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Dubai Islamic Bank plans to boost its capital through a sharia-compliant debt instrument. Therefore, the bank will hold investor meetings in Asia, Middle East and Europe starting March 7 ahead of issuing the dollar-denominated, benchmark-sized hybrid sukuk, subject to market conditions. Benchmark-size is understood to be at least $500 million. The potential sale will be arranged by Emirates NBD , HSBC Holdings, National Bank of Abu Dhabi , Standard Chartered and the bank itself.

Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) has charted out a five-year global investments strategy to help anchor the Bank’s position as an Islamic financial institution of international stature. According to the Bank Chairman Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani, QIB seeks innovation and diversification of its credit portfolio, support for small and medium enterprises, expansion of foreign investments, and maximisation of total profits. QIB recorded a net profit of QR1.24bn for the year 2012. Growth was also registered in other financial positions, such as total assets, customer deposits and total income.

Al Jazeera Finance (AJF) has signed a $95m (QR345.8m) 3-year dual currency Murabaha facility with a syndicate of banks from the GCC. QInvest acted as sole bookrunner and structuring adviser to AJF. Qatar Islamic Bank took the Mandate Lead Arranger (MLA) role and is also acting as the Investment Agent. Ahli United Bank, First Gulf Bank UAE and QInvest were the Lead Arrangers. According to Amer Al Jabri, Chief Executive Officer of AJF, the agreement is an important stepping stone towards diversifying AJF's funding sources, and reaching out to a wider group of banking relationships.

The three Bahraini Islamic banks Capivest, Elaf Bank and Capital Management House have completed their merging into a single entity with total assets worth over $400m and total equity of around $340m. Shareholders had given their approval to the tie-up at the end of June. Advisors on the three-way merger were Deloitte and law firms Trowers & Hamlins and Elham Ali Hassan and Associates.

Just as HSBC Holdings announced it would shrink its Islamic banking operations in a number of countries, the National Bank of Abu Dhabi made plans to increase the contribution of its Shariah-compliant operations three times over the next eight years. Thus, it becomes clear that HSBC's move is nothing but a sign of its own priorities. While it is set to continue its operations mainly in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia with a limited presence in Indonesia, local banks have the opportunity to step in for it.

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Standard Chartered Bank sees opportunities in Islamic derivative products but is steering clear of hedge funds, another grey area of Shariah-compliant finance, the head of its Saadiq unit said.

First Finance Company has disclosed its financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2009 which is net profit of QR 29.2m in 2009 versus QR 110.8m in 2008.

Barwa is studying acquisition of a number of financial and investment companies in Qatar, under the umbrella of Barwa Bank, including "The First Finance", "The First Investor" and "The First for Renting" companies.

Malaysia's retail Sukuk was a success and oversubscribed, now a second tranche is in preparation.

Saudi-based Islamic Development Bank (IDB) plans to issue USD 5 bn Sukuk, over the next five years to finance its programmes.

IDB's president Mr Ali said he expected 2009 issue would be priced higher and that the new sukuk would increase the IDB’s 2009 financing programme by 15 %.

Shariah scholar Abdulazeem Abozaid is cited in the Qatari newspaper The Peninsula to say that promises are binding in Islamic finance structuring to the degree of compensation for loss but not for entering into the contract.

The Qatar Islamic Insurance Company (QIIC) hopes to buy half-a-million shares of Al Jisr Takaful Company which is being set up as a joint venture between Qatari and Bahraini investors. The paid-up capital of the proposed Islamic insurer will be QR 250 mn and some 30 per cent of its equity will be divided equally between Qatari and Bahraini owners through a public offer.

The owners are national insurance firms and major institutions from the two countries. Qatar Foundation as well as the civil and military pension funds in Qatar are tipped to own around 40 % of the proposed company’s equity. The remaining 60 % of the equity will be offered to the Qatari and Bahraini public (citizens) through an initial public offering (IPO).

Mohamed Salem reported in The Peninsula that Qatar Islamic Bank released a net profit to QR 1.64 bn, representing a 30.8 % growth over 2007. The profit in 2007 was QR1.25bn. The bank also announced it plans to launch a rights issue to raise its capital by 10 %.

The Peninsula reported on 27 March about the Musharaka Sukuk USD 137.5 mn arranged by Qatar Islamic Bank on behalf of the ‘Salam Bounian Development Company Limited’. Qatar National Bank Al Islami, the Islamic branch of Qatar National Bank and ALSAFA, the Islamic banking division of the Commercialbank of Qatar QSC, were joint lead managers and bookrunners for the issue. Only Qatari financial institutions participated for the first time. The Sukuk will be listed in Luxembourg and traded by the Qatar Islamic Bank and its affiliates, European Finance House and Asian Finance House.

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