Nasdaq Dubai welcomes International Finance Corporation's intention to list $100m Sukuk

"We are delighted to support the IFC as the primary listing venue for its Sukuk, raising money for health and education investments in the region.

A listing on a well regulated exchange supports a Sukuk issue by providing transparency for investors and promoting visibility for the issuer.

As the international exchange serving the Middle East, Nasdaq Dubai looks forward to playing a growing role in the Sukuk market as it expands and matures."

"The IFC and the World Bank Group should be congratulated for this ground breaking innovation and recognition of Islamic financial instruments as an integral part of their financing tools.

This is a historic milestone for financial markets in the region and clearly represents a benchmark for debt markets.

It paves the way for tremendous new opportunities for sovereign and corporate issuers from across the world to tap the liquidity of the region. In particular, this issue opens up the Sukuk market for financing the infrastructure needs of the region and in emerging markets.

This initiative will significantly contribute to the mainstreaming of Islamic finance and the development of an Islamic securities market within the global financial system."