While IILM's debut issuance of a $490m sukuk in August was a significant milestone for Islamic finance, it will barely dent the industry’s short-term liquidity management issues, which are hampering growth.
Latest articles from Islamic Finance
Islamic banks weather the storm
November 1, 2013While costs have not changed much for the top 25 Islamic standalone banks between 2006 and 2012, returns have dropped significantly. The Banker takes an overview of the key factors determining their operational efficiency.
Slower and steadier: the new stage of Islamic finance
October 18, 2013The Banker's annual Top Islamic Financial Institutions ranking shows that growth has dropped into single digits for the first time since the ranking began. This, combined with the restructuring of sharia-compliant operations at major players such as HSBC, shows an industry that is entering a new phase of maturity; a phase that is, however, still rich with opportunity.
Is Turkey set to embrace Islamic finance?
October 1, 2013Sharia-compliant banks have occupied only a small proportion of Turkey’s banking market to date, but with rising global demand and the government’s focus on Islamic finance, that looks set to change.
Islamic Bank of the Year Awards 2013
June 4, 2013As Islamic banks continue to post impressive figures compared to their conventional counterparts, The Banker launches its inaugural awards aimed at celebrating this financial sector. With a global award, regional winners for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, as well as 13 country prizes, the awards show what an impressive geographical reach Islamic finance has established.
Islamic finance in 2013: beyond the growth
March 1, 2013Year upon year, the Islamic finance industry posts stellar growth figures. However, as large Western lenders withdraw from the sector, is Islamic finance in as healthy a shape as the figures suggest? The Banker asks a number of experts in the field what the future holds for sharia-compliant banking.
North African Islamic finance in the post-Arab Spring world
November 7, 2012The Arab Spring uprisings have brought change on an unprecedented scale to north Africa over the past couple of years, but what impact have these changes had upon the region's appetite for Islamic finance?
Islamic finance industry reaches critical mass
November 7, 2012The Islamic finance industry's growth has continued to defy global economic malaise in 2012. And, with more government interest, increasingly complex products and a large untapped customer base, future forecasts are no longer concerned with the industry's ability to continue growing but instead are focusing on the more complex issue of how it will evolve.
Noor Islamic Bank pushes Islamic finance towards maturity
November 7, 2012Islamic finance is increasingly being viewed as a credible alternative to conventional finance, but Hussain Al-Qemzi, group chief executive of Dubai-based Noor Investment Group and chief executive of Noor Islamic Bank, recognises that Islamic institutions must work together if they are to compete with conventional banks.
The struggle to find the right Islamic banking model
November 7, 2012The steady growth of sharia-compliant assets suggests banks believe in the future of the sector, but the dismantling of the largest cross-border Islamic window raises questions about whether global banking groups can make a success of the business.