Financial Services

Oman’s insurance industry is about to experience a major shift in direction, with sharia-compliant products, such as takaful, set to be launched onto the market. This is part of a broader programme of reforms that are opening up the financial sector to Islamic insurers and banks.

Investment rates among black South Africans on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) have held steady over the past 12 months, despite market fluctuations and uncertainty over the local and global economy. Burgeoning pension and trust fund investments could also see increasing participation rates in South Africa’s black capital markets in coming years.

Le secteur bancaire marocain, ayant enregistré une forte hausse de ses profits en 2010 et au premier semestre 2011 et ayant, selon le FMI, vu une amélioration de ses capitaux propres et de son taux de créances non-productives, continue d’afficher une bonne croissance, se démarquant ainsi fortement de ses voisins du nord et des difficultés qu’ils rencontrent actuellement. Cela s’explique non seulement par une croissance organique, en particulier avec les envois de fonds des émigrés, mais aussi par des augmentations de capital et des fusions-acquisitions.

A new law in Oman that makes an exception for businesses hoping to list a smaller share of their companies on the Muscat Securities Market (MSM) will likely be passed by the end of the year.

Mongolia is tightening regulation of its financial services industry in preparation for an expected wave of foreign direct investment, with reforms improving supervision of the banking sector and outside help sought to enhance oversight of the Mongolian Stock Exchange (MSE).

Malaysia’s Islamic finance sector is further consolidating its position as a market leader, moving to broaden its product range and expand its reach, though it may need to keep an eye on rivals aspiring to emulate its success.