Consisting of both Islamic and conventional insurers, the Sultanate’s insurance sector has held steady in recent times, despite strong external pressures on Brunei Darussalam’s economy. Non-life remains a dynamic segment, with Islamic takaful products making up the bulk of these general insurance premiums. This pattern looks set to continue in the year ahead, too, with the next 12 months also...
Brunei Darussalam Financial Services
Commanding the second-highest GDP per capita of all ASEAN nations, at $40,979 in 2014, Brunei Darussalam remains one of the most advanced economies in the South-east Asian region. This is in large part due to the Sultanate’s well-developed energy sector; however, with oil and gas prices falling substantially from mid-2014, new efforts are being made to increase the efficiency of production and diversify the economy to ensure future stability and sustainability.
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Chapter | Islamic Financial Services from The Report: Brunei Darussalam 2016
With a strong Islamic banking sector, a growing Islamic insurance (takaful) industry and an expanding market for Islamic bonds (sukuk), Brunei Darussalam has recently been drawing much attention internationally as a center for Islamic financial services (IFS). Indeed, Brunei Darusslam is now amongst the nine countries worldwide where Islamic finance has reached systemic importance – places...
The Sultanate’s small but solid banking sector has been going through some significant changes in recent times. Consolidation has led to fewer lenders, a process that is likely to continue, while at the same time those banks that do remain are some of the best resourced in the region. Indeed, Brunei Darussalam’s banks have high levels of liquidity, good capital adequacy ratios and well-managed...
Commanding the second-highest GDP per capita of all ASEAN nations, at $40,979 in 2014, Brunei Darussalam remains one of the most advanced economies in the South-east Asian region. This is in large part due to the Sultanate’s well-developed energy sector; however, with oil and gas prices falling substantially from mid-2014, new efforts are being made to increase the efficiency of production and diversify the economy to ensure future stability and sustainability.
Chapter | Islamic Financial Services from The Report: Brunei Darussalam 2014
Islamic banking and insurance, or takaful, are becoming the dominant forms of banking and insurance, and inbound foreign investments are increasingly channelled into Islamic markets. The Sultanate’s largest bank is an Islamic lender, dominating the domestic market as well as developing into an international player in Islamic finance. The rise of takaful has been aided by strong support from...
Local conventional and Islamic banks as well as international bank groups are all active in the small and competitive Bruneian market. Sector growth has accelerated as authorities have eased up somewhat on restrictive regulations, and banks are looking forward to an improved climate as overall economic growth revives. While the climate for banking remains competitive and the scale of the...
Following its successful chairmanship of ASEAN in 2013, Brunei Darussalam will look to continue its role as a regional leader in areas ranging from defence to commerce. The increased focus on diversification and the growth of several industries bode well for the economy, and the coming years are expected to see Brunei Darussalam further bolster its position within ASEAN and the international economy.