Resources
Islamic Finance
Inside this issue
• Innovation: A bitter struggle has broken out among competing banks
• Insurance: Big names are piling into the sector despite the strict norms
• Saudi Arabia: Islamic banking has taken off, but only in the past decade - -
Content
Backwater sector moves into global mainstream
Phenomenal growth has caused surprise and some concern, write Roula Khalaf and Gillian Tett.
Innovation: Frenzied race to develop new ideas
A bitter struggle has broken out among competing banks, writes Gillian Tett.
Opinion: Mahmoud El-Gamal: Incoherent pietism and Sharia arbitrage
The primary beneficiaries of Islamic finance are international law firms, says Rice University professor Mahmoud El-Gamal.
Products: No interest – but big deposits of ingenuity
David Oakley looks at how conventional finance transactions have been replicated.
Insurance: Putting a premium on a foothold in the market
Big names are piling in despite the need to adhere to strict norms, writes Andrea Felsted.
Supervision and regulation: Experts see need for a common approach
More standards would underpin expansion, says Roula Khalaf.
Investment banks: Wide array of new names join the party
Rich opportunities are bringing in more western banks, writes Gillian Tett.
Profile: HSBC: Islamic business is part of the global fabric
HSBC’s Islamic finance business is moving towards more structured financing products, reports Gillian Tett.
Profile: Saudi Arabia: Demand leads to dominance
Sharia-compliant banking has really taken off in the kingdom only during the past decade, says Andrew England.
Profile: Malaysia: Experience and regulation bring strength in depth
Malaysian officials are hoping for fresh investments in an area which is considered a fast emerging cornerstone for the economy, writes Farhan Bokhari.
