Islamic finance
Hong Kong's first Islamic bond raises $1bn
Five-year sukuk sells at ‘tightest spread ever achieved’ over US Treasuries; strong demand from across the globe sees orders in excess of $4.7 billion
Malaysia’s Zeti sees investment as next step for Islamic finance
Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia calls for new infrastructure to facilitate the development of Islamic investment intermediation
Malaysian central bank looks to set up financial ombudsman service
Scheme would ensure ‘effective and fair handling of complaints' against financial service providers, says bank, which adds service could be up and running in 2015
Malaysian deputy promotes Islamic finance as means of channelling funds to SMEs
Muhammad bin Ibrahim tells African policy-makers to ‘start where it matters most’ and promote Islamic financial products that assist low income groups and SMEs
Islamic investors must expand out of real estate, says Bahraini central banker
Abdul Rahman Al Baker says it is critical for Islamic financial institutions to better understand clients' needs
HKMA and Bank Negara Malaysia combine to promote sukuk market
Central banks in Hong Kong and Malaysia working together to promote Islamic finance; Hong Kong government nears $500 million sukuk issuance
Mauritius has ‘missed the boat’ on sovereign sukuks, says central bank governor
Rundheersing Bheenick argues the government’s failure to issue sukuk bonds ‘severely compromises’ the country’s ability to become a regional centre for Islamic finance
Pakistan looks to raise public profile of Islamic finance
The State Bank of Pakistan launches a five-year strategic plan to develop Islamic finance domestically and abroad; sets focus on improving public perception of the industry
People: San Fran Fed picks new COO; Malaysia appoints Sharia Advisory Council
New COO takes over from John Moore, who retires after 33 years at the Fed; Shariah Advisory Council chosen as final authority in disputes over Sharia-compliant finance
Bank Negara Malaysia strikes deals with AFI and HKMA
Malaysian central bank joins forces with the Alliance for Financial Inclusion to develop global capacity-building programmes; will work with HKMA on offshore renminbi business development
Adherence to Islamic financing principles could benefit credit unions
Islamic savings products would make institutions more resilient, and possibly strengthen incentives for good governance, IMF working paper argues
Pakistani governor calls for 'concerted effort' to promote Islamic banking
SBP is launching media campaign to address misconceptions about Islamic finance
ECB paper considers how to conduct monetary policy without interest rates
Occasional paper studies development of Islamic finance in Europe, including the difficulties inherent in setting monetary policy given that sharia bans interest rates
Malaysia’s Zeti calls for greater macro-prudential supervision of Islamic finance
Bank Negara Malaysia governor says ‘new wave of internationalisation’ of Islamic finance necessitates greater prudential supervision and cross-border cooperation
MAS deputy highlights Singapore's growing links with the Middle East
Monetary Authority of Singapore's Lim Hng Kiang says cross-border Islamic transactions ‘set to take off’ as more Middle Eastern banks open in Singapore; growth potential ‘yet to be fully realised’
BNM's Zeti calls on Islamic finance to show leadership out of the crisis
The challenge of sustaining momentum of Islamic finance will hinge on its ability to keep raising the bar in effectiveness and soundness, says Malaysian governor
Italian governor calls for greater understanding of Islamic finance
Ignazio Visco says ethical finance focuses on 'the link between financial transactions and underlying assets'
Zambian governor targets Muslim banking expansion
Michael Gondwe says the economically valuable Muslim community is shunning the use of commercial banks due to lack of appropriate products; proposes banking expansion
Malaysia’s Zeti urges greater harmonisation of Islamic finance
Zeti Akhtar Aziz says there is much common ground in different jurisdictions’ sharia interpretations, but a lack of understanding is holding back the growth of Islamic finance
MAS chairman says Islamic finance can exploit post-crisis landscape
Tharman Shanmugaratnam suggests weakness and deleveraging in conventional banking systems gives Islamic finance an opportunity to expand
Zeti promotes Islamic finance expansion
Says the industry’s rapid growth is dependent on its ability to serve the real economy
Islamic finance championed by eight-strong central bank pact
Heads of central banks within the Developing-8 organisation agree to work together to increase the size of the Islamic Finance industry
Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation replaces CEO
International Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation names Rifaat Ahmed Abdel Karim to replace Mahmoud AbuShamma as chief executive
Giff 2012: Malaysia’s Zeti calls for a ‘bridging’ of economies to promote Islamic finance
Bank Negara Malaysia governor says Islamic finance has emerged from the financial crisis in a position of strength, but more co-ordination is needed to ensure the industry continues to flourish