IslamicFinance.de

Standard & Poor's assigned 'AAA' rating to Islamic Development Bank (IDB) $3.5 billion trust certificate issuance program. Standard & Poor's said the IDB's ratings are underpinned by strong shareholders' support, very high level of capital and liquidity and a good asset portfolio with historically very low losses and preferred-creditor treatment.

A leading economist says the practice of jailing debtors is morally wrong. In the rest of the world it is the banks’ responsibility to try to assess the credit worthiness of individuals. Prof Batchelor is trying to rebuild Dubai’s image. He thinks that Dubai could treat people who might have stayed and set up a business a little better. They shouldn’t be faced with the idea of going elsewhere in the world. Abdulfattah Sharaf, HSBC's head in the UAE, keeps his idea that jailing debtors remained an effective way for banks to retrieve bad loans.

The Shoura Council has completed 12 sittings regarding the draft of the mortgage law and to solve the differences of opinion. However, a timescale for when the draft law would be approved has not been given. The implementation of the Saudi mortgage law is expected to increase demand for housing by around 50 percent.

Razi Fakih, HSBC Amanah deputy chief executive, says the company is optimistic and sukuk is unlikely to fade out. HSBC has already served as Islamic bond manager on 13 sukuk issues in the first half of the year according Reuters Data. Research firm Oliver Wyman expects industry growth to about 20% until 2012.

Saudi Arabia's parliament delays the decision concerning the mortgage law until the members return from summer recess. Saudi Arabia, the Middle East's biggest economy, needs 1.2 million new homes by 2015, says the Deutsche Bank research.

World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists Launches “Pakistan Reconstruction Fund” Marking the Second World Humanitarian Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Oak Brook, Illinois, August 19, 2010: The World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists (WCMP) marks today the second World Humanitarian Day by establishing “Pakistan Reconstruction Fund” to rehabilitate communities severely affected by the catastrophic floods in the country.

WCMP expresses its deep concern about massive devastation resulting from the torrential rains that flushed away villages, destroyed about 3.2 million hectares of standing crops, killed hundreds of people and displaced about 14 million people, according to UN estimates.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for the rapid delivery of assistance for millions of people in flood-stricken Pakistan, as he saw for himself the devastation wrought by the recent disaster.

Date: 07/08/2010 -

OIC Secretary General, Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, called, on 07.08.2010, upon OIC member states, its affiliated relief organizations and the international community to take a prompt action in order to contain the catastrophic effects of the unprecedented floods in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. He expressed his deep concern about the humanitarian crisis resulting from the torrential rains that devastated entire villages, killed hundreds of people and displaced about 12 million people in the North-West and South of Pakistan, according to UN estimates.

The Secretary General affirmed that the OIC has already started taking action to mobilize support among member states and to provide assistance for those affected by the crisis. Mr. Ihsanoglu expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the member states that sent immediate assistance to displaced persons.

The Secretary General expressed his sincere condolences to the Pakistani people and government for the loss of lives caused by the floods, expressing sympathy with the relatives of victims and support to the affected people, and wishing the injured a prompt recovery.

Online Donations via http://www.doctorsworldwide.org/worldpay

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

August 9th 2010

Doctors Worldwide: British Medical Charity opens hospital in Nowshera District to provide medical treatment and aid for flood survivors.

Doctors Worldwide, a UK based medical relief charity, has opened up a hospital in Peer Sabak, Nowshera District, to provide medical care for an estimated 30,000 population affected by the devastating floods.

Nowshera’s hospitals have been flooded and are unable to function since the floods started over a week ago. Further heavy rainfall is expected in the area today, hampering relief work.

“Doctors Worldwide has identified a building in Nowshera District that we are using as a hospital. The nearest hospital is 22km away and inaccessible due to the damage to roads and survivors of the disaster are in many cases too weak and frightened to make the journey,’’ said Abdul Wahab, Doctors Worldwide, Field Coordinator in Nowshera.

Hawkamah issues a DRAFT Policy Brief for consultation purposes only. Please find the related full document under source.

Please submit comments and feedback to Ms. Jahanara Sajjad Ahmad , Program Manager Hawkamah, The Institute For Corporate (jahanara.ahmad@hawkamah.org) .

PricewaterhouseCoopers offers a full day event about Takaful in Germany language. Below more details:

PwC Talk
Sharia-konforme Lebensversicherungsprodukte
16. September 2010, Köln
20. September 2010, München

Während Sharia-konforme Bankprodukte auf Veranstaltungen bereits recht eingehend diskutiert wurden, ist das Thema Sharia-konformer Lebensversicherungsprodukte bisher kaum Gegenstand eines fachlichen Forums gewesen. Die Veranstaltung möchte daher den Versuch unternehmen, diesem weißen Fleck auf der deutschen Landkarte der Produktentwicklung eine erste Topographie zu geben. Der wachsende Anteil der muslimischen Bevölkerung in Deutschland und Europa ist hierzu hinreichender Anlass.

Zielgruppe

Die Veranstaltung richtet sich an Führungskräfte und Mitarbeiter von Versicherungsunternehmen aus den
Bereichen Kapitalanlage und Steuern/Recht sowie Führungskräfte und Mitarbeiter von Kreditinstituten,
Investmentbanken oder Asset-Management-Gesellschaften für die Bereiche Versicherungen, Steuern/Recht und Investment/ Kapitalanlage.

In the current issues the following questions are discussed:

How should we recognize excellence in the Islamic finance industry?
How do we identify greatness – of bankers and financiers, of lawyers, of consultants, of scholars?
How do we discourage a culture of „Islamic Awards for Cash??
How do we develop an „Islamic? methodology for rewarding achievement?

Press Release

Gulf Finance House Long-Term Rating Lowered To 'CC'; Outlook Negative; Ratings
Withdrawn At GFH's Request

*Gulf Finance House's liquidity is under immediate and severe stress, and the
institution has not been able to strengthen it, in our view. *We note that GFH has a
large debt repayment coming due in the next few weeks. *We are lowering our
long-term rating on GFH to 'CC' from 'CCC-' and are affirming the 'C' short-term
rating. *We are withdrawing all the ratings on GFH at its request. *The outlook was
negative at the time of withdrawal.

PARIS (Standard & Poor's) July 5, 2010--Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said
today that it has lowered its long-term counterparty credit rating on Bahrain-based
Gulf Finance House to 'CC' from 'CCC-'. At the same time, we affirmed GFH's 'C'
short-term counterparty credit rating. Subsequently, we withdrew all the ratings on
GFH at its request. The outlook was negative at the time of withdrawal.

"The downgrade reflects our expectation that GFH is likely to restructure its debt
soon because of its weakening liquidity and revenue generation. In our view,

Debt management agency ISDM calculated the average debt load of its customers is AED500,000.

The agency has more than 3,000 clients on its books and about 70 percent of its customers are defaulting on consumer rather than business loans. About 5 % of the clients are ex-UAE residents who have skipped the country rather than face jail for their debts. Banks can recover 80 cents on the dollar through consolidation. Through a debt collection agency, may receive 40 cents on the dollar according to the firm's director Yohannes Mazeingi.

Dubai-based ISDM advises clients in debt distress to consolidate their loans and negotiate with the banks. It collects a two percent fee commission based on the overall value of the debt.

Under UAE law, bouncing a cheque is a criminal offence that can result in a jail sentence.

Some investment companies in the Gulf will likely find it difficult to pursue their operations without dramatic changes in the wake of the global financial downturn, Standard & Poor's has said in a new report. "The main reasons behind this deterioration, in our opinion, are Gulf investment companies' generally high maturity mismatches they carry in their funding profiles and the ensuing weakened liquidity, weak business profiles, high leverage, and high exposure to real estate for some of them," said Standard & Poor's credit analyst Mohamed Damak. Damak said: "But in the short term, we see some major hurdles for Gulf investment companies to overcome on the potential road to recovery."

Gulf Finance House, the Bahrain-based investment bank, aims to reach an agreement with creditors by early July on renegotiated terms for a $100 million loan as the lender seeks more time to implement its new business plan. The global financial crisis cut liquidity and lending, while Middle East property prices slumped, hurting investors in real estate projects in the region. Chief Executive Officer Ted Pretty said that the bank’s presentation of its restructuring package was “well received” by lenders along with its plan to change its business model to develop Islamic financial services.

Qatar is expected to be the largest source of real estate capital during 2010, a Jones Lang LaSalle report said. Recent investments - such as the purchase of London department store Harrods in May are likely to be followed by further investments in other markets across Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia, it said. Qatar's competitive advantage will be helped by the decline in investment from German funds.

Saudi based Alinma Bank said that it would grant a $1bn credit facility to SABIC, plugging a financial gap at the petrochemical group. SABIC Chief Executive Mohamed al Mady declined to comment while Chief Financial Officer Mutlaq al Morished could not immediately be reached for comment. Alinma said Morished signed the agreement on behalf of SABIC. Ratings agency Moody's assigned the planned bond an A+ rating and said it understood it would be used to refinance or repay debt at SABIC Innovative Plastics Holding, the renamed GE Plastics.