G20 can take lessons from Islamic finance

Islamic finance can provide some suggestions to the G20 countries to consider asset-backed financing, securitisation of real assets, avoidance of excessive leverage and intelligent use of derivatives, said Rushdi Siddiqui, Head of Islamic Finance, Thomson Reuters. "While the world economy is worth trillions, the Islamic finance industry is approaching the

$1 trillion (Dh3.6trn) mark. So it may not yet be a true global heavy weight, but lessons can be shared," he said.

Thomson Reuters has its regional headquarters in Dubai, with 600 staff in 68 countries across the Middle East and Africa. Following are excerpts from the interview with Siddiqui.