Islamic financial products are targeted at the global investment community as the market continues to mature. Writer James Gavin
Latest articles from Islamic Finance
Malaysia leads Asian resurgence
September 29, 2010The Malaysian government has been active in promoting Islamic finance.
Battle for the Islamic investor
August 30, 2010The Dubai stock exchange: interest in Islamic finance has gone global
Major global index providers rushed to satisfy a burgeoning interest in sharia-compliant investing. Now the challenge is to expand coverage and develop new products if the market is to reach its true potential. Writer James Gavin
Sukuk-based project finance takes off
July 28, 2010The capital markets were deemed too fragile to issue a riyal-denominated Islamic bond to help fund Satorp's greenfield refining project in Saudi Arabia, but that doesn't mean this type of asset funding has gone away. Project sukuk are becoming well known in the Middle East as Islamic finance-friendly products. Writer James Gavin
A point of principle
July 6, 2010Samira Mensah, fund analyst for Standard & Poor's
Islamic funds performed well in the credit crunch and last year Islamic finance even gained the support of the Vatican. Politicans are now recognising that sharia-compliant principles could assist in avoiding another financial crisis. Writer Silvia Pavoni
HSBC's sukuk solution
July 6, 2010With its seven-year maturity making it the longest for any sukuk drawn up by a Saudi corporate, the $1.9bn capital raising put together for the Saudi Electric Company marks a huge achievement for the HSBC Saudi Arabia team that assembled it. Writer Edward Russell-Walling
The Kazakh government is supporting Islamic finance, helped by Abu Dhabi
May 28, 2010The Kazakhstan government is strongly promoting the development of Islamic finance in the country to diversify its financial sector, with strong support from Abu Dhabi. Writer Philip Alexander
Setting a new global standard
May 5, 2010Mohammad Daud Bakar, a Malaysian sharia scholar
Cross-border standardisation and rigorous product development processes will help to diversify the sharia-compliant financial markets. Writer Philip Alexander
Why Islamic finance has not yet reached critical mass
May 5, 2010The market for Islamic bonds, or sukuk, is expected to pick up in 2010, but its appeal will remain limited until the industry can agree a set of global standards and proper legal protection for creditors in case of default.
Islamic insurers eye global market
March 31, 2010The long-term prospects for takaful Islamic insurance are good, given its focus on populations that are currently underinsured. But intense competition is squeezing profit margins in the short term. Writer James Gavin