Global Sukuk Issuance Rockets to $85b

The primary market recorded a year-on-year increase of 0.7 percent in December, despite the fact that it was a quiet month for issuances outside of Malaysia.
The largest issuance for the month was the third issuance of the year for Pakistan Domestic Sukuk Company Limited which launches on behalf of the government. The $781.1 million Sukuk Ijarah was structured with a three-year tenure.
A burst of Sukuk issues from the Persian Gulf shows borrowers are worried about limited global liquidity and future access to debt markets, and are turning to Islamic finance as a source of money that is rather untouched by the global turmoil.