Italy is one of the most rapidly developing markets in Europe. A number of initiatives have been taken by Italian authorities to study the issues related to an expanded presence of Islamic finance. The Banca d’Italia, for example, has hosted a number of conferences on the subject. ABI, the Italian Banking Association, is currently coordinating a working group related to the issuance of a corporate... »

The year 2014 marks the tenth year of Islamic finance in Ireland. The progress that the Irish economy has achieved in the last few years is remarkable, especially compared to what many comparable nations have struggled as the world went through a global economic downturn. Irish gains in Islamic finance are no exception. With funds that comply with Shariah and international sukuk listings released ... »

The development of Islamic finance in France is attributed to strong support by the French authorities, who have built an appropriate and friendly environment for such fi nance in this country. In December 2007, Paris EUROPLACE, the organisation that promotes the city’s role as a financial centre, established the Islamic Finance Commission. Since then, the French financial markets regulator, the A... »

The issuance by Saxony-Anhalt attracted strong demand and was fully subscribed, with 60% of the issue going to investors in Bahrain and the UAE and the remaining 40% to investors in Europe, particularly those in France and Germany. The €100 million Ijarah sukuk (Islamic sale-and-leaseback debt instrument) was fully redeemed in 2009. In 2009, Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin... »