For a country that boasts the world’s largest Muslim population and is so vocal in its Shariah finance ambitions, Indonesia has fallen short when it comes to Islamic finance. This gap is perhaps most obvious in its inability to match the Republic’s deep infrastructure financing needs, over US$400 billion, with Shariah compliant modes of financing. So the question is: what is preventing the market from booming, and is there any real Islamic infrastructure financing potential at all?
Another segment Indonesia has failed to build is its corporate Sukuk market: it is no secret that corporate Sukuk have long stayed hidden in the shadows of the Republic’s long sovereign Sukuk shadow, but as the IFN Editorial team finds out, it looks like there may be some progress in this area – but is it enough?
Recent data is pointing to some very interesting trends in the UAE Islamic syndicated financing market which has undergone significant shifts over the last 18 months – our journalist finds out what can be expected over the remaining year. The team also brings you an inside look into Bina Darulaman’s maiden Sukuk offering, the tumultuous Syrian market – which is showing some bright spots to the surprise of many (although limited) – and the exhilarating world of Islamic private equity and venture capital.
Our expert contributors bring us on a journey to relatively unchartered territories: the risky side of the Turkish Islamic asset management landscape and the ambivalent Singaporean Shariah finance community. We also have market leaders giving us fresh perspectives on commonly tackled topics: the ever-vibrant Islamic equity capital markets, the booming Shariah compliant commodity trading sector and the immensely exciting African market which is fast becoming a hive of activity for Islamic finance.
As usual, we wish all readers an insightful and informative read.