Islamic Finance Week in Review – 24 Feb 2018 Corporate Sukuk Market The sovereign and corporate sukuk market surged this week, with the stand out corporate issuance coming from Turkey where Al Baraka Turk’s issued a first for Turkey with a Tier 1 perpetual Sukuk facility which is also the first Basel III-compliant publicly-listed Tier 1 issuance. The profit rate was 10%. In Oman, Golden Grou... »

Blacklist Could Curtail Free Flow of Islamic Financial Funds to UAE and Bahrain The global Islamic finance centre credentials of the UAE and Bahrain took a hit as EU finance ministers added them to a list of “blacklist” tax havens, which could mean they lose access to EU funds and face other sanctions. EU finance ministers have listed 17 countries for failing to meet agreed tax good governance sta... »

Article originally published in IIFM Sukuk Report, 6th Edition. Written by Islamic Corporation for Private Sector Development (ICD) Realising Africa’s Sukuk Potential Africa is on the brink of a major transformation. The continent possesses immense potential in becoming the new powerhouse of the world, underpinned by strong macroeconomic growth, a growing consumer base, strong retail markets... »

The prize remains up for grabs with none of the current hubs in the Middle East and South East Asia able to achieve the critical mass to move from a domestic to regional centre, and then upwards into a global Islamic finance centre. »