This event is focused on Islamic finance, whose characteristics include eschewing traditional interest on loans in lieu of concepts such as profit sharing. The agenda is
Category: Islamic Finance
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Regulator Licenses ADIB Egypt to Open Shariah-compliant Subsidiary, ADI Microfinance
The Egyptian unit of UAE-based Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) recently acquired a license from Egypt’s Financial Regulatory Authority to operate its subsidiary ADI Microfinance. The microfinance institution will offer
MICROFINANCE EVENT: 5th Global Takaful and Re-takaful Forum; September 19-21, 2023; Dubai, UAE
This event includes a one-day forum on September 19 followed by a two-day workshop on the historical, “operational and practical aspects” of takaful, re-takaful and micro-takaful, types of insurance that comply with Islamic law. The goals of these events are to
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Sanad Fund for MSME Raises $26m from ASN Bank, Calvert Impact to Boost Financial Inclusion, Resilience in MENA
The Luxembourg-domiciled Sanad Fund for MSME recently agreed to borrow EUR 15 million (USD 16.5 million) from Algemene Spaarbank voor Nederland (ASN) Bank, a retail banking member of the Netherlands’ de Volksbank, and USD 10 million from the US-based NGO Calvert Impact Capital. Sanad intends to use the fresh funds to facilitate
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Al-Qutaibi Funding Renewable Energy Products, Climate Adaptation Strategies for SMEs, Farmers in Yemen in Collaboration with USAID
Yemen’s Al-Qutaibi Islamic Bank for Microfinance recently launched its Vendor Finance Department to support farms and other small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in acquiring technology to produce renewable energy as well as “climate-smart” farming tools such as “solar-fed irrigation systems, greenhouses, and tunnel farming tools.” The bank did this with support from the
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Arab Women Authority, National Bonds Partner on Financial Inclusion for Women in MENA
The Arab Women Authority, an NGO aimed at empowering Arab women in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), recently entered into a strategic partnership with National Bonds, a UAE-based investment company owned by the government of Dubai, with the goal of enhancing women’s economic power. In particular, the entities plan
MICROFINANCE EVENT: 3rd CIS Islamic Banking and Finance Forum; March 14-16, 2023; Tashkent, Uzbekistan
This event offers a one-day summit on March 14 and a two-day workshop on March 15 and 16, all with the aim of promoting Islamic finance in the 10 member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The summit offers sessions titled Islamic Finance and Financial Inclusion; Investment
MICROFINANCE EVENT: 10th African Islamic Finance Summit; May 3, 2023; Serrekunda, The Gambia – NEW DATE
Originally scheduled to take place during February, this event is structured as a one-day summit followed by a two-day workshop, all focusing on Islamic finance, which refers to financial services that comply with Shariah principles, such as the use of profit sharing in lieu of charging interest. The event is themed “Evidence of Impact – Financial Inclusion,” with the first day’s session titles include Islamic Banking, Finance, FinTech [Financial Technology]
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Fintech Robos, General Arab Insurance Federation (GAIF) Partner on Events Promoting Financial Literacy, Savings, Social Insurance, Pensions
The Egypt-based General Arab Insurance Federation (GAIF) recently agreed to support Bahrain-based Fintech Robos in its production of the following annual events: (1) Arab Savings & Financial Literacy Conference; (2) the Arab Pension & Social Insurance Conference; and (3) the Arab Actuarial Conference. Fintech Robos CEO Ebrahim K Ebrahim noted that one of the goals of the partnership is
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Islamic Finance & Banking Summit; September 27-28, 2023; Dubai, UAE – NEW DATES
Originally scheduled to take place beginning February 27 in Saudi Arabia (and then May 31 in UAE), this two-day event is organized with the goal of developing strategies for elevating the Islamic finance industry. The agenda offers sessions – in-person and on-line – such as: (1) Economic Growth, FDI [Foreign Direct Investment] & Islamic Banking Developments; (2) Leveraging
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Sanabel Conference; November 22-23, 2022; Cairo, Egypt
Themed “Reality and the Future of Financial Inclusion in the Arab World,” this event will include sessions such as: (1) Green Microfinance in
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Global Islamic Microfinance Forum; November 21-24, 2022; Dubai, UAE
Now in its 11th edition, this event is meant to increase the recognition of Islamic finance as a tool for micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Islamic finance makes use of mechanisms such as
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation Lends $860k to Salym for Microfinance in Kyrgyzstan
The Luxembourg-based Grameen Crédit Agricole (GCA) Foundation has reported providing a loan in local currency approximately equivalent to USD 860,000 to Salym Finance, a microfinance institution (MFI) in Kyrgyzstan, with the aim
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) Investor Forum; October 12-13, 2022; the Hague, the Netherlands
The goal of this event is to connect the various elements of “the impact ecosystem” to expand the impact investing market, thus boosting efforts to create “positive, measurable social and environmental impact” alongside financial returns. The agenda includes sessions
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: As Lenders Meet Central Bank of Sudan Requirement to Allocate 12% of Portfolios to Microfinance, Agriculture Leads Market
Since 2007, the Central Bank of Sudan, microfinance institutions and other stakeholders have worked to institutionalize microfinance practices that comply with Islamic law and are resilient to challenges such as changing political situations, regional stagflation and COVID-19. 
The regulator required in 2010 that commercial banks allocate at least 12 percent of their lending to microcredit, which is defined as loans of up to USD 2,600, but they only recently met the requirement.
From the end of 2020 to the end of 2021, the number of microfinance clients in the country grew by 100,000 to
MICROFINANCE EVENT: 4th Global Takaful & Re-takaful Forum; August 24-26, 2022; Dubai, UAE
The purpose of this event is to share information about takaful – insurance that complies with Islamic law. The event combines a forum on the first day with workshops during the two following days. The forum will include sessions such as: (1) Foundations and Current Practices of the Takaful Industry; (2) Takaful Portfolios and Innovative Products; (3) Best Marketing Strategies; (4) Risk Management & Actuarial Services; and (5) Future Perspectives of Takaful.
MICROFINANCE EVENT: 3rd CIS Islamic Banking and Finance Forum; May 25-27, 2022; Baku, Azerbaijan
The organizers of this forum aim to promote Islamic finance in the nine-member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Islamic finance is that which is compliant with Shariah law, such as by an investor sharing profit and loss rather than charging interest for a loan. The main event is on May 25, followed by a post-event workshop on May 26 and May 27. The topics on the agenda for the first day of the forum include takaful – Islamic insurance – as well as how Islamic
MICROFINANCE EVENT: 8th African Islamic Finance Summit; March 23-25, 2022; Brikama, The Gambia
This event is structured as a one-day summit followed by a two-day workshop. Topics include Islamic Banking, Finance, Fintech (Financial Technology) and Financial Inclusion; Development of Islamic Microfinance in West Africa; Takaful (Islamic Insurance), Sukuk and Islamic Capital Markets; and Investment Opportunities in Africa. The summit includes an award ceremony to