Meezan Bank concluded the issuance of Pakistan Energy Sukuk (PES) II worth approximately Rs 200 billion by state-owned Power Holding Limited (PHL). The Sukuk aims to help the Government in addressing the challenges for resolving circular debt in the country’s power sector. This is the second issuance of this series of sukuk, bringing the total size of the sukuk to approximately Rs400 billion. The sukuk issue was 1.7 times oversubscribed. The transaction is structured for ten years, with six monthly profit (rental) payments at a rate equivalent to 6 Month KIBOR -10 bps, as determined through the book building process.
Meezan Bank's Shariah Board endorsed new guidelines related to digital accounts, supply chain financing and a housing finance facility. The Shariah Supervisory Board showed its overall satisfaction on the Shariah-compliance environment and operations of the Bank. Guidelines for the digital Meezan Asaan Mobile Account based on Mudarabah were approved during the board meeting. From now on a customer can open his digital mobile account at Meezan Bank without the hassle of visiting any physical branch. The customer will be entitled to receive halal profit based on actual returns of Shariah-compliant financings on monthly basis. Furthermore, the customer can use this account to deposit and withdraw funds digitally or from any Meezan Bank branch all over Pakistan.
Noor Financial Investment announced selling 9 million shares or 0.85% of its equity ownership in Meezan Bank, Pakistan's first and largest Islamic bank. The equity transaction is valued at $5.57 million or KWD 1.68 million. Following this exit transaction, Noor currently owns 39.53% equity in Meezan Bank. The financial impact of this transaction will be a profit of KWD 293,000 that will be registered in Noor's income statements of the third quarter of 2018, in addition to an increase of KWD 648,000 in the shareholders' equity rights. In mid-July, Noor announced selling 27.23 million shares or 2.56% of its equity in Meezan Bank at a value of $15.76 million or KWD 4.77 million.
Noor Financial Investment Company will divest a portion of its 49% stake in Pakistan's Meezan Bank. The company is in preliminary discussions with foreign institutional investors for a proposed divestment of 9.59% of the total issued and paid up capital of Meezan. Noor has been mulling a sale since at least 2013. Meezan Bank is Pakistan’s fastest growing bank, it posted a profit in each year of operation and its net profits grew 13.5% in 2017 to $93 million. Noor’s stake in the bank was valued at $375 million in 2017.
Meezan Bank aims to raise up to 7 billion rupees ($63.34 million) through a Tier 1 sukuk issuance. It could be sold either as a public offering or private placement. The bank did not give a time frame for the sale. Meezan had sold Tier 2 sukuk in 2016, raising 7 billion rupees through a 10-year private placement that used a mudaraba contract. There are five full-fledged Islamic banks and 16 Islamic windows in Pakistan, Meezan Bank being the country's largest sharia-compliant lender. The Islamic banking sector held 11.9% of the country’s total banking assets as of September.
#Kuwait’s Noor Financial Investment is considering the sale of its 49% stake in Pakistan’s largest Islamic lender Meezan Bank. The stake has a market value of about $396 million at the current market price, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Noor Financial hired advisers to assess opportunities, but it has not tasked the consultants with either increasing or decreasing its stake in Meezan Bank. Shares in Noor Financial gained 5.9% by 12:30 p.m. in Safat, Kuwait, the highest since April 16. Meezan advanced 3.6% in Karachi trading to a record high.
Meezan Bank, Pakistan’s first and largest Islamic bank has recently signed an MoU with Al-Sadiq Consulting Ltd, China’s first Islamic Finance consulting Company to explore opportunities for Islamic finance in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The agreement focuses on the ever-increasing economic participation between Pakistan and China and the opportunities that may be derived from improved Islamic banking channels between the two countries.
The MoU was signed by Mr. Irfan Siddiqui, President & CEO – Meezan Bank and Mr. Ibrahim Ding, Managing Director and Senior Partner – Al-Sadiq Consulting at Meezan Bank’s Head Office, Karachi. A
Meezan Bank has also expressed interest in providing financial, advisory and Shariah-related services to such and similar projects and transactions in collaboration with Al-Sadiq Consultancy. Mr. Irfan Siddiqui, President & CEO – Meezan Bank welcomed the enthusiasm of the Chinese experts/delegate and said, “We are extremely confident that our new partnership with Al-Sadiq Consulting Ltd, China’s first Islamic finance consultancy company will successfully be able to drive more advantages for Islamic finance in the near future.
Meezan Bank, Pakistan's first and largest Islamic bank, has recently signed a multi-faceted Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Shari'ah Research Academy for Islamic Finance (ISRA), aimed at jointly expanding the role of Islamic finance through collaborations on various aspects of this field.
This comprehensive MoU further sets out a clear roadmap for research into the domains of Shariah and Islamic finance that should be facilitated by exchange of best practices in research and training. Meezan Bank would also be providing joint services with respect to arrangement of seminars, conferences, workshops and short-term courses.
While commenting on this agreement, Irfan Siddiqui said: "This MoU recognises the critical need for addressing the Islamic finance challenges through collaborations and partnerships in order to meet the heightened demand for Islamic banking products and services. The Meezan Bank is committed to develop and promote Shariah-compliant finance industry and we are quite hopeful that this agreement would enhance opportunities through increased exposure and knowledge sharing."
Meezan Bank and EFU General Insurance Limited have joined hands for Takaful Coverage of Car Ijarah vehicles. As per the agreement, EFU Takaful will provide coverage to the vehicles leased by Meezan Bank through its Shariah-compliant car financing service Car Ijarah. The MoU was signed by Ariful Islam, Deputy CEO, Meezan Bank and Mr. Hasan Ali Abdullah, Managing Director, EFU General Insurance Limited Window Takaful Operations, at Meezan Bank’s Head Office, Karachi. Irfan Siddiqui, President & CEO of Meezan Bank was also present at the occasion.
Institute of Business Administration (IBA) announced the establishment of the Centre for Excellence in Islamic Finance at IBA. IBA has launched IBA-CEIF in collaboration with Meezan Bank and Dr Ishrat Hussain will be Chairman CEIF, while Irfan Siddiqui, CEO Meezan Bank Ltd, Hassan Bilgrami CEO BankIslami Ltd, Shafqaat Ahmed CEO Al Barkah Bank Ltd, Junaid Ahmed CEO Dubai Islamic Bank, Dr Imran Usmani, Shari'ah Advsior Meezan Bank Ltd, Samar Hasnain Executive Director, Development Finance Group State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Ahmed Ali Siddiqui, Founding Director of CEIF, are founding members of Board of Management (BoM).
Talking to newsmen here on Friday at IBA city campus, Dr Ishrat Hussain, Chairman CEIF, said that the Center had been set-up with the objective to bridge the gap between trained human resource and industry's growing requirement. He hoped that IBA-CEIF will play a vital role for providing skilled and qualified workforce to the Islamic Banking Industry of Pakistan. On the occasion Ahmed Ali Siddiqui, Founding Director of CEIF and Dr Zeeshan was also present.
Muhammad Samiullah is currently associated with NBFI & Modaraba Association of Pakistan as Secretary General. From the platform of the Association, he has organized a number of workshops and seminars on different topics relating to the NBFI and Modaraba Sectors.
Samiullah is an active Member of FPCCI Standing Committee for Islamic Banking & Takaful. He is also a Member of the Arbitration Panel of Karachi Stock Exchange and holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Karachi University, Law Graduate and Dipomaed Associates of Institute of Bankers in Pakistan. He also has a Post Graduate Diploma in Islamic Banking & Takaful from Darul Uloom, Korangi. By profession Samiullah is a banker and has worked in Habib Bank Limited (HBL) in different disciplines for about 27 years, with his last posting in HBL as Vice President & Company Secretary, First Habib Bank Modaraba. He also officiated as Chief Executive of First Habib Bank Modaraba for quite some time.
Kuwait’s Noor Financial Investment Company said the proposed sale of its stake in Karachi-based Meezan Bank had been blocked by Pakistan’s central bank, which felt the prospective buyer had not met its standards for suitability. Little is known about the prospective buyer, identified only as Vision Financial Holdings Limited in a separate filing by Meezan Bank. Noor Financial said the prospective buyer would continue to seek approval from the regulator, with the offer set to expire on April 15, 2014. However, ownership of Meezan Bank may be a sensitive issue for regulators as they seek to develop Islamic banking in the country. Last December, Noor Financial said it planned to sell its 49.1% stake in Meezan for $190 million and expected to book a $24 million profit.
Meezan Bank Limited was granted permission by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to conduct due diligence of HSBC Pakistan’s operations. The management of Meezan Bank is reportedly in discussion with HSBC Bank Middle East Limited (HBME) for evaluating a possible transaction involving acquisition of the Pakistan operations of HBME. HSBC Pakistan was put on the block early 2012 and attracted interest from major banks. On June 30, 2012, the business to be sold had 10 branches and gross assets worth Rs60.06 billion (approximately $635 million). Interestingly, in November 2013, Vision Financial Holdings Limited had also shown interest in acquiring 49.11 percent or 492 million shares of Meezan Bank Limited. However, the two transactions are said to be completely unrelated.
Pakistani Meezan Bank has launched Meezan Kafalah, a Shariah-compliant alternative to Bancassurance, in collaboration with takaful firm Pak Qatar Family Takaful Limited (PQFTL). Meezan Kafalah is a savings product through which customers can save money for their future plans. In addition, the customers also get Free Takaful coverage through PQFTL that in the case of the customer’s death during the savings period, the Takaful Partner will provide the funds needed for completing the savings. This new product, thus, offers a combination of saving, investment and protection. A differentiating feature of Meezan Kafalah is the accumulation of 100% cash value from day one of the investment with flexibility and ease of exit from the plan without any penalty or charges.
Vision Financial Holdings Limited has shown its intention to acquire 49.11 percent or 492 million shares of Meezan Bank Limited (MEBL), subject to the approval of regulatory authorities. The terms of transaction are yet to be known; however, initial estimates suggest that the deal is likely to settle at a price of Rs47-50/share at premium of 25-30 percent at the current market price. The total size of the deal will be between $214 and $230 million. Interestingly, Noor Financials Investment Limited currently holds 49.11 percent share of Meezan Bank, which is the same proportion required by the acquirer. Therefore, probability of share transfer between the two parties is high. Meezan Bank Limited is currently trading at 136 percent premium to its book value.
Senior Shariah scholars and advisers of Islamic banks and conventional banks with Islamic windows have agreed to standardise Forex and interbank Musharakah agreements between Islamic banks and Islamic banking windows. This move will facilitate the availability of Shariah-compliant venues for deployment of excess liquidity of Islamic banks. This agreement was reached during a meeting called by Meezan Bank Ltd, in which Shariah scholars discussed the challenges in Islamic Treasury Operations.The forum was attended by several prominent Shariah scholars along with Product Development and Treasury professionals of all major Islamic banks and Islamic banking windows of conventional banks.
Meezan Bank has become the first bank in Pakistan which offers Shariah-compliant agricultural financing by extending a Shariah-compliant financing facility to the agriculture industry of Pakistan. Adhering to the financial arrangement, the bank will sell DAP, urea, pesticides and seeds to its clients on a Murabaha basis. Expansion of the scope of this facility to other geographical areas is planned. Furthermore, a comprehensive Agricultural Financing Policy and detailed procedural manuals for this initiative has been developed.
Meezan Bank Limited has received the approval of its Shariah Supervisory Board (SSB) for the concept for the air-time based Sukuks which will be issued in Pakistan. Furthermore, detailed guidelines for Islamic banks involved in sharing of security with other banks for long-term Islamic projects and structured financing have been approved. The resolution was made at the 19th meeting of the SSB of Meezan Bank at Darul Uloom Korangi, Karachi. There, a summary of Meezan Bank's Shariah audit was presented to the SSB.
The 18th Shariah Supervisory Board meeting of Meezan Bank Limited took place at the Darul Uloom Korangi on 5th january.
Shariah Board stated performance and growth of the bank and expressed satisfaction with the Shariah-conformity of the bank's products and overall business and transactions. The statement added that several important matters containing the proposal for an Ijarah-based financing product for manufacturing companies of the SME sector and the establishment of an Islamic Counter at the Karachi Stock exchange were reviewed by the Shariah Board.
Meezan Bank from Pakistan has accomplished the country's first short-term Sukuk deal.
The PKR1.5bn ($17.3m) Sukuk was launched by KAPCO (Kot Addu Power Company Ltd), Pakistan's largest power company. It means a six month Musharakah and a Shari'ah compliant alternative to conventional short-term paper.