Retail Demand and Government Support is Helping Boost Growth Strong retail demand and proactive government support is assisting Islamic banks to grow at a faster pace when compared with their conventional peers. Khalid Howladar, Global Head of Islamic Finance at rating agency stated “Growth in the Islamic banking sector continues to broadly outpace that of conventional banks in most systems ... »

G20 and OECD Highlight use of Islamic Financing Instruments for Infrastructure Development In a recent joint G20 and OECD paper, the use of Islamic financing instruments such as Sukuk was highlighted and a number of successful case studies referenced as a means of advancing the global investment agenda, with a focus on infrastructure development, both in terms of quantity and quality. Mapping of i... »

Off Market UK Islamic Finance Transaction An iconic House of Fraser building in Cardiff, Wales has been acquired in an off-market purchase by Rosette Merchant Bank in partnership with Naissance Capital Real Estate from M&G Real Estate for £37m. The purchase was made on behalf of Middle Eastern investors. Rosette’s Chief Executive, Oliver Wynne-James said, “This deal demonstrates the ongoing ap... »

Senegal’s recent sukuk bought a welcome return to an Islamic finance transaction for the purposes of social good. »

World Sharia Stock Market Centre Announcements from the stock exchanges of Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as the Channel Islands this week are welcome signals for the cross border development of the Islamic Capital markets. The World Sharia Stock Market Centre, to be developed by the Indonesian Stock Exchange (IDX) and Bursa Malaysia aims to establish a global benchmark for Islamic capital market... »

The outgoing UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne stated London will continue as a major centre for Islamic finance, stating “In recent years the City of London has established itself as a global hub for renminbi, rupee, Islamic finance and green finance, as well as leading in new markets such as FinTech.” The incoming government appointed Alok Sharma MP as Parliamentary Under-Secretary ... »

Following on from KT Bank opening the first retail Islamic bank in Germany, Peter Kruschel, director of banking supervision at the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, discussed Germany’s interest in Islamic banking in an interview with Bloomberg at the Global Islamic Finance forum held in Kuala Lumpur recently. He stated Germany is aware of the potential of the Islamic banking se... »

Islamic Assets tend to be more Risk Averse Sharia compliant funds tend to perform better in times of market turbulence because they do not hold banks or insurers. In an interview with Bloomberg, Gerald Ambrose, Aberdeen Islamic Asset Management said Islamic Assets tend to outperform in uncertain times. Highlighting the low interest rate environment of banks, he added banks are hardly making any mo... »

Statistics Manual and Compilation Guide The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Monetary and Financial Statistics Manual and Compilation Guide provides an excellent overview of Islamic financial instruments covering Islamic Financial Institutions (IFI’s), source and use of funds and Takaful. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has taken the lead in promoting methodologically sound and internatio... »

The Oasis Crescent Global Equity Fund (OCGEF) is a Shari’ah compliant equity fund that seeks to provide investors with an ethical investment product. The Fund conforms to moral and cultural beliefs. Fund performance update for May 2016 by Oasis Crescent Global Equity Fund   The global economy continues to undergo a number of structural changes, including those taking place in China, where the gove... »