GERMANY - Albaraka Turk enters Iraq - plans for Germany, Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia in the medium term

www.hurriyetdailynews.com - Albaraka Türk has become the first Turkish participation bank to open a branch in the city of Arbil in northern Iraq. The bank also plans to branch out to Qatar, Bahrain and Dubai in the near term and Europe, specifically Germany, Albania, Bosnia and Kosovo, in the medium term. “We are in Iraq to increase the presence of Turkish firms in the region, to support the development of the region and to modernize the Middle East,” Albaraka Türk’s general manager, Fahrettin Yahşi, told daily Hürriyet. Yahşi said Arbil was the most developed region in Iraq and on the brink of a re-birth, adding that Albaraka Türk was there to help the city reach its target of becoming a future Dubai. (source)

UK - Dubai partnership set to boost UK financial exports

www.thecityuk.com - Companies across the UK are set to benefit from a new partnership between the Dubai International Financial Centre Authority (DIFC) and TheCityUK.

The DIFC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with TheCityUK to share financial, legal and regulatory expertise, collaborating on areas of mutual interest including closer links on education, training and qualifications. The agreement is expected to provide a significant boost to UK exports in the Middle East and North Africa region, where the United Arab Emirates (UAE) already accounts for £3.9 billion of UK exports. (source)

EUROPE - PRESENTATIONS - Islamic finance in Europe: opportuntities, trends, challenges

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SWITZERLAND - Dubai Financial Services Authority renews ties with Swiss counterpart

The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA). The MoU was signed on behalf of the DFSA by its Chief Executive, Mr Paul M Koster and Professor Anne Héritier Lachat, Chair of the Board of Directors of FINMA, in advance of a meeting of the DFSA Board in Zurich.(source)

UK - DIFC based Hawkamah partners with Islamic Finance Council UK to organize Shariah scholar training programme in Dubai

Dubai International Financial Centre-based Hawkamah, Institute for Corporate Governance, has partnered with the Islamic Finance Council UK (IFC) to trial a unique training programme which provides tailored conventional markets training for Shariah scholars. The programme is exclusively tailored for Shariah scholars and those involved with the Shariah assurance process and has been run successfully in London, Bahrain and Kuala Lumpur. 

The IFC Scholar Professional Development Programme, developed by the IFC, a UK based not-for-profit, and assisted by the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment Institute (CISI), provides a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) approach comprising of relevant and structured learning activities on conventional markets. (source)

GERMANY - Dubai Exports and AHK lead Islamic finance trade mission to Germany

Dubai Exports, an agency of the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED), Government of Dubai, led an Islamic financial services trade mission to Germany. The mission was organised in partnership with the German Emirati Joint Council for Industry and Commerce (AHK) and sought to assist firms from the UAE to enter the largest economy in Europe.

 Eng. Saed Al Awadi, CEO of Dubai Exports, said that, "two years ago we started promoting UAE's capabilities and expertise in Islamic or Shariah compliant financial services to major markets abroad. We were not surprised by the overwhelmingly positive response and the successful outcomes that have been achieved to date. This mission builds on from our previous successes and allows our firms in the sector to target new markets." (full story)

EUROPE - Dubai Exports Islamic Finance to Europe

While the conventional financial system is recovering from the fallout of the international financial crisis Islamic finance on the other hand is growing rapidly. Statistics show that global Islamic banking assets have grown approximately 10% per annum from the mid 1990s when they were about US$150 billion. 

 

Today, global Islamic financial assets stand at approximately US800 billion. Industry experts claim that over the next decade the sector may reach US$4 trillion. The growth of Islamic Financial Services has been driven by a growing Islamic population that is enjoying a rapid rise in purchasing power, due to better education and employment opportunities. This has been supported by financial engineering and innovation in the provision of Islamic financial products and services. (source)

FRANCE - EVENTS - DUBAI - Europlace Financial Forum - Dec 15, 2010