As the Islamic finance industry has grown, so have vanguards emerged and established themselves to play a key role in the further development of the Shariah compliant financial market. These players constitute an integral part of the market, helping to cement Islamic finance’s position on the world stage.
It is with this sentiment that we highlight the
IFN Polls and Deals of the Year Awards ceremony in Kuala Lumpur on the 15
th February, before the Dubai leg of our awards on the 29
th February; honouring global luminaries for their activities in Islamic finance last year.
Our issue this week also looks at industry stalwarts and new entrants to Islamic finance; with our cover story taking a fresh look at the invaluable
IDB and its role in our industry.
Indonesia has long represented a hot market for Islamic finance; and we put the country in the spotlight this week with a feature by Farouk Abdullah Alwyni, CEO of
Alwyni International Consulting, on the significance of Islamic banking in the country’s development; along with an
IFN report on the local regulator’s recent decision on foreign ownership limits in domestic banks.
As a firm fixture of Asia’s financial services sector, Singapore also plays a vital role in raising the profile of Islamic finance; despite the slow uptake of the industry there. This week, Yeo Wico and Suhaimi Zainul-Abidin of law firm
Allen & Gledhill discuss the island republic as a case study for the prospects of developing Islamic finance in a non-Muslim country.
Another market with the potential to re-energize our industry is Saudi Arabia. Ahmed Butt of law firm
Simmons & Simmons analyzes the kingdom’s new mortgage laws; while
King & Spalding’s Nabil Issa, our
IFN Correspondent, writes on investment opportunities in the kingdom’s healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.
We also have a feature on Bai al
Dayn bi al Sila by
RHB Islamic bank; an
IFN report on the progress of Islamic finance in Hong Kong; and an interview with Badlisyah Abdul Ghani, the head of
CIMB Islamic Bank, in Insider.