As we emerge from the lull of Ramadan into a hot summer, activity is gradually picking up. Pulling back from the holiday mindset and refocusing on the work at hand, this issue is full of exciting news and the latest activities in the market.
Our cover story looks at legendary sleeping giant Saudi Arabia, who looks finally to be waking up to foreign investment. We explore the impact of the recent Tadawul opening, as well as the latest steps on the journey and the new opportunities that exist in its capital markets. We also have an interview with the chairman of Saudi’s Capital Market Authority, Mohammed Al-Jadaan, in which he gives us the inside track on the latest regulatory actions and upcoming events in the market.
Our IFN reports look at China and Sovereign Sukuk while our IFN Correspondents bring you news of debt capital markets, Iran and Australia. Our special report is a critical analysis on Islamic banking while our features this week come to you from Africa Islamic Finance Corporation and Assistance and Consulting for Development in Africa as well as QInvest. We also have in-house analyses looking at Palestine and Islamic syndications.
I hope you had a wonderful Eid Mubarak and for those who took time off, welcome back to work! We hope that this latest issue of IFN will provide you with a wealth of entertainment, interest and information upon your return.