Tameer Microfinance Bank Limited (TMFB), a commercial bank in Pakistan that is majority-held by Norwegian mobile firm Telenor, recently issued two term finance certificates (TFCs) each worth PKR 500 million (USD 5 million) on the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) in an effort to raise capital. Continue Reading »

MicroFinance Transparency (MFTransparency), a US-based nongovernmental organization that provides information on microcredit products and their prices, is partnering with Pakistan Microfinance Network (PMN), a network of 29 microfinance providers in Pakistan, to publish pricing data on loans offered by microfinance institutions in Pakistan. Continue Reading »

ResponsAbility Social Investments, a Swiss investment company, recently made a loan of USD 1.5 million to Al Majmoua, a nonprofit microcredit organization also known as the Lebanese Association for Development. Continue Reading »

Although Bacha Khan Khapal Rozgar, a self-employment scheme administered by Pakistan’s Bank of Khyber (BoK), has been operating in militant-affected areas, areas that continue to experience militant activity reportedly may now be excluded from the program. Continue Reading »

Wafaa, a UK-based online microfinance platform, allows individuals to loan as little as USD 20 to fund interest-free loans to poor Muslims in the Middle East and North Africa. Continue Reading »

The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation of Jordan, a governmental institution that aims to affect sustainable development, reportedly has stated that the European Union (EU) will provide funding in the amount of EUR 25 million (USD 32.5 million) to support Jordan’s 2012-2014 executive plan to establish a nationwide microfinance program. Continue Reading »

The Arab Spring Foundation for Entrepreneurship and Employment, also known as the Farasee Foundation, is a nonprofit organization that was created to launch “1 million jobs for Middle East and North Africa (MENA)” initiative, which intends to provide institutional investors and sovereign funds with opportunities to develop food security and jobs. Continue Reading »

Event Name: Islamic Microfinance Summit 2013

Event Date: January 29 – January 30, 2013

Event Location: Istanbul, Turkey Continue Reading »

“The State of Microfinance Investment 2012: MicroRate’s 7th Annual Survey and Analysis of MIVs;” published by MicroRate; October 2012; 17 pages; available at: http://www.microrate.com/downloads/78 Continue Reading »

A Youth Finance Project intended to boost the Jordanian microbusiness environment has been launched by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a US government agency that provides international economic and humanitarian assistance and FINCA Jordan, a microfinance institution (MFI) that is part of the US-based FINCA International microfinance network. Continue Reading »

Kiva, a US-based online microlending fundraiser, has partnered with Silatech, a Qatar-based social enterprise serving youth in the Middle East, to create Kiva Arab Youth, an online platform allowing individuals to makes loans to microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the region that then on-lend the funds to aid young Arab entrepreneurs. Continue Reading »

“Global Microscope on the Microfinance Business Environment 2012;” by the Economist Intelligence Unit; published by The Economist; 72 pages; available at: http://www5.iadb.org/mif/en-us/home/knowledge.aspx?idPublication=64206 Continue Reading »

The Sanad Fund for MSME (Micro-, Small a Medium-Sized Enterprise), an initiative of KfW Entwicklungsbank that provides medium- and long-term debt and equity to financial institutions in the Middle East, recently made a local-currency loan equivalent to USD 1.5 million to FINCA Jordan Specialized Microloans, a Jordanian microfinance institution (MFI) that is part of the US-based FINCA International microfinance network. Continue Reading »

Event Name: Global Islamic Microfinance Forum 2012

Event Date: December 8-December 10, 2012 Continue Reading »

Event Name: Ninth Annual Conference 2012

Event Date: October 31-November 2, 2012 Continue Reading »

Event name:  Inclusive Financial Services Stakeholders Conference

Event date: October 23 and October 24, 2012 Continue Reading »

Sanabel, an Egypt-based nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing Arab microfinance, recently launched a transparency program called “Shafafeya” that produces comparative analysis, trend analysis and financial highlights of the microfinance sector in the Arab world. Continue Reading »