MOST POPULAR POSTS 2010

• FINANCE - Islamic pension funds make first appearance
• BANKING - Ulker Family leaves the finance sector (Turkiye Finans, BMD, Albaraka Turk)
• EVENTS - CONFERENCES - CALL FOR PAPERS - The International Conference on Financial Criminology - 8-9 June, 2011 (Islamic accountability and fraud risk management)
• BANKING - Al Baraka Banking Group Becomes the First Banking Institution to Use the Saadiq Nostro Accounts
• INSURANCE - TAKAFUL - Insurance company aims at conservatives in Turkey
• POLL - ISLAMIC FINANCE NEWS - Best Islamic Finance Service Providers - ONLY 1 WEEK LEFT !
• ARTICLE - The Efficiency of Participation and Conventional Banks in Turkey: Using Data Envelopment Analysis
• EU - Prospects of Islamic Finance by Yves Mersch
• SUKUK - PRESS RELEASE: Fitch Assigns Kuveyt Turk's Forthcoming Sukuk Issue Expected 'BBB-' Rating
• EVENTS - Roundtable «Islamic Finance in Russia & CIS — market and regulation» Istanbul, January 25, 2011

AWARDS - IFN "Deal of the Year" Awards 2010 - voting deadline Dec 17, 2010

Islamic Finance news, the global Islamic finance news provider, is categorically recognized as the industry's leading publication and authority on the Islamic banking and finance industry. With a world-wide readership in excess of 20,500 industry practitioners and regulators, the Islamic Finance news Deals of the Year Awards offer its winners a truly global audience and a phenomenal vehicle in which to reach ones clients, potential clients and peers.

EVENT - Live Webinar: “Interest-Based Finance and Global Warming: Making the Connection” - Dec 12, 2010

How does interest-based finance contribute to global warming?
And how does Islamic finance provide an alternative?

 
We explore these and other topics in this 40 minute presentation and follow up with your live Q and A.  

UK - EVENTS -SPEECH - Deputy Governor's Keynote Address at the ISRA-IIBI 2nd Annual International Thematic Workshop 2010: "The Polemics of Governing Law in Islamic Finance"

Speaker : Dato' Muhammad bin Ibrahim Venue : The Thomson Reuters Building, London Date : 29 November 2010 Language : English

Let me first thank the organizers for inviting me to speak at this ISRA-IIBI 2nd Annual International Thematic Workshop 2010. Although I very much regret not being able to be in London in person, I am thankful for the many advances of modern technology for the opportunity to briefly address all of you this morning. I am also happy to note that this event is a continuation of international collaboration between the organizers, the International Shariah Research Academy for Islamic Finance (ISRA), the Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance (IIBI) and Thomson Reuters, following the success of the inaugural workshop held last year. The theme of this year's workshop, 'The Polemics of Governing Law in Islamic Finance: Recent Developments and the Way Forward', is most apt. With the emergence of Islamic finance as a new growth area in the global financial landscape, this Workshop provides an excellent forum to exchange views and information on topical legal issues in Islamic finance. As Islamic financial activities are increasingly crossing national boundaries, it is critical for more such dialogues to take place at an international level, in order to gain wider perspectives that can contribute to the development of a legal framework for Islamic finance that is internationally facilitative.

FINANCE - Malaysia aims to take Islamic finance to its next level (Turkey in self denial)

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak at the Global Islamic Finance Forum. (AN photo)

EVENTS - WEBINAR - AML Challenges of Islamic Banking and Shariah - Dec 2, 2010 (usa)

Islamic Banking has become one of the fastest growing sectors of the financial services industry in the world. With the current economic crisis and credit crunch, the inherent stability and security of Islamic financial institutions has made Islamic Banking desirable to both Islamic and conventional financial institutions alike. As a result, even the largest financial institutions have opened Islamic windows and started offering Shariah compliant products and services.

GENERAL - WEF World Economic Forum - Competiveness Report 2010-2010

Turkey remains stable at 61st position. Turkey benefits from its large market, which is characterized by intense local competition (15th) and reasonably sophisticated business practices (52nd). The country also benefits from reasonably developed infrastructure (56th), particularly roads and air transport infrastructure, although ports and the electricity supply require upgrading. In order to further enhance its competitiveness, Turkey must focus on improving its human resources base through better primary education and better healthcare (72nd), addressing the inefficiencies in the labor market (127th), and reinforcing the efficiency and transparency of public institutions (90th).