Job Opportunities in Islamic Banking & Finance

Job Opportunities in Islamic Banking & Finance
AIMS - Academy for International Modern Studies
July 2011

This is a periodic compilation of job postings and openings from a multitude of sources (all relevant to Islamic banking & finance), which can be found on the AIMS website. Hoping to highlight other similar sources in the future and feedback in this regard is also very welcome. 

Job Opportunities in Islamic Banking & Finance

Can Islamic finance play key role in growth and prosperity?

Can Islamic finance play key role in growth and prosperity?
By Mushtak Parker
Arab News
July 2011

"In perhaps one of her more potentially important speeches in recent times, Zeti Akhtar Aziz, governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, the central bank, stressed that the increasing internationalization of Islamic finance and the burgeoning trade and economic linkages between the emerging countries present an important opportunity for the industry to make a meaningful and enhanced contribution toward economic growth and prosperity of these countries."

Can Islamic finance play key role in growth and prosperity?

A Different Kind of Consolidation in Islamic Finance

A Different Kind of Consolidation in Islamic Finance
By Rushdi Siddiqui
July 2011

One of the most over-used words in Islamic finance is not standardization, scholars, regulations, etc., but 'consolidation'. Islamic banks, Islamic leasing companies, Takaful companies need to consolidate to reach size and achieve scale.

A Different Kind of Consolidation in Islamic Finance

Development of Islamic Banking with Reference to UAE

Development of Islamic Banking with Reference to UAE
Fayaz Ahamed
June 2010

Abstract: Banks play an important and active role in the economic development of a country. The global financial system (GFS) is a financial system consisting of institutions and regulators that act on the international level, as opposed to those that act on a national or regional level. Islamic banking is a classical concept. Islamic banking system has emerged as a competitive and a possible substitute for the conventional banking system during the last three decades. Islamic Banking is no longer limited to specialized institutions and has expanded both geographically and in product richness, with structured credit finance receiving most of the attention. Greater importance of the General Council for Islamic Banking and Finance Institutions (GCIBFI), the Islamic Financial Service Board (IFSB), the Islamic International Rating Agency (IIRA) and the Accounting and Auditing Organization of Islamic Finance Institutions (AAOIFI), will add consistency in accordance to Islamic laws [shariah] interpretations by religious boards and the primacy of bankable governing law as a matter of form remain essential to further growth of Islamic banking.


Islamic banking transactions are governed by the codes of the shariah, which prohibits interest and regulates that income, must be resulting as return from capitalist investment. This present study analyses the Islamic banking operations currently practiced in Global banking system. This paper explains the fundamental legal principles of Islamic Banking, which includes a brief review of the current state of Islamic banking development and provides the analysis of Islamic Banks with their acquired results. The paper suggests a Global organization that would allow Islamic banks to develop in compliance with its Islamic laws [shariah] principles.

Development of Islamic Banking with Reference to UAE

Have Islamic Banks Been More Resistant than Conventional Banks to the 2007-2008 Financial Crisis?

Have Islamic Banks Been More Resistant than Conventional Banks to the 2007-2008 Financial Crisis?
By Khawla Bourkhis and Mahmoud Sami Nabi

Abstract: "The recent global financial crisis has induced a series of failure of many conventional banks and led to a renewal of Minsky (1986)’s critics about the inherent instability of the fractional-reserve banking. In this context, many economists advocate for the return to narrow banking and/or for favoring the development of Islamic banking supposed to be more resilient to the financial crises. This paper attempts to answer empirically the two following questions: i) Have Islamic banks (IBs) been more resistant than their conventional peers (CBs) to the 2007-2008 financial crisis? ii) Could the presence of Islamic banks in a conventional banking system enhance the overall systemic stability? The main findings are the following. Before the financial crisis, IBs were more profitable than CBs. Then, in 2007-2008, only the large IBs remained more profitable than the large CBs. However, IBs became less profitable in 2009 when the crisis’s pass-through to the real economy had sufficiently increased. Moreover, we show that CBs were more resistant to the crisis than IBs. Hence, IBs illustrated a degree of resilience and stability during the first (financial) wave of the crisis. However, they have been impacted during the second (real) wave because of their higher exposure to real estate and their limited reliance on risk sharing instruments. Nevertheless, we find a positive externality of large IBs on the soundness of large CBs which could be justified by their asynchronous reactions to the crisis."

Have Islamic Banks Been More Resistant than Conventional Banks to the 2007-2008 Financial Crisis?

The International Role of Islamic Finance

The International Role of Islamic Finance
QFinance
By Andreas Jobst

Executive Summary

• Islamic finance has become mainstream, with more than US$800 billion of assets worldwide. However, it still faces distinct developmental challenges from economic and legal constraints associated with sukuk, banking-specific issues, and fragmented financial regulation.

• Although Islamic capital markets and banking have defied the impact of the financial crisis, some negative effects were felt in 2008 and are likely to inhibit further expansion.

• Despite current challenges, most of which arise from the infancy of the industry, Islamic finance has promising long-term prospects.

The International Role of Islamic Finance

Report Card of Islamic Indices

Report Card of Islamic Indices
By Rushdi Siddiqui
Business Times
July 2011

"Islamic equity indices, 1.0, became a global ‘instrument’ in 1999, with the launch of the Dow Jones Islamic Market Index (DJIM). But, what progress, if any, has been made in the last 11 years on Islamic indexing?"


Read more: Report card of Islamic indices

Report Card of Islamic Indices

Risk Management in Islamic and Conventional Banks: A Differential Analysis

Risk Management in Islamic and Conventional Banks: A Differential Analysis
Amanat Ali Jalbani and Salman Ahmed Shaikh
Journal of Independent Studies and Research
July 2009

Abstract: "Islamic banking is interest-free banking which makes it necessary for Islamic banks to take active part in the operations of the business, i.e. share profits as well as losses. Banks including Islamic banks prefer to take minimum risk. On the surface, it may seem that Islamic banks face more risk and hence, will have more volatile or even negative returns on their assets.

This paper analyzes the risk management procedures of Islamic banks by giving a differential analysis of risk management discussing only the unique characteristics of risk management in Islamic Banking. The usual credit assessment procedures and BASEL are not discussed. This paper looks at the comparative performance of Islamic banks and conventional banks by using ROE as the benchmark."

Risk Management in Islamic and Conventional Banks: A Differential Analysis

The Constitution and Islam: Are Tax Reforms Possible to Facilitate Islamic Finance?

The Constitution and Islam: Are Tax Reforms Possible to Facilitate Islamic Finance?
Brett Freudenberg, Griffith University - Griffith Business School
Dr. Mahmood Nathie, Griffith University
Revenue Law Journal, June 2011

Abstract: "Islamic banking and finance is emerging in global financial markets and governments seek to facilitate it. This article focuses on whether it is constitutionally possible for Australia to implement reforms to facilitate faithbased financial transactions.


There have been calls for Australia to become a financial hub – particularly in South East Asia. One aspect of this is the recognition of Islamic finance as an alternative in the marketplace. This would include ensuring that tax laws are synchronised with Islamic tenets on financial transactions and do not hinder such alternatives.


Being different to conventional finance, Islamic finance has attracted interest and scepticism, partially because of the lack of understanding and the paucity of academic research on the subject. While the idea of facilitating faith-based finance may seem economically rational, a fundamental question needs to be addressed: is it appropriate for Australia’s tax laws to be amended to facilitate what may be construed to be the furtherance of any religion? This article considers the theoretical considerations of tax and religion and assesses the implications of Islamic finance in light of Australian constitutional law."

The Constitution and Islam: Are Tax Reforms Possible to Facilitate Islamic Finance?

SC receives awards for ICM efforts (and MIFC eNewsletter)

SC receives awards for ICM efforts

The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has received the prestigious "Outstanding Contribution to the Development of Islamic Capital Market" award at a dinner held in conjunction with the 5th London Sukuk Summit from 8-9 June 2011. The SC’s Islamic Capital Market consultant Wan Abdul Rahim Kamil was also recognised with an award for “Outstanding Leadership in Islamic Finance”.

Read the rest of the MIFC eNewsletter here (June edition).

The award recognises the depth and breadth of Malaysia’s Islamic capital market and the pivotal role played by the SC in this regard. Accounting for 72.5% of global Sukuk issuances by domicile in 2010 and 65% of global sukuk outstanding by domicile as at December 2010, Malaysia’s pole position in the global Sukuk market was widely recognised by all the event. With its compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.2% from 2000-2010 and an expectation of double digit growth over the coming ten years, Malaysia was also acknowledged at the Summit as the engine for Sukuk market growth.

The awards were received on behalf of the SC and Wan Abdul Rahim Kamil by Dato Dr Nik Ramlah Mahmood, Managing Director of the SC who had earlier presented to the forum on the growth and diversity of Malaysia’s Sukuk market.

Established to help raise the standards in the Islamic finance sector and to set the highest benchmarks for the industry globally, the London Sukuk Summit Awards underline the international community's recognition of the important role the SC has played and will continue to play in the development and growth of Islamic finance and Sukuk in particular.

SC receives awards for ICM efforts (and MIFC eNewsletter)