Thursday 5 November 2009

Gulf risks losing home advantage in Islamic finance

In London tomorrow, The Banker magazine is due to host a global gathering of Islamic financiers to unveil its top 500 Islamic financial institutions.

In Kuala Lumpur later this month, the central bank of Malaysia is planning a similar gathering, focusing on the emerging strength of that country as a Sharia-compliant centre.

A couple of conferences do not make for a straw in the wind, let along a tidal wave of sentiment, but I think they are illustrative of a growing trend in the Islamic finance industry that should alarm bankers in the Middle East: the region is no longer the natural global home of Islamic finance.

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