As demand for Islamic banking grows and investors flush with liquidity seek to invest in Pakistan, big mainstream banks are strengthening their sharia-compliant offerings and opening dedicated branches.Farhan Bokharireports from Islamabad.
Syed Ali Raza, president of the National Bank of Pakistan, is reminded of his bank’s increasing involvement in Islamic banking as he drives in to his office premises every morning.

As Islamic banks expand and become more mainstream, the demand for Islamic scholars with banking knowledge is skyrocketing, reports Will McSheehy in Dubai.

The Islamic banking and finance industry is growing fast and, despite the relatively small players, big deals are being done, not least in project finance.Will McSheehy reports from Dubai.

Innovative schemes are overturning the belief that financing African small and medium-sized enterprises is unprofitable. There may even be models for commercial banks to follow. But development finance is still needed to prove the case,James Eedes reports.

Banorte, Mexico’s fifth-largest bank, is doing well under the leadership of chief executive Luis Peña Kegel.Monica Campbell reports from Mexico City.
These days, Luis Peña Kegel, the 45-year old chief executive of Banorte, has reason to relax in his spacious Mexico City office. Talk about a strong year. In the second quarter of 2005, Banorte delivered earnings totalling $192m, a 249% jump compared to the same 2004 period.

The roller-coaster Latin American banking system could become more stable if potential crises are spotted and dealt with quickly, writes Jonathan Wheatley from São Paulo.
Latin America, it seems, is a region perpetually lurching from one crisis to another.

China usurps Australia for first time as the continent’s principal contributor to aggregate banking profits.

Prime Minister Dr Mari Alkatiri tells The Banker how the world’s newest nation will handle its burgeoning economy.

Simon Montlake reports from Dili on the government’s plans to turn petroleum wealth into long-term economic development in Asia’s poorest country.

ZHANG RUIMIN: CEO of Haier Group
Zhang Ruimin, 56, has been a famous figure in China for years for his role in building Haier into China’s largest electronics appliance maker.