Saudi Arabia in the Middle East; the UK in Europe; Malaysia in Asia. When it comes to Islamic finance, it is clear-cut who the leaders are, but lines are blurred when fintech is thrown into the equation. Dubai, Bahrain and Indonesia continue to be vocal about positioning themselves as regional fintech hubs for Islamic finance, but how does Shariah finance champion Malaysia fit into the picture? This week’s cover story asks: is industry captain Malaysia ready (and wanting) to steer leadership in this space?
Continuing this fintech focus, this week’s IFN Reports also cover the insuretech sector, and fresh from the successful inaugural IFN African Roadshow, we bring you news on upcoming issuance from the region.
Our contributors touch on a wide range of topics in this issue including: how distributed ledger technology could mobilize idle Waqf assets for sustainable development goals; why Sukuk is out of reach for Thailand; and what the new direction for Islamic banking in Malaysia is after decades of enviable growth.
As always, we wish our readers an insightful and rewarding read.