CoverStory: Islamic Business Ethics: The impact of Ethical Sales Behaviour on Customer Loyalty

In a changing marketing environment, any commercial organisation is required to be customer oriented. As customers in the banking industry are becoming more demanding and increasingly mobile between competing financial providers, simply being customer-focused is not enough. Since customers are the driving force of Islamic financial institutions, hence customers satisfaction is a very important... Read More

Interview with Aamir Khan: Tapping into the Gulf's Alternative Energy Market

Aamir Khan is director and business head of Khalij Capital. He is a corporate banker with 14 years of experience in structuring and extending credit facilities to companies in conventional and alternative power, oil & gas and other sectors in North America and South Asia. Khan has worked for ABN AMRO Bank N.V., Royal Bank of Scotland, and United Bank Ltd. He is also member of the Energy Policy... Read More

Dow Jones Islamic Market Indexes in June Of champions and off-sides

It can be said without a doubt that peace and prosperity go hand in hand. In the summer of 2010, there is no better example than Sri Lanka.... Read More

Two Sides Of The Same Coin Or...

Is 'Islamic banking' very different from 'Conventional banking'? This is the question I am often faced with. I would say that they are distant cousins that operate on a similar platform but are totally different in their approach and outlook. Contrary to the belief, Islamic banking is not restricted only to the Muslim community but open to all who want to benefit from the... Read More

Islamic Private Equity Funds: LEGAL AND CULTURAL CHALLENGES

With funds investing in a Shari'ah-compliant manner increasingly looking beyond the Islamic world to explore global investment opportunities, this report by Decherts Private Equity Group outlines demands that managers of Islamic private equity funds, investing outside the Middle East region, have to deal with. ... Read More

Fears of a double-dip economy: DOW JONES ISLAMIC MARKET INDEXES IN MAY

The Dow Jones Islamic Market (DJIM) Indexes posted losses across the board in May. Only two composites gained territory (as of the close of trading on May 25): the DJIM Amana Sri Lanka Index (up 1.30%, closing at 1,766.82 points) and the Dow Jones Citigroup Sukuk Index (1% higher at 120.21 points). The latter index measures the performance of dollar-dominated Islamic Bonds with investment grade.... Read More

May Performance: DOW JONES ISLAMIC MARKET SHOW LOSS

Based on the close of trading on May 25, the global Dow Jones Islamic Market Titans 100 Index, which measures the performance of 100 of the leading Shari'ah compliant stocks globally, dropped 11.70% month-to-date, closing at 1869.50. In comparison, the Dow Jones Global Titans 50 Index, which measures the 50 biggest companies worldwide, posted a loss of 12.24%, month-to-date closing at 150.37.... Read More

The Malaysian Approach: CURRENT STATE OF ISLAMIC FINANCE

With rising interest in Islamic finance worldwide, today, Malaysia is recognized as the leader among Islamic financial institutions for its comprehensive and systematic approach. Any country interested in developing a market for Islamic finance can learn from the vast experience of Malaysia and its dual-banking model with conventional and Islamic finance operating side-by-side with separate... Read More

A New Horizon: EXPORTING ISLAMIC BANKING FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

The Islamic Banking market is one of the most powerful sectors of the banking market in the todays world, with a majority of the estimated $700 billion in assets of Islamic banks concentrated in the Middle Eastern region. However, the industry has also started to gain momentum outside of the Middle East, as more and more financial institutions are beginning to introduce Shari'ah-compliant banking... Read More

Interview With: ABDI SHAYESTEH OF KING & SPALDING

If Islamic finance is utilized properly, it can be a means for proliferating the integration of Muslim countries with the global economy, as well as accelerating the economic development of ME countries.... Read More

A Canadian Experience: MULTICULTURAL BANKS VERSUS ISLAMIC BANKS

After more than five years of retailing Islamic financial products in Canada, UM Financial has come across members of other faith groups who were also interested in usury-free products and ethical filters. Based on this experience, UM Financial began exploring the unified concept of a multicultural bank. This concept, based on the principles of usury-free and ethical finance... Read More

Looking Down Under: Opportunity for Islamic Investment In Australia

The credit crisis laid bare several long-standing tenets of the investment business, including that market prices are largely efficient, established markets are better regulated, and the biggest economies offer less risk. While elements of these issues remain true, we still face disjointed financial markets generating incoherent answers to routine questions... Read More

By the Numbers: Comprehensive Study Sheds Light On Islamic Mutual Fund Performance

Islamic finances stable performance in the world markets in the recent past has shown that it can be a viable addition to conventional finance and possesses the potential to develop as an alternative in the near future. The entire conventional finance industry has experienced severe financial distress due to excessive risk taking in the pursuit of profit maximisation and complex financial... Read More