World News about islamic finance

Islamic Banking to Increase in Australia

Malaysia Sun, Malaysia February 28, 2010

The Australian government has expressed an interest in creating a finance hub for the nearly one billion Muslims in Asia-Pacific region. Government ministers are known to want to expand Islamic banking to help Australia become a dominant player in regional financing. Banking systems that comply with Islamic beliefs are becoming a worldwide industry, with banks in the Asia Pacific region already common in Indonesia and Malaysia. With Australia wanting to bolster the Islamic market, a report has been released that details how Australia can position itself to become a financial services hub, particularly for Islamic finance. Islamic finance differs from conventional Western banking by focusing on profit-sharing. Wealth is generated through trade and investment in assets, such as property or commodities.......

Islamic Mega Bank to Launch in 6-12 Months

Manama Reuters, Manama February 18, 2010

The creation of a planned Islamic investment Mega bank is in "fairly advanced stages" and it will likely be launched in the next six to 12 months, an executive at a firm advising on the project said on Thursday. A plan to form the world's largest sharia-compliant lender -- which is being promoted by the chairman of Al Baraka Banking Group BARKAH. Sheikh Saleh Abdulla Kamel -- has been in the works for some years. Sheikh Saleh said last April the global financial crisis had delayed the project, but that they hoped to launch it by the fourth quarter of 2009."The key shareholders I would say are on board and we are looking for an imminent launch, within six months to a year," Sameer Abdi, head of Islamic finance at Ernst & Young, told the Reuters Islamic Banking and Finance Summit in Bahrain. Sheikh Saleh said in April the new institution so far had about 10 shareholders, including the Islamic Development Bank ISDBA. UL, Saudi Investment bank 1030.SE and the Kuwait Real Estate Bank..........

IFIB Chief Calls for Interest-free Banking in India

MENAFN - Arab News Middle East February 22, 2010

The global banking and finance sector needs major structural changes in order to play a leading role in poverty alleviation and to encourage popular participation in nation building efforts, said Omar Abubacker, president of the Indian Forum for Interest-Free Banking (IFIB) in Jeddah. Speaking to Arab News, Abubacker called upon the Indian government to make necessary amendments in the banking law in order to introduce interest-free banking, which he said could lead a massive cash flow into the national economy and bring about greater development in the country. He disclosed IFIB's plan to organize a major seminar on interest-free banking at Holiday Inn in Jeddah on Feb. 27 in order to mobilize popular support for the system. He said a memorandum, demanding interest-free banking services in India, would be passed at the seminar and presented to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his coming visit to Riyadh. ......

Islamic Banking in the Philippines

Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation. Manila February 28, 2010

Not many of us are aware that there is such a concept as Islamic banking, and that there is actually a special bank for our Muslim brothers and sisters. In a country like the Philippines where there is a significant Muslim population, this financial system is indeed very important. Islamic banking pertains to a system of banking that is consistent with the principles of Sharia (Islamic law). In this type of banking system, the collection and payment of interest, which Muslims refer to as “riba,” is strictly prohibited. Islam forbids transactions involving interest because of its teachings that all income must be determined by the supply of work associated with the factors of production. It emphasizes that if money is lent for interest, capital is consequently augmented without any effort. Profit-Loss sharing in Islam encourages Muslims to invest their money and become partners in order to share the profits and risks of the business. Islamic law prohibits investing in sectors contrary to Islamic values such as gambling, alcohol, tobacco, the arms industry and pornography. In an Islamic mortgage transaction, instead of loaning the buyer money to purchase the item, a bank might buy the item itself from the seller and resell it to the buyer at a profit, while allowing the buyer to pay the bank in installments....

AAOIFI to Start Islamic Finance Screening in H2

Manama Reuters, Manama February 17, 2010

The Bahrain-based Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions, which helps sets standards in the sector, said on Tuesday that it plans to start screening Islamic finance products in the second half of this year to ensure they are sharia compliant. "It will be a gradual process, it will not be widespread. It will be product by product," Mohamad Nedal Alchaar, secretary general of the AAOIFI, told Reuters Islamic Banking and Finance Summit in Bahrain. The organization would set up a committee by June to conduct screening, he said. Last year AAOIFI -- one of the bodies involved in setting standards to ensure Islamic finance products and structures comply with sharia, or Islamic law -- said it would start to screen products. That marks a major shift in its role from being just a provider of standards to actively approaching banks and urging them to work on products that it does not consider to be sharia-compliant. Alchaar said AAOIFI would seek to strike a balance between its efforts to harmonize banks' interpretation of sharia and their commercial interests, he said.....

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Emiratisation Rate Jumps to 40%

United Arab Emirates February 27, 2010

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), a top-tier Islamic financial services group and an industry leader in Emiratisation initiatives, increased its Emiratisation rate to 40% in 2009 compared to 31.5% in 2008 after recruiting a large number of UAE Nationals in 2009 bringing up the total number of Emiratis as bank staff to 570.The bank has been recognized for its continued commitment to Emiratization by the Emirates Institute of Banking and Financial Studies (EIBFS) and was presented with their Human Resource Development Award in the first category for 2009.HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Ruler of Sharjah and Member of the Supreme Council, and HE Ahmed Humaid Al Tayer, Chairman of the UAE Human Resource Development Committee in the Banking and Financial sector presented the Human Resource ....

Experts Pitch for Islamic Banking in India

Economic times .com India February 04, 2010

NEW DELHI: With the global financial crisis putting the spotlight on "casino capitalism" of the West, leading scholars and experts from the Arab world on Thursday pitched for interest-free Islamic banking as a solution and its introduction in India, home to the world's largest Muslim minority. Tracing the genesis of the global meltdown to "greed and unscrupulousness" of financiers and speculators in the West. The Islamic system, financial capital is deployed for creating development in society and is consistent with the principles of Islamic law (Sharia) which prohibits the payment or acceptance of interest for the lending and accepting of money respectively. When contacted on whether NBAD was a likely candidate for the foreign banking license, Bank Negara said it would not comment on specific.......

CIMB Islamic Eyes Indonesia, Singapore for Growth

Money Control, India February 09, 2010

CIMB Islamic, the world's top sukuk arranger, will offer new sharia products this year to expand its business in Indonesia and Singapore, as the Islamic finance market struggles to recover from the financial crisis. The Malaysian bank plans to launch products such as Islamic auto financing, structured instruments, derivatives and unit trusts to tap demand in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, Chief Executive Officer Badlisyah Abdul Ghani said. "There aren't enough products yet in the market so the first bank that can provide all those comprehensive offerings that are sharia-compliant would be able to benefit from that expected growth spurt in Indonesia," Badlisyah told Reuters ahead of the Reuters Islamic banking summit.......

Abu Dhabi Bank Plans to Start Operating in Malaysia

The Star Online Abu Dhabi February 9, 2010

The National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD), one of the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) biggest banks, plans to start commercial banking operations in Malaysia following the Government’s move to liberalise the financial services sector. The bank, according to sources, is one of the foreign banks vying for a licence to operate in Malaysia under the liberalisation plan. Contrary to the general perception that it would solely pursue Islamic banking, sources said it was keen on commercial banking avenues. A source told StarBiz that one of the possible areas of focus for the bank would be in the small and medium enterprise (SME) segment. “NBAD is strong in the SME business in UAE and Malaysia as a developing nation with more than 90% of total businesses comprising SMEs is a good fit for the foreign bank,” he said. “Since SME is one of the fastest growing business segments in the country, NBAD will use its experience and expertise to offer niche products and services to this segment.......

Bank Asya of Turkey Posts 22 % Increase in Net Profits

Today Zaman Turkey February 28, 2010

Bank Asya, Turkey’s largest participation bank, a financial institution dealing in Islamic banking products, managed to finish the rough economic year of 2009 with TL 301 million in profits, an increase of 22 percent over 2008. According to a written statement by Bank Asya CEO Cemil Özdemir, Bank Asya was able to increase its assets by 43 percent in 2009, rising to TL 11.6 billion. During a time when many banks were accused of restricting the increase of credit available in the market, Bank Asya expanded its cash loans by 34 percent, amounting to TL 8 billion. The report also stated that the bank increased its number of branches by 6 percent, from 149 to 158, while also boosting employees from 3,806 to 4,074, a rise of 7 percent. According to the statement, the entire banking sector was only able to increase the amount of credit in the system by 6.9 percent, whereas Bank Asya outperformed the industry with a 34 percent jump. Özdemir added that Bank Asya had completed its 13th year in the industry and had managed to grow despite the global credit crunch.............

Deutsche Bank Given Islamic Banking License in Malaysia
Business Times, Malaysia March 01, 2010
The set-up here will provide products ranging from simple flow requirements to more tailored structures that fit the individual needs of the bank's corporate and institutional clients, Deutsche Bank Malaysia chief country officer Raymond Yeoh said in a statement yesterday. "Deutsche Bank has a proven track record of innovation in wholesale Islamic finance. Our Islamic banking licence will make this innovation more easily available to our clients in Asia while contributing to Malaysia's position as an international Islamic finance centre," he said. Jamzidi Khalid, the chief executive officer of Deutsche Bank's international Islamic banking as well as head of Islamic structuring for Asia ex-Japan, said the licence will help make the bank's conventional products more accessible to clients with syariah-compliant financial needs.....