Kuwait and Dubai and focusses on mid-range deals in the triple-million dollar digit range.

Source: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/514909-nbk-capital-plans-700mn-islamic-bo...

The Peninsula reported on 27 March about the Musharaka Sukuk USD 137.5 mn arranged by Qatar Islamic Bank on behalf of the ‘Salam Bounian Development Company Limited’. Qatar National Bank Al Islami, the Islamic branch of Qatar National Bank and ALSAFA, the Islamic banking division of the Commercialbank of Qatar QSC, were joint lead managers and bookrunners for the issue. Only Qatari financial institutions participated for the first time. The Sukuk will be listed in Luxembourg and traded by the Qatar Islamic Bank and its affiliates, European Finance House and Asian Finance House.

Source: http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Business_News&...

John Irish reported on Monday, 24 March in ArabianBusiness that Dubai-based mortgage lender Amlak Finance plans to sell as much as 1.8 billion dirhams convertible and 3 billion dirhams non-convertible Sukuk this year to help finance expansion.
 
The CEO, Arif Al-Harmi confirmed the approval to Reuters given by the extraordinary general meeting of the board and the Chairman, Nasser Al-Shaikh, revealed that the total plans are to raise 6 billion dirhams this year. Amlak, an affiliate of Emaar Properties, will launch operations in Qatar and Jordan this year and has applied for a licence in Bahrain, Al-Harmi said. Syria is in discussion state.
 
Amlak delayed a sale of Sukuk late 2007 because of unsecure demand situation caused by the US credit crisis.
 
Source: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/514474-amlak-to-sell-islamic-bonds-worth-...

Arthur Macdonald reported in Gulf Daily News that the Sukuk market has suffered from the global financial crisis, but it is likely to recover. It impacted pricing and access to investors. Further the discussion on the Dollar peg of Gulf currencies created addtional uncertainties. Nevertheless the market has grown in ten years from millions to billions, participants of a Sukuk conference in Bahrain said.

Source: http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=211884&Sn=BUSI&IssueID=...

Yong Yen Nie reported in The Edge on 18th March about Lingkaran Trans Kota Holdings Bhd (Litrak), which may return RM 1 per share after debt refinancing. The firm proposed last Friday the issuance of up to RM1.55 billion in Islamic debt papers under a sukuk programme. The new debt issue is meant to refinance the highway concessionaire’s existing borrowings and redeemable unsecured loan stocks of RM1.2 billion and to fund working capital and other operational purposes.

Analysts said the proceeds from the sukuk bond issue would fully retire Litrak’s existing debts that were taken to fund the construction of the Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP).

Source: http://www.theedgedaily.com/cms/content.jsp?id=com.tms.cms.article.Artic...