New growth frontier for Islamic finance

In Islamic banking, traditionally banks do not invest in interest bearing instruments like treasuries or bonds, which means all deposits collected are transferred to the real economy as “murabaha” loans. Besides supporting real businesses and production, it protects the borrower from financial shocks in crisis situations. Furthermore, in the Islamic system, banks cannot call back…

Adapt and thrive

Kuwait Investment Company (KIC) is a public shareholding company, incorporated under the laws of the State of Kuwait on 25 November 1961 and listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange. The company has been a leading player in the investment industry in Kuwait and the GCC over its 50 years of operation, passing through numerous economic…

Sinosteel halts Australian $2.1bn iron ore project


Chinese iron ore trading developer Sinosteel Midwest suspended work on its $2.1bn Australia-based Weld Range iron ore mining project due to uncertainty surrounding the proposed Oakajee port and rail project.
 The $5.2bn joint venture between Mitsubishi and Murchison Metals has been inundated by delays recently and Sinosteel, one of the largest investors by a Chinese…

A dynamic evolution

First Bank of Nigeria Plc (FirstBank), established in 1894, is a premier bank in West Africa and the leading financial services solutions provider in Nigeria. The bank was founded by Sir Alfred Jones, a shipping magnate from Liverpool, UK. With its head office originally in Liverpool, the bank commenced business on a modest scale in…

Modern markets demand constant connectivity

Trading dynamics have changed radically in the last decade. Investors used to wait months or years for investment prospects. Today, technology allows traders and investors to seize opportunities instantly and manage risks directly. The $4trn daily foreign exchange market offers what other markets failed to attain, and is now easily accessible and affordable for everyone….

Change is the only constant

From a humble beginning as a trading house in 1977, Al-Tuwairqi Holding Company (ATH) is now one of the leading businesses in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The company has shown a phenomenal growth over the last two decades and today is among the top five private sector industrial concerns in the Kingdom. Dr Hilal…

Getting the boards back in control

The board of directors are elected by the owners of a company to act on their behalf; and while taking care of their interests they are also bound by regulation aiming at policyholder protection. There are a number of different board decisions to be made, ranging from recruiting the executive team to setting the business…

Unique on the European continent

Could you give us an idea of KBL European Private Bankers’ [epb] strategy?Since the 1980s, KBL epb has devoted its strategy to private banking and a pan-European onshore presence has been built up by putting the emphasis on well-known local private banking brands. Thanks to organic growth and successive acquisitions we have now become the…

Establishing a company in Cyprus

Michael Kyprianou & Co LLC is a broad based legal practice based in Cyprus and Greece. One of its areas of specialisation is the company formation, management and administration of Cyprus and offshore companies, and formation and administration of Trusts. Cyprus business lawA Cyprus company needs to have at least one director, one shareholder, one…