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Qatar To Emerge As The World’s Leading Islamic Finance Hub

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With a fast-growing Islamic finance industry, Doha has all the potential to emerge as the ‘Capital of Islamic Finance”, industry experts stated yesterday.

”Doha is the most qualified financial center to transform into the world capital of Islamic finance, based on a package of indicators, the most prominent of which is the rapid growth of the financial sector, which listed Qatar among the top five Islamic finance centers in the world. The volume of Islamic finance assets in Qatar currently stands at $129bn, ” Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sualiti, Deputy Chairman of Bait Al-Mashura said.

Addressing the media, while announcing the hosting of the 6th Islamic Finance Conference in Doha on February 25, Dr. Khalid, who is also the Chairman of the Organising Committee, said Qatar has an ideal legislative framework, an operational environment and a distinct organizational structure in the Islamic finance industry.

‘Al Rayan Qatar ETF” is the largest Islamic ETF listed in a single country. ”Qatar plays a major role in developing the Sukuk industry globally. Moreover, Qatari companies operating by the provisions of Islamic Sharia are expanding in most of the world”s markets to lead the sector’s growth path internationally, he said.

Dr. Osama Qais Al Derai”ei, Vice-chairman of the Organising Committee and Managing Director and CEO of Bait Al Mashura Financial Consultations noted the Islamic finance industry is fast growing as the total number of Islamic financial institutions operating in the world reached the level of 1389, with a total asset of $2.4trillion. These institutions achieve a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6 percent, while Islamic banking services hold a share of 71 percent or the equivalent of $1.7 trillion of the total volume of Islamic financial industry assets at a CAGR of 5 percent. It is estimated that the Islamic finance industry’s assets are expected to reach $3.2 trillion in 2020, he added.

QFC Chief Executive Officer Yousuf Mohamed Al Jaida said: ”Qatar is poised to be one of the world”s leading Islamic Finance hubs, growing at CAGR of 8 percent since 2015, and characterized by its competitive and flexible regulatory environment that continues to attract Islamic finance institutions and products.

Originally published on www.menafn.com

Qatar Has Ninth-Strongest Islamic Finance Industry

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The state of Qatar  ranks ninth this year on the annually published Islamic Finance Country Index, showing considerable strength of its Islamic finance industry. The index, part of the Global Islamic Finance Report 2017 compiled by London-based Islamic finance consultant firm Edbiz Consulting, is the oldest and most respected index ranking different countries with regards to the state of Islamic banking and finance domestically and is benchmarked towards an international level. Launched in 2011 with 36 reviewed countries, the 2017 index meanwhile has a sample of 48 nations. The research of EdBiz is sponsored by Dubai Islamic Bank, Bank of Khartoum and the Islamic Corp for the Development of the Private Sector of the Islamic Development Bank Group.
Qatar’s ranking is testament to its solid Islamic finance industry which is built upon solely fully-fledged Islamic banks which do not operate Islamic windows. While this is an indicator for a high “purity” of Islamic finance in Qatar, the country has been surpassed in this year’s index by Bahrain and Pakistan which allow a more diluted Islamic finance system including Islamic windows at conventional banks and Islamic finance vehicles that wouldn’t pass Shariah approval in Qatar.
In addition, Pakistan, which leaped from rank nine to six, improved its score on account of a number of new enhancements of the existing processes in the Islamic finance sector, including skills training and qualification improvement initiatives, reforming regulatory frameworks and allowing certain tax exemptions, as well as the hosting of a number of reputable international Islamic finance conferences.
Altogether, the top five nations on the index were all stable and their rankings unchanged from the previous year. The country with the world’s strongest Islamic finance industry remains – unsurprisingly – Malaysia, followed by Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait.
Malaysia ranks number one with the highest score of 79.25. This is the second year in a row that Malaysia has been in the top position, taking over from Iran in 2016. Malaysia, together with Iran and the UAE, slightly improved their scores while Saudi Arabia and Kuwait witnessed deterioration in their scores. Bangladesh rounds up the top ten, unchanged from 2016.
“In the list of 48 countries, there are 14 that saw a decrease in their scores. While some of them are countries with majority Muslim populations, the trend is more visible in the countries with Muslim minorities,” says Sofiza Azmi, Edbiz CEO and Editor-in-Chief for the Global Islamic Finance Report series.
“Among the 13 countries that improved their ranking, Tunisia took the biggest leap and improved its position from number 25 to 20. Another gainer, apart from Pakistan, was Kazakhstan, while among the countries that went down in the ranking, Syria suffered the most with a significant drop of six points for obvious reasons,” she added.
The top-five non-Muslim countries, namely the UK (rank 17), Sri Lanka (18) US (19), Kenya (21) and Nigeria (23) ranked comparably well. Other non-Muslim majority countries with a strong Islamic finance industries on this year’s ranking include Singapore, Switzerland, South Africa, Canada, Thailand and Australia, among others, while the country with the weakest developed Islamic finance industry and bottom-placed on the ranking remains Morocco, a Muslim nation which, however, is now in the process of introducing Islamic finance frameworks.
With regards to the methodology, the creation of the index is based on complex algorithms that allow the comparison of countries with different macro-and microeconomic factors. Variables taken into account were the number of Islamic financial institutions in a country, total Islamic finance assets, growth of the latter, Shariah supervisory regimes, size of Muslim population, GDP per capita, human development index and others, as well as soft factors such as education and culture.
With eight editions, the Islamic Finance Country Index has emerged as a reliable indicator of developments in the global Islamic financial services industry, particularly because it also factors in Iran, which is a major player in the Islamic finance industry but has been sidelined in the past by most reports on the global Islamic finance industry because Iran’s banking sector used to be secluded from the rest of the world due to sanctions.
The report concludes that the ranking suggests that countries with large Muslim populations are the future frontiers for growth in Islamic banking and finance and, therefore, it would be absolutely imperative for Islamic banking institutions based in the Middle East and Southeast Asia to expand their businesses into these countries with growth potential.

Originally published on www.gulf-times.com

Chilean Architects Win Competition to Design Qatar’s Huge Art Mill Gallery

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The Chilean architectural practice Elemental has won the competition to convert a former flour mill on the coast of Doha Bay, known as the Art Mill, into a vast new gallery for Qatar Museums. The Santiago-based company beat off eight other finalists to design the new space, which is located east of the Museum of Islamic Art.

According to the competition brief announced by Malcolm Reading Consultants, the Art Mill will measure up to 80,000 sq. metres and “predominantly” comprise gallery and exhibition space. To put the Doha flour mill into perspective, London’s Tate Modern, which is housed in a former power station, measures around 55,000 sq. metres of internal space.

The project also includes a conservation centre and museum storage “to match the diversity of the collection” as well as education, conference and event spaces. A spokeswoman for Qatar Museums declined to comment on the purpose of the new venue, and whether it will house Qatar’s Modern and contemporary art collection or host international loan exhibitions.

The flour mill includes numerous grain silos. “In a creative riff, the [Elemental] team added to the strict geometry of retained silos a looser grouping of new silos that will act as cooling chimneys circulating air through the site that extends spectacularly on three sides into Doha Bay,” a project statement says.

No opening date has been announced but key cultural projects are expected to be completed in time for the football World Cup which takes place in Doha in 2022.

Originally published on www.theartnewspaper.com

IBQ to Sponsor ‘Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Middle East Conference 2017’ in Dubai

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International Bank of Qatar (IBQ) announced that the bank will be sponsoring the ‘Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Middle East 2017’, the region’s largest finance and investment conference in Dubai this week.
IBQ will have a strong presence onsite with an exhibition booth, showcasing its corporate banking and treasury products and services.
Muhannad Kamal, deputy chief executive officer, IBQ, said, “Banking and investment are major contributors in the diversification of the economy in Qatar. As one of the leading private banks in the country, we are committed in playing a pivotal role in shaping Qatar’s finance sector, contributing towards the National Vision 2030.”
“IBQ is pleased to be the bronze sponsor of the Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Middle East 2017. IBQ is committed in providing the finest banking products and services to its clients and highlighting our extensive knowledge with other leaders in the field. This conference provides the ideal platform for growth and development in the booming finance field”, Kamal added.
IBQ is one of the leading private banks in Qatar, known for its legacy in the fields of corporate, private and personal banking. The Bank has been operating for more than 60 years in Qatar, showcasing the highest quality of banking products and services in the country.
IBQ is known for its long-lasting relationships with customers for over six decades. The bank’s “distinguished and innovative” approach to customer-service has been recognised on a regional and international basis through winning several prestigious awards in the domain.
Moreover, IBQ has built over the past 60 years, close relationships with several prominent companies in Qatar, enlarging its network and proving that it is the most trusted partner and consultant to all of its clients.

Originally published on www.gulf-times.com

Qatar First Bank Announces key Appointments

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Qatar First Bank (QFB), a leading Shari’ah compliant bank based in Qatar, has announced several key appointments in the senior management level in the institution.

The selections come in line with QFB’s acting chief executive officer Khalid Al Khoori’s new human resources strategy to promote and attract Qatari talents.

The bank is keen to build a sustainable work environment that attracts national workforce, said a statement from QFB.

The new appointments include Sulaiman Al Salhi appointed as chief business officer; Mohammed Al Sahli appointed as head of corporate services; and Sara Ali Al Adba as acting head of human resources, it said.

Al Salhi has 24 years of global financial services experience in both, the conventional and Islamic sectors. Over the years, he has acquired considerable expertise in private banking, investment banking, corporate lending and Islamic finance.

Prior to this, he was the managing director and senior executive officer at Bank Sarasin-Alpen (Qatar). In this role, he headed the private banking team and successfully led the organisation through its challenging start-up phase in Qatar, said the QFB in its statement.

Al Salhi’s success builds upon two decades of experience, which enabled him to assume head of HSBC-Amanah Islamic finance. During his time with HSBC, he was credited with instituting the Amanah Personal Banking, and corporate and investment banking arms of the business.

Mohammed joined QFB in 2011 as head of investor relations to establish its investor relations department. In 2013, he brought corporate communications under his umbrella. In 2015, proven to be a Qatari talent that embodies QFB vision in attracting and keeping Qatari talents, he was appointed director of private banking to bridge and synchronise private banking activities with QFB investor-client database.

In his new role, Al Salhi’s duties will include marketing, corporate communications, investor relations, and administration, said the Qatari bank.

Al Adba joined QFB after working as compensation manager at Ooredoo Qatar. There she had performed well in evaluating effective compensation programmes, analysing competitive compensation practices, recommending appropriate course corrections to senior management, and proposing development and training programmes.

Al Adba also participated in developing compensation strategy.

Upon joining QFB in 2014, she was appointed as senior HR manager. In her capacity, she worked on aligning QFB human resources to QFB business plans and needs.

Speaking on the new appointments, Al Khoori said: “Our bank is re-aligning its human resources to be well-positioned to attract unique lucrative investment opportunities locally, regionally and globally.”

“Unleashing potentials of local talents will enable us to best benefit from local market opportunities and contribute to Qatar Vision 2030,” he stated.

“I am keen to create a sustainable work and business environment that is able to attract and develop local talents to play a bigger role in Qatar financial sector; therefore, these appointments come as first step in our strategic direction towards enriching QFB work environment by skilful Qatari employees,” he added.

Originally published on www.tradearabia.com

Richmond to Host Major Conference on Islamic Art

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In 2004, Richmond held its first major international conference on Islamic Art. Since then, the conference has been held in Qatar, Spain and Italy. Next fall, it will be returning to Richmond’s Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on Nov. 2 through Nov. 4.

“Islamic Art: Past, Present and Future” is sponsored by Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts, VCUarts Qatar and the Qatar Foundation. The Thursday through Saturday event will feature opening remarks by “her excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani,” the chairperson of Qatar Museums, Doha Film Institute and Qatar Leadership, and a “proponent of the arts as a catalyst for education, dialogue and exchange,” according to a press release.

Co-chairs Sheila Blair and Jonathan Bloom issued a joint statement to Style:

“Many Americans today have come to associate Islam with terrorism and war, but the Hamad bin Khalifa Symposia are designed to showcase the long traditions of art and culture in the Muslim world. This year’s event in Richmond focuses on the artistic relationships between the past, the present, and the future, bringing together museum curators, collectors, artists, and academics. As always, the symposia will make the latest research accessible to the broadest possible audience, ranging from specialized students and scholars to the general public.”

The symposia will be open to the public, though registration is $10 per day. All programs will take place in the Cheek Theater, VMFA, 200 N. Boulevard. Visit ​islamicartdoha.org​ to get more info or register.

The conference will feature 13 of the leading scholars, curators and artists of Islamic art and architecture. The event will include a number of presentations addressing “how Islamic art engages with contemporary politics, global capitalism, gender, religion and history — and how Western museums have approached collecting and curating the arts of the Islamic world,” per the release.

Here’s a list of additional artists and speakers that will be appearing at the conference from the release:

Her Royal Highness Princess Wijdan​ ​Al-Hashemi of Jordan,​ a pioneer in establishing important collections of contemporary art of the Islamic world. In Jordan she founded the Royal Society of Fine Arts (1979), the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts (1980), the Higher Institute of Islamic Art and Architecture at Al Al-Bait University, Jordan (1992), and the College of Arts and Design at the University of Jordan (2002).

Shahzia Sikander a Pakistani-American artist and MacArthur Fellow best known for contemporizing the traditional Indo-Persian discipline of miniature painting and causing a transnational resurgence in the art form. Her work can be seen in museums around the world including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Whitney Museum of American Art and The Museum of Modern Art. Sikander is the recipient of many prestigious awards including a Medal of Art from the US State Department.

Originally published on www.styleweekly.com

Exhibition to Showcase Splendour of Islamic Calligraphy

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A new exhibition – Contemporary Calligraphy – Mehmet اebi Collection, will open at the QM Gallery Al Riwaq this month, and will bring together a notable selection of intricate and beautiful calligraphic artworks dating from the 1960’s to the present day.

The exhibition, which will run from May 15 till June 17, 2017, will focus on two traditions, renowned for their glorification of the beauty of Islam through art.
The first is an assortment of Hilye-i ?erif (The Noble Hilya), a form of classic calligraphic art. The second is a collection of tesbih (prayer beads), used for ruminative prayer.
Collected by renowned Turkish expert Mehmet اebi, more than 200 pieces will feature in the exhibition, which brings together what is widely acknowledged to be one of the finest collections of its kind, anywhere in the world.
Mehmet اebi is the founder of the world’s first Noble Hilya and Prayer Beads Museum in Suleymaniye-Istanbul, and has been developing his collection related to classical calligraphy and Noble Hilya with a contemporary approach to this traditional art form since the 1990’s. His collections have been exhibited in more than 30 venues in Turkey and abroad.
Contemporary Calligraphy – Mehmet اebi Collection will reflect the importance of calligraphy as a major form of artistic expression in Islamic cultures and highlight Qatar Museums’ commitment to building bridges of understanding between cultures through organising broad and varied exhibitions and programmes that celebrate art, heritage and creativity. Mehmet اebi’s vision in developing the collection is to deepen understanding and appreciation for the art form around the world.
Commenting on the exhibition, Khalid Al-Ibrahim, Chief Strategic Planning Officer at Qatar Museums said:
“One of our key objectives at Qatar Museums is to invite people to learn about the full scope of Islamic art, building a true appreciation for the significance and importance of Islamic culture and its contribution to the world we live in.”
“The Museum of Islamic Art houses one of the greatest collections of Islamic Art in the world, spanning more than 1,400 years and covering an enormous variety of art forms plays an invaluable role in this regard. Now, this exhibition at the QM Gallery Al Riwaq will represent an important step in this direction and we invite audiences from Qatar and around the region to experience for themselves the wonder of such calligraphic art.”
The collection at the QM Gallery Al Riwaq will build on the strength of the collection of Islamic Art at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), which includes metalwork, ceramics, jewellery, woodwork, textiles and glass. Over the years, MIA has built widespread appreciation and interest in Islamic calligraphy through a variety of workshops, education programmes, family events and activities.
The exhibition will also build on the hugely successful Qatar-Turkey Year of Culture 2015 which helped further establish the profile, reputation and importance of Turkish art and artists. The Qatar-Turkey Year of Culture explored the contemporary and traditional cultures of Turkey, including world-class exhibitions, such as the travelling Pearls exhibition, educational programmes and cultural exchanges across both countries.

 Originally published on www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

QIB Wins ‘Product Innovator of the Year’ Award from Global Finance

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Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) has received the ‘Product Innovation Award’ under the Islamic Finance category from Global Finance for the bank’s efforts in introducing innovative Shariah-compliant products, including long-term deposits with flexible profit payment options.
The long-term deposits with flexible profit payment options and higher expected yields allows customers to choose how they want to receive the profit on their deposit – upfront profit payment, monthly, quarterly, or at maturity. QIB manages and invests the funds on Murabaha basis to realise the best profit.
With the flexible profit payment options introduction, customers can decide which frequency matches their own financial and liquidity needs. Customers do not have to wait for long periods to start receiving profits and their liquidity requirements are met without the need to break a term deposit.
The tenors of the offered term deposits are one, two, three, and five years. Longer tenors have better expected profit rates and customers can get QIB financing for up to 90% of the deposit value at a competitive rate.
“To improve the customer experience we offer, innovation is key; we’re pleased that our commitment to product innovation has been recognised. Through market research, we are able to tailor our services to meet and even exceed our customers’ expectations. We would like to thank our customers for their trust and loyalty to QIB.
“Over the past few years, QIB has been investing in evolving the bank’s products and services to meet the growing needs of all customers. The bank is improving the banking experience it offers, having completed the installation of a brand new core banking system last year and embarking on a new journey to further simplify and digitalise its services,” said QIB Group CEO Bassel Gamal.
He added: “We are pleased to be representing the Qatar banking industry in the innovators award. This particular award is a testament of our excellent track record in delivering a high quality banking experience as we continue to focus on offering innovative Islamic banking products and services to our customers.”
The Global Finance magazine, headquartered in New York, is a reputable source for developments in the financial industry. Each year, Global Finance selects the best financial institutions around the world. These awards have become a recognised and trusted standard of excellence.
Global Finance magazine has announced The Innovators 2017 — Islamic Finance, the publication’s second annual listing of Shariah-compliant financial institutions and service providers that have fully-recognised the critical importance of product and service innovation together with technology enhancement and investment.
QIB’s profit grew by 12.8% reaching QR555mn for three months ending on March 31 compared to same period last year. QIB assets currently stand at QR143.3bn having grown by 9.1% on a year-on-year basis. Financing activities have reached QR99.5bn, up 9.3% compared to March 2016. Total Income reached QR1.4bn compared to a total income of QR1.2bn during the same period of last year registering a growth of 16.3%.
The bank has been recognised by the industry, receiving multiple awards from highly-reputable entities. Recently, QIB won the ‘Best Islamic Financial Institution in Qatar and the GCC’ award from Global Finance, cementing its position as a leading Islamic bank in Qatar and a major player in the regional Islamic banking sector.

Originally published on www.gulf-times.com

Philippines Sees 15-20% Rise in Qatari Tourists

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The Philippines is expecting a 15 to 20 percent increase in the number of Qatari visitors this year while setting a target of seven to eight million international visitors for 2017, an official from the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) has said.

“For this year, we are targeting a low of seven million and a high of eight million foreign visitors across all markets. From Qatar, since it is regarded as an opportunity market, we hope that we can grow between 15 to 20 percent,” Philippine Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon, Jr. told this daily recently.

Speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of Philippine Department of Tourism’s B2B Networking and Fashion Show on Sunday, Bengzon said around 5,000 Qataris visited the Philippines last year.

“In 2016, we had about 5,000 Qatari visitors to the country. They go to the Philippines basically for shopping, look for unique beach holiday experience, and there’s a certain segment that is also into medical tourism,” he said.

Bengzon stressed that more important than tourist arrivals is the revenue generated from the tourists and it is where Qatar as an important source market comes in. “Qatari tourists generally spend two to three times as much as the average tourist to the Philippines, so even if you’re talking 5,000 Qatari visitors just for now, when you look at the revenue that we get, it is quite substantial,” he noted.

To lure more Qatari tourists, he said, “The strategy is basically to create a higher level of awareness among Qataris and to impress upon them that the Philippines is the next big holiday destination in Asia.”

There are plans to launch new tourism products in the future, among which is to roll out a medical tourism programme and a dedicated programme tailored for ladies in Qatar and other GCC countries as well as introduce new destinations, he revealed.

On Halal tourism, he said “It’s a continuous effort and the good news is that there are more five-star hotels now in Metro Manila that are Halal-friendly. We have a few hotels in the Bay area and in Makati and a few restaurants that are also able to offer Halal food. We have an increasing number of Halal-friendly establishments even outside Manila like in Cebu and Boracay.”

The Philippines witnessed around six million foreign visitors last year, an increase of 10.5 percent compared to 2015.

“Last year, we generated about six million foreign visitors and that represents a growth rate of about 10.5 percent, which is higher than the global average of about 4.5 percent and even higher than the Asian average of about 6.5 percent. It clearly shows that tourism in the Philippines is growing at a faster rate,” he said.

Bengzon was in Doha leading a delegation comprising Philippine-based hotels and resorts, travel operators and tourism entities aimed at bolstering the Philippines’ outbound tourism from Qatar.

Originally published on www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

Muslim-Friendly Tourism: Qatar Ranked Sixth in OIC Countries

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Global Muslim Travel Index 2017 shows Qatar is one of top 10 Muslim-friendly tourist destinations among 48 OIC member countries included in the survey.
The report released by Mastercard-CrescentRating has ranked as many as 130 destinations including 48 OIC destinations and 82 non-OIC destinations.
Qatar secured 70.5 scores in the criteria set to choose Muslim friendly tourist destinations having various considerations like visa requirements; Muslim traveler needs awareness; family-friendly destination; dining options & Halal assurance; access to prayer places and many more.
Qatar stands at number 6 among 48 OIC countries for its Muslim friendly tourism facilities.
Other countries in this list include Malaysia 82.5 (score), the UAE 76.9, Indonesia 72.6, Turkey 72.4, Saudi Arabia 71.4, Qatar 70.5, Morocco 68.1, Oman 67.9 and Bahrain 67.9.
The top 10 Muslim-friendly tourist destinations in non-OIC countries category are Singapore 67.3, Thailand 61.8, the UK 60.0, South Africa 53.6, Hong Kong 53.2, Japan 52.8, Taiwan 52.4, France 52.1, Spain 48.8 and the US 48.6.
CrescentRating uses insights, industry intelligence, lifestyle, behavior and research on the needs of the Muslim traveler to deliver authoritative guidance on all aspects of Halal travel to organizations across the globe.
Founded in 2008, CrescentRating services “are used by every tier of the tourism industry, from government bodies and tourism agencies to hospitality service providers, to better serve the needs of the Muslim traveller”.
The report further points out that in 2016, it was estimated that there were 121 million Muslim international travelers. “This is projected to grow to 156 million by 2020, where the travel expenditure by Muslim travelers is expected to reach $220bn. It is also projected that total Muslim travel expenditure will reach $300bn by 2026,” the report says.
GMTI 2017 looks at four key strategic areas – Access, Communications, Environment and Services – which have been further divided into 11 sub-criteria. This highlights the aspects that a destinations needs to look at to improve in order to become a more Muslim friendly travel destination.
In “Access” area, there are two sub-criteria; air connectivity and visa requirements. In “Communications” area, come sub-criteria including Muslim traveler needs awareness & outreach and ease of communication. For “Environment”, sub-criteria are family-friendly destination, Muslim traveler and general safety and Muslim visitor arrivals. In the last area of “Services”, sub-criteria include dining options & Halal assurance, access to prayer places, airport facilities and accommodation options.
The report also sheds light on “Mega Trends in Muslim Consumer Market”, saying that the Halal food industry continues to be one of the key drivers in the Muslim consumer market.
The report further reveals that the demand for Halal pharmaceuticals and cosmetics continues to grow, with more products being created to serve the unique health and wellness lifestyle needs of Muslims.

Originally published on www.thepeninsulaqatar.com