Saudi Arabia helps to develop new screening method for sukuk

A new screening method for sukuk, developed in cooperation with Saudi Arabian financial institutions, aims to reduce the cumbersome approval process that these instruments often require. San Francisco-based IdealRatings said its product addressed compliance hurdles faced by sukuk investors contending with multiple structures and disparate opinions. The product reviews and categorises sukuk to allow Islamic banks to adhere to their own guidelines more efficiently, reducing the time and costs of due diligence in each deal. The service was developed over the past two years in consultation with Islamic financial institutions, in particular Saudi firms.