QIB took the opportunity to address the very relevant subject of Sukuks in their workshop. Sukuks are the Islamic equivalent of bonds that are quickly gaining popularity in the region.
"Since conventional, fixed income, interest bearing bonds are not permitted under Islamic law, Sukuks are specifically designed to be compatible with Sharia'a law," explained Jean-Marc Riegel, General Manager of Investment Banking & Development Group, QIB. "They have become a force to be reckoned with, and we thought it was time we brought the discussion to the table."
The workshop touched upon an array of related topics, including the structures and regulations for financial institutions, companies and bonds, project financing and Islamic financing.
According to Euromoney, the conference was organized "to promote the benefits of debt capital markets to potential and current issuers within the region and to develop the region's debt capital market structures, legislation and investor base." The conference featured keynote addresses by leading regional and international finance experts, but majority of the time was devoted to interactive Davos-style panel discussions and workshops mandated and moderated by Euromoney. The workshops were organized by such well known financial institutions as Goldman Sachs, Qatar Islamic Bank and the Qatar Financial Center (QFC).
The phenomenal growth in the GCC and the Middle East in the past few years has provided local & international investors with great investment opportunities in the government as well as private sectors. This growth is expected to continue unabated, and along with it the demand for financing.
"The increasing appetite within the region for Islamic financing via Sukuks has played a vital role in matching the needs of borrowers and investors, thus establishing their place in the global capital debt markets,"
shared Mr. Riegel.
"Besides, the countries in the Middle East have also realized the importance of global markets, and privatization has played a pivotal part in the process."
The global market for Islamic financial products is currently worth around $80bn and, according to some projections, could reach up to $500bn in the years to come as more and more institutional and private investors see Islamic financing as a means to providing liquidity, diversification and sustainable returns. The added value that Sukuks offer to the global capital debt markets is expected to drive their growth, and they might eventually even come to match the existing modes of financing in the conventional debt markets.
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Posted by Medilyn Manibo, Assistant News Editor
