#210 - September 2018

SEPTEMBER 2018 | ISSUE 210 MIDDLE EAST

SEPTEMBER 2018 | ISSUE 210

A MAN WITH A VISION SALIM SFEIR, Chairman and CEO of Bank of Beirut

A MAN WITH A VISION A CPI Financial Publication

three-way bank merger: a positive for the industry 08 UAE’s

the value for infrastructure 42 Unlocking

and integrity in the Middle East 54 Professionalism

and their revolutionary architecture 64 Cryptocurrencies

Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority

SALIM SFEIR, Chairman and CEO of Bank of Beirut

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EDITOR’S NOTE

W

elcome back from the summer holidays! Helping you dive back into the rhythm of things, this month’s edition catches you up on issues that are currently hot on the lips of financial service professionals.

Our News Highlights section (page 12) points out key industry developments in the market—we have quite a number of bond issues coming up, fund and index-related developments, as well as central bank initiatives that intend to bring home markets at par with international standards.

Talking about international standards, a topic that cannot be ignored is mergers and acquisitions. In a bid to gain market share and position themselves globally, we have seen joint announcements from relevant financial institutions providing updates on their amalgamation processes over the last few weeks. This wave of an industry and region-wide trend was most likely encouraged by the formation of First Abu Dhabi Bank last year. Following suit, all GCC countries now have a potential merger within their respective banking sectors, as these markets explore the potentiality of consolidation.

In the UAE we have three Abu Dhabibased banks—Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Union National Bank and Al Hilal Bank—exploring a tie-up, in Saudi Arabia we have two—Saudi British Bank and Alawwal Bank, in Oman we have Bank Dhofar and National Bank of Oman, and from Bahrain and Kuwait, a union of a bank from each market—Ahli United Bank and Kuwait Finance House.

The industry is evidently beginning to see the necessity and value of consolidation.

In spite of it being something that is long overdue and perhaps prompted by challenging operating conditions, this is certainly a sign of a maturing market and a positive indication for investors.

Reflecting these sentiments, similar developments can be seen within these pages—Egypt’s reforms are boding well for the nation; although Palestine suffers from a bit of an economic struggle its banking sector continues to record progress; on the Islamic finance side, issuers are starting to get more comfortable with Sukuk issuances as more have been announced; and in terms of technology, the region’s financial institutions are actively exploring data analytics and AI in their processes and acknowledging the importance of an optimal customer experience.

Although things have been a bit slow to take off this year following the recovery from low oil prices, it feels like the industry is on a more positive note in closing the year. Cautious optimism still is the name of the game, with expectations of oil prices hitting the $100 mark—a first since 2014, it is hoped that governments remain on course with their respective reform agendas to ensure a sustainable economic system for the future.

Till the next issue, as usual I wish you a productive read.

Nabilah Annuar EDITOR, BANKER MIDDLE EAST

bankerme.net

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CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER 2018 | ISSUE 210

NEWS

20

8 UAE’s three-way bank merger: a positive for the industry 12 News highlights

THE MARKETS 16 Egypt’s road to recovery

COVER INTERVIEW 20 A man with a vision

COUNTRY FOCUS 28 Palestine: one but not the same

28

38 ISLAMIC FINANCE 38 A market outlook 42 Unlocking the value for infrastructure

LIQUIDITY MANAGEMENT 46 Liquidity providing

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT 48 The business of values 50 How to invest meaningfully into Africa

4

42

46

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CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER 2018 | ISSUE 210

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bankerme.com CHAIRMAN Saleh Al Akrabi CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER TONY LONG tony.long@cpifinancial.net Tel: +971 4 391 4681

HUMAN CAPITAL

54 Professionalism and integrity in the Middle East

IN DEPTH

56 Citizenship by investment: a boost for the non-oil economy

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64 Cryptocurrencies and their revolutionary architecture

the value for infrastructure 42 Unlocking

and integrity in the Middle East 54 Professionalism

and their revolutionary architecture 64 Cryptocurrencies

MIDDLE EAST

AUGUST 2018 | ISSUE 209

A BANK FOR BANKS KORHAN ALEV, CEO, Bahrain Middle East Bank

A BANK FOR BANKS KORHAN ALEV, CEO, Bahrain Middle East Bank

Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority

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MIDDLE EAST DIGITISATION Ahmed Al-Faifi, Senior Vice President and Managing Director at SAP Middle East North A CPI Financial Publication

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A MAN WITH A VISION

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A MAN WITH A VISION SALIM SFEIR, Chairman and CEO of Bank of Beirut

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ANALYSIS

UAE’S THREE-WAY BANK MERGER: A POSITIVE FOR THE INDUSTRY Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) and Union National Bank (UNB) and Al Hilal Bank are in the preliminary stages of exploring a potential merger

A

wave of consolidation among banks in the Gulf is returning to Abu Dhabi. Three UAE banks, state-owned Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) and Union National Bank (UNB) as well as Shari’ah-compliant Al Hilal Bank, confirmed the possibility of the creation of what is going to be the fifth largest bank in the Middle East. The three banks announced in early September that talks are underway to combine into one entity with $110 billion of assets, according to a bourse filing by Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB).

PHOTO CREDIT: Shutterstock/Tatyana Vyc

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The negotiations follow a trend that began with a tie-up between Abu Dhabi’s two biggest banks resulting in the creation of First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) in 2016, and the merger of sovereign wealth funds, Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC) and Mubadala Investment Company earlier in March this year.

The merger which was confirmed by all the involved lenders has been welcomed as a positive development in the industry. Bank mergers is believed to be are part of a broader strategic shift on the part of Abu Dhabi’s authorities

to prepare for a future where oil’s global dominance is set to die down, especially as electric cars become the norm over the next two decades. The UAE, home to six per cent of global crude reserves has stepped up efforts to create leaner and more competitive financial institutions.

A tie-up between the three lenders is subject to approvals from the banks’ boards of directors, shareholders and regulators. Compared to Saudi Arabia which has 28 lenders catering for 33 million people, the UAE has around 60 banks serving a population

of about nine million and competition has intensified in recent years between banks—as lending opportunities have dropped due to a slowing economy and credit growth owing to lower oil prices.

VALUE In a report by Moody’s, the merger of ADCB, UNB and AHB would contribute to the consolidation of the over-banked UAE banking sector, which will increase banks’ pricing power, reduce pressure on their funding cost and increase their ability to meet sizeable investments.

The stronger competition between lenders in the UAE reflects the industry’s focus on high-quality borrowers given elevated delinquencies among small and medium companies and mid-sized corporates amid a soft environment, along with the introduction of a credit bureau.

According to Moody’s, the competition for concentrated deposit sources and the increase in US dollar interest rates are contributing to an increase in UAE banks’ funding costs. Rising US interest rates have historically translated into higher

dirham rates in the UAE when pegged to the US dollar. Therefore, consolidation of the banking system will also ease the competitive pressure for funding.

UAE banks’ increasing competitive pressures and funding costs have both contributed to lenders’ contracting net interest margins.

Additionally, system consolidation will also increase banks’ scale and revenue base, improving their ability to meet sizeable investments related to compliance, digitalisation and new accounting standards such as IFRS 9, Moody’s said.

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ANALYSIS

Emilio Pera, Partner and Head of Audit, KPMG Lower Gulf, said that there has also been discussion on a potential merger between InvestBank and Bank of Sharjah, a transaction that will also provide more critical mass to two key banks in this Emirate. Pera added that the benefit to facilitate this transaction is also the fact that all three entities are owned by a common majority shareholder ADIC. “The notice of the potential merger of the three Abu Dhabi headquartered banks (ADCB, UNB and Al Hilal) drives further consolidation in the capital. Abu Dhabi is a market where top-line growth is pressured and there are more challenging regulatory (prudential and conduct) and capital demands. This together with increased competition from other banks who are introducing more innovative and technology-enabled solutions to the market make consolidation inevitable, and therefore not surprising,” explained Pera.

Given that synergies can be drawn from the combined entity, whilst providing a stronger asset base to more effectively compete in the market, it will extract shareholder value. “ADIC currently owns 62.5 per cent of ADCB, 50 per cent of UNB and 100 per cent of Al Hilal Bank. We view that a three-way merger could release long-term value through economies of scale, synergies and overall restructuring for ADIC,” said Ehsan Khoman, MUFG’s Head of MENA Research and Strategy, in a recent market commentary.

A tie-up will make sound business rationale for ADIC as it would merely own a more profitable combined banking group after cost restructuring has been implemented, which will in turn lead to surplus capital release, reduce the cost of funding and enhance asset quality.

Analysts see this three-way merger scenario as multi-faceted, but a share swap will be the most probable mechanism to

UAE BANK'S NET INTEREST MARGINS (2012-2017) Gross yield

4.5% 4.0% 4.0% 3.5% 3.0%

2.8%

Cost of funds

Net interest margin

3.7%

3.6%

3.5%

2.8%

2.8%

2.7%

3.6% 2.5%

2.5% 2.0% 1.5%

1.4%

1.1%

1.0%

0.9%

0.9%

2014

2015

3.4% 2.3%

1.2%

1.3%

2016

2017

0.5% 0.0% 2012

2013

Source: Moody's

Announcement

Banks involved

Country

Comments

July 2016

National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) and First Gulf Bank (FGB)

UAE

Completed

April 2017

Saudi British Bank and Alawwal Bank

Saudi Arabia

In progress

May 2017

Kuwait Finance House and Ahli United Bank

Kuwait and Bahrain

In progress

July 2018

Bank Dhofar and National Bank of Oman (NBO)

Oman

Preliminary

Source: MUFG MENA Research

10

fund a potential transaction against a pure cash acquisition, as the presence of ADIC would likely support a share swap as it will preserve the shareholder’s ownership in the new entity created.

ACROSS THE GULF The merger of National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) and First Gulf Bank (FGB) to create FAB in July 2016 created a wave of consolidation in the banking sector across the Gulf region.

The structural characteristics of UAE banks and financial institutions in the region as a whole, are a diverse mix of conventional and Islamic entities, as well as being both retail-focused and corporate-aligned in their stance which from a potential future merger perspective will offer value-added consolidations. MUFG MENA Research forecasts better asset pricing discipline as banks merge with lower concentration risks in loan portfolios.

The second quarter of 2018 has also seen several potential bank synergies in the region. In July Kuwait Finance House (KFH) invited Bahrain’s Ahli United Bank to begin a due diligence process for a potential merger. In a bourse filing, KFH said that the scope of the agreement includes valuation studies and work to assess the feasibility of establishing a new banking entity and it would disclose any matters related to the possible merger in a sequential and timely manner.

Additionally, in the same month Bank Dhofar and National Bank of Oman announced plans for a potential merger and according to EFH Hermes the merged bank, with a combined asset of $20 billion (AED 74 billion) will be the second-largest financial institution in Oman after Bank Muscat. HE Abdullah bin Salim al Salmi, the President of CMA, said that Oman needs bigger and stronger institutions not only in financial sector but in all the corporate sectors, adding that that too many small players in Oman’s corporate sector will not be able to compete regionally and internationally as they will need to sustain their growth.

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NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

MSCI and Tadawul launches joint Saudi Arabia tradeable index MSCI, has signed an agreement with the Saudi Stock Exchange Co. (Tadawul), the largest stock exchange in the region in terms of market capitalisation and turnover, to create a joint tradeable index that can serve as the basis for investment instruments including derivatives and ETFs. In June 2018, MSCI announced the classification of the Saudi Arabian equity market as an Emerging Market as part of their annual global market classification review.

The Index will be based on the broader MSCI Saudi Arabia index series that will be part of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The joint tradeable index will be available in Q4 2018.

Saudi Arabia plans $2 billion Islamic bond sale Saudi Arabia started the sale of dollar-denominated Islamic bonds and is seeking to raise about $2 billion to complete the kingdom’s external funding requirements for the year. The kingdom set initial price guidance for the January 2029 notes in the area of 145 basis points over midswaps.

Saudi Arabia plans to borrow about $31 billion this year to bridge a budget deficit brought on by lower oil prices. In April, it raised $11 billion in a dollar bond sale and has raised a total of $50 billion since the end of 2016, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. In March, it increased a $10 billion syndicated loan by $6 billion.

Saudi Electricity to issue $2 billion dual-tenor Sukuk Saudi Electricity Company is set to issue $2 billion Sukuk, reported Reuters. The issue is split between $800 million due in January 2024 and $1.2 billion 10-year Sukuk.

The main electricity producer in the Kingdom with an 81.2 per cent indirect government ownership, has set at $2 billion the size of the Islamic bond transaction.

Central Bank of Kuwait to enforce ‘e-payment’ system regulation The Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) has instructed all service providers, including companies and institutions to register in its electronic payment system to regulate their e-payment transactions in line with the established regulations. In a statement, CBK said that all e-payment methods are subject to its scrutiny.

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CBUAE raises interest rates in line with US Federal Reserve The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has raised interest rates applied to the issuance of its Certificates of Deposits in line with the increase in interest rates on US Dollar, following the Federal Reserve Board’s decision to increase the Federal Funds Rate by 25 basis points at its meeting.

The repo rate applicable to borrowing short-term liquidity from CBUAE against Certificates of Deposits has also been increased by 25 basis points.

Certificates of deposit, which CBUAE issues to banks operating in the country, are the monetary policy instrument through which changes in interest rates are transmitted to the UAE banking system.

Central Bank of Oman to establish complaints handling unit The Central Bank of Oman (CBO) said that it is working towards establishing a dedicated unit to handle customer grievances against banking and financial institutions. The move is part of an array of measures and initiatives adopted by the regulator with the aim to promote ‘financial inclusion’ across the banking and financial services industry.

In the Financial Stability Report 2018, CBO stated that protecting customers of financial institutions remains at the forefront and progress is ongoing to establish a new unit that will act as a single point of contact for receipt and resolution of complaints and inquiries from the public.

The initiative is a positive development for harried banking customers, particularly those who fall victim to hacking, phishing as well as ATM and credit card fraud among other types of financial crime that occur outside of Oman’s geographical boundaries.

Additionally, as an advocate of financial inclusion, the CBO said that it is part of a global effort to ensure that individuals, households as well as businesses have access to, and can effectively leverage the financial system to improve the quality of their lives.

The CBO has made its mandatory for all licenced banks to be part of the Deposit Insurance Scheme to ensure customer confidence in the banking system, depositors are eligible for compensation of up to OMR 20,000 per customer per institution.

SOVEREIGN RATINGS AS OF 5 SEPTEMBER 2018 Issuer

Foreign Currency Rating

Last CreditWatch/Outlook Update

1 Bahrain

B+/Stable/B

1-Dec-2017

2 Central Bank of Bahrain

B+/Stable/B

2-Dec-2017

3 Egypt

B/Stable/B

12-May-2018

4 Iraq

B-/Stable/B

03-Sep-2015

5 Jordan

B+/Stable/B

20-Oct-17

6 Kuwait

AA/Stable/A-1+

20-Jul-2011

7 Lebanon

B-/Stable/B

2-Sep-16

8 Morocco

BBB-/Stable/A-3

16-May-2014

9 Oman

BB/Stable/B

11-Oct-2017

10 Qatar

AA-/Negative/A-1+

25-Aug-2017

11 Saudi Arabia

A-/Stable/A-2

17-Feb-2016

12 Abu Dhabi

AA/Stable/A-1+

02-Jul-2007

13 Ras Al Khaimah

A/Negative/A-1

21-Jul-2018

14 Sharjah

BBB+/Stable/A-2

27-Jan-2017

Copyright © 2018 S&P Global Ratings. All rights reserved.

bankerme.net

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NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Turkey cuts citizenship investment criteria Turkey has slashed the financial and investment criteria for foreigners to become Turkish citizens, in a move expected to double annual property investment by foreigners to around $10 billion, reported Reuters. The new regulations require foreigners to own property worth $250,000 for three years, down from a previous value set at $1 million or to hold $500,000 of Turkish debt for three years, down from a previous $3 million.

Turkish officials expect the reduction of the minimum limit to invest for citizenship to double property sales and bring in cash. The reduction in the required foreign currency value applies to fixed capital investments and bank deposits, as well as for properties and bond holdings.

The UAE and four other Gulf states to enter key JP Morgan bond indexes The UAE and four other Gulf states will enter JP Morgan’s emerging market government bond indexes next year, a development likely to attract billions of dollars of new foreign investment into their debt. The indexes are key performance benchmarks for international investors in emerging market debt.

Membership in the indexes will help a country sell bonds and reduce its borrowing costs. Sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt issuers from the UAE, Saudi Arabia as well as Bahrain and Kuwait will become eligible for the EMBI Global Diversified (EMBIGD), EMBI Global (EMBIG) and EURO-EMBIG indexes.

Both conventional bonds and Sukuk will be eligible for inclusion in indexes, but Sukuk will need to have a credit rating from at least one of the three major rating agencies to be included. The inclusion of the GCC countries in the indexes will leave them representing around 11.2 per cent of JP Morgan’s EMBI Global Diversified and EMBI Global series.

The minimum size for inclusion in the indexes is $500 million, and during the inclusion process, instruments will need to have a maturity date beyond March 2022, reported Reuters.

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SABIC meets investors to offer bond Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) is preparing to offer its dollar-denominated unsecured bond to the global market with investor meetings due to start this week.

The Kingdom’s petrochemicals producer met investors in London, New York, Los Angeles and Boston from 25 September 2018.

The firm is keen to tap into the heightened international interest in Saudi’s financial markets following the lifting of some restrictions on foreign investors’ activities at the start of the year.

The bond is anticipated to be used in part to refinance an existing SAR 11.3 billion ($3 billion) one-year bridge loan raised in January this year to fund the company’s 25 per cent stake in Switzerland’s Clariant. It will be listed on the Irish Stock Exchange (Euronext Dublin).

Boursa Kuwait lists on FTSE Russel Index for emerging markets Boursa Kuwait has completed the first phase of its listing on FTSE Russell Index for emerging markets. Khaled Al-Khaled, CEO of Boursa Kuwait, said that the first step was the inclusion of national stock exchange in FTSE Russell index and the upcoming inclusion into MSCI index in 2019. The bourse’s accession into FTSE Russell index signifies the growing investor confidence in the Kuwait market as well as successful implementation of reforms and wide-ranging developments that have enhanced international investors access to the stock market. The development is expected to drive foreign direct investment, which will boost liquidity support in the domestic capital market and contribute to a more balanced market condition and stability.

GCC evaluates a $10 billion five-year aid package for Bahrain Bahrain’s Gulf Arab allies are weighing plans for a fiveyear aid package to steady its finances and protect a currency peg seen as vital to regional economic stability, reported Bloomberg.

The assistance would help Bahrain meet its financing needs over the period while it carries out fiscal reforms.

The amount under negotiation is $10 billion and may may include deposits as well as low-interest loans. The funds would also help avert a devaluation that investors fear could force other countries in the region to follow suit.

This will also enable Bahrain to borrow from international debt markets at cheaper interest rates.

With a final agreement yet to be reached, the deal is taking shape after months of negotiations over the measures Bahrain would take to receive support from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

APICORP issues $750 million five-year bond Saudi-based Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP) has announced the pricing of its $750 million five-year bond issued under the multilateral development bank’s newly established $3 billion Global Medium Term Note (GMTN) programme. The US dollar transaction was issued to provide the company with maximum flexibility in accessing capital markets and further strengthen its financial position.

The oversubscribed orderbook, which exceeded $3.5 billion marked a significant step for APICORP in

Islamic banks face outdated property rules, says CIBAFI Bahrain-based CIBAFI has called on regulators overseeing Islamic banking to revise guidance on real estate exposures to align with the post-financial crisis capital rules of Basel III, reported Reuters. The amended version of Basel III, finalised in December 2017, introduced additional requirements including concentration limits and independent asset valuations.

In a statement, CIBAFI stated that the new requirements are important for Islamic banks as many have high exposures to real estate in both their investment and financing activities, coupled with the illiquid as well as cyclical nature of the asset class.

Islamic commercial banks are estimated to hold more than $1.3 trillion in assets globally. CIBAFI said national regulators must incorporate the Basel III revisions, while the Malaysia-based Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) should also revise its own capital adequacy standard for Islamic banks.

implementing a diversified funding strategy that will enable the firm to fulfil its developmental mandate in support of the growth and transformation of the energy sector in the Arab world.

The deal is the third benchmark issue for APICORP following a highly successful Sukuk in October 2017, with over 80 per cent of the deal placed with international accounts and 36 per cent of the bonds allocated to firsttime US investors, the deal went a long way towards achieving the company’s diversification objectives.

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THE MARKETS

EGYPT’S ROAD TO RECOVERY

The Arab Republic of Egypt has implemented tough reforms under a $12 billion loan IMF programme agreed in late 2016—this is an initiative that seems to have boded well for the country

E

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT gypt’s economic situation has continued to improve in 2018 as a result of its ambitious and politically difficult economic reform programme. While the process required sacrifices in the short-term, the reforms were critical to stabilise the economy and lay the foundation for a strong and sustainable growth that will improve living standards for all Egyptians.

The nation’s growth has continued to accelerate over 2017/2018, rising to 5.2 per cent in the first half of 2018 from 4.2 per cent in 2016/2017. The current account deficit has also declined sharply, reflecting the recovery in tourism and strong growth in remittances, while

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improved investor confidence has continued to support portfolio inflows.

In addition, gross international reserves rose to $44 billion by end-April, equal to seven months of imports.

The annual headline inflation declined from 33 per cent in mid-2017 to around 13 per cent in April 2018, anchored by the well-calibrated monetary policy of the Central Bank Egypt (CBE).

Christine Lagarde, the International Monetary (IMF)’s Managing Director, praised Egypt’s economy under a three-year reform plan and stressed the importance of structural reforms to achieve more sustainable development.

In a statement, Lagarde said that Egypt’s economic reforms will help achieve more sustainable, inclusive and

private-sector led growth which will help create jobs for youths while ensuring adequate resources are available for social protection.

Egypt has implemented tough reforms under a $12 billion loan IMF programme agreed in late 2016 that involved deep cuts to energy subsidies, new taxes, and a floated currency in a bid to draw back investors. Fuel prices were hiked with as much as 50 per cent and electricity rates increased by about 25 per cent, measures that made it harder for ordinary Egyptians to make ends meet, with another fuel price rise scheduled for next year.

Additionally, consumer prices soared as the authorities floated Egypt’s currency and adopted a value-added tax (VAT).

EGYPT’S ECONOMIC REFORMS WILL HELP ACHIEVE MORE SUSTAINABLE, INCLUSIVE AND PRIVATE-SECTOR LED GROWTH WHICH WILL HELP CREATE JOBS FOR YOUTHS WHILE ENSURING ADEQUATE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SOCIAL PROTECTION. Christine Lagarde, the International Monetary (IMF)’s Managing Director

In June 2018, the Executive Board of the IMF completed the third review of the economic reform programme supported by an arrangement under the extended facility (EFF). The completion of the review allowed the authorities to draw $ 2.02 billion, bringing the total to $8.06 billion of the $12 billion loan.

The IMF urged Egypt to maintain a tight monetary policy as a new round of subsidy cuts rekindled inflation worries, saying Egypt was beginning to reap the benefits of the reforms and estimates the economy will grow 5.2 per cent this year.

The Egyptian government is moving forward with structural reforms to modernise the economy and tap the potential of the country’s growing population. This includes steps to support exports and reduce non-

tariff barriers, streamline as well as enhance industrial land allocation process and support SMEs, and strengthen public procurement.

Moreover, the Government is improving the transparency and accountability of parastatals as well as eradicating corruption, reforms which are vital to lure private investment which is essential to raise growth and make it more inclusive.

The authorities’ reform programme has helped accelerate growth, reduce inflation and unemployment as well as narrow external and fiscal deficits.

Egypt’s commitment to economic reforms has also charmed lenders, among them African Development Bank (AFDB) and China Development Bank. AFDB is currently taking all necessary procedures to disburse the third and last tranche of its

$1.5 billion loan to Egypt. The AFDB and the Egyptian authorities are discussing prospects of cooperation in supporting the private sector and infrastructure in Sinai, a move that contributes to luring investors.

The AFDB mission voiced the bank’s readiness to offer the support needed to help push forward the economic and social development in Egypt.

SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND As part of structural reforms, the Egyptian Government plans to launch its first sovereign wealth fund by the end of the year and will begin a roadshow in the first quarter of 2019 to support private investment. Modelled after sovereign wealth funds in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and the UAE, Egypt’s new investment arm

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17

THE MARKETS

will seek to generate additional wealth from under-utilised state assets. Partnering with the private sector, the Egyptian will seek to attract domestic and foreign investment as well as build on economic reforms started in 2016 with the flotation of the currency.

The EGP 200 billion Egyptian sovereign wealth fund, is the latest government measure aimed at reviving growth and investment that faltered in the wake of the 2011 uprising. The sovereign wealth fund will start with paid-in capital of EGP 5 billion, 20 per cent of which will be injected by the Government when it is set up.

The economic revival vehicle will partner with the private sector to invest in a wide range of assets, including land and buildings, as well as stakes in stateowned companies at market value. While the Government will wholly own the Egypt , the private sector will be allowed to buy stakes of over 50 per cent in sub-s and affiliated companies. Also, the will be able to invest in various financial instruments, stocks, bonds as well as other securities inside and outside Egypt.

MAJORITY STAKE OFFERINGS IN PARASTATALS Egypt also plans to raise up to EGP 100 billion ($5.7 billion) by selling minority stakes in at least 20 state-owned enterprises on the stock market. The country’s public sector has long been criticised as bloated and inefficient, officials have struggled to push the firms toward profitability. The current programme marks a first step toward attempting to strike a balance between efficiency, profitability and raising revenue for the Government.

This year, the Government will offer minority stakes in Alexandria Mineral Oils Company, Eastern Tobacco, Alexandria Container as well as Cargo Handling, Abu Qir Fertilisers and Heliopolis Housing. The Egyptian Ministry of Finance said that the initial public offering (IPO) is focused in areas such as petroleum services, chemicals, shipping as well as maritime and real estate to help boost state finances. The second

18

The annual headline inflation declined from

33% 13%

in mid-2017 to around

in April 2018.

Source: Central Bank of Egypt

portion of the 23 companies is expected to go on offer in the first half of 2019, although officials have yet to decide on which firms or the sizes of stakes to be sold.

In July, Egypt offered investors the chance to take a majority stake in stateheld Heliopolis Housing. Additional stakes in five other companies will be sold by the end of the year. But investors will only be able to take a majority holding in the firm and the Government will retain a roughly 40 per cent share in the property developer.

There has been a lot of activity on the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) in the last three months. Cairo for Investment and Real Estate Development (CIRA) announced its intention to offer up 37.8 per cent of the company’s outstanding share capital, representing 207 million ordinary shares currently owned by Social Impact Capital.

Additionally, Sarwa Capital announced that it was offering 40 per cent of its capital in October, to collect about $120 million through increasing capital and partial exit of the main shareholder.

CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT The Egyptian government is leaving no stone unturned boosting its finances and draw back foreign. The lawmakers recently passed the Citizenship by Investment law allowing the offering of citizenship to foreigners who deposit at least EGP 7 million ($392,000) in foreign currency, then hand it over to the treasury after five years.

It is not immediately clear what economic benefits a foreigner would obtain by acquiring citizenship as Egypt places few restrictions on foreign investment projects, although it does forbid foreign ownership of agricultural land and property in the Sinai Peninsula.

However, the parliament’s defence and national security committee stated foreigners who acquire citizenship would enjoy no political rights until after five years of citizenship and would need 10 years to be eligible for election or appointment to a representative body.

COVER INTERVIEW

THERE ARE THREE INTERWOVEN COMPONENTS; THOSE COMBINE THE RIGHT VISION, EMBEDDED WITH THE RIGHT VALUES, SUPPORTED BY TRANSPARENT PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS. THIS IS MY VISION. Salim Sfeir

20

A MAN WITH A VISION Salim Sfeir, Chairman and CEO of Bank of Beirut, shares how the bank has grown from strength to strength and where he sees the bank in a digitally enhanced future

H

ow would you describe Bank of Beirut’s performance over the course of the year?

Real-time client, market and shareholder feedback has been consistently positive. Day-to-day validation is only one measure of our real-time economy. In banking, the long-term settles all debates.

Key performance indicators were strong, producing increases in equity, deposits and dividends. One performance highlight in financial year 2017 was a 6.73 per cent year-on-year increase in assets. Even with this asset growth, we delivered a 1.15 per cent return on average assets (ROAA).

When asked to consider our performance, we are our own harshest critics. As you would expect, we establish clear goals and examine performance, and this is implemented across the

entire stakeholder spectrum to include customers, employees, communities, partners and shareholders. It’s the combination that shapes my vision for Bank of Beirut Group.

How has the bank helped in shaping the country’s financial landscape?

Twenty-five years ago, our intention was not to shape the country’s financial landscape. We acquired a five-branch Bank with a handful of employees.

Our ambitions were enormous which entailed years of toil and no bank in Lebanon or the region has recorded the Bank of Beirut growth.

Over the years, as we developed, we stayed true to classic, established values of trust and sound risk management.

Consequently, by continuously strengthening our balance sheet, we contributed to Lebanon’s financial solidity.

bankerme.net

21

Through establishing a leadership position in trade finance, we supported Lebanon’s economy. Foreign remittances through Bank of Beirut have always been a valuable economic contributor. Through purposeful talent development, we remain committed to building a stronger financial community.

Lebanon’s financial landscape is, of course, connected to the Central Bank of Lebanon, the local banking community and to macro-economic drivers. Lebanon’s Central Bank leadership and controls guide all member banks, including Bank of Beirut, to be accretive to the national economy. We are fortunate to be part of an excellent peer group, with all banks contributing positive value.

In summary, I believe that keeping to the first principles of risk-managed banking is a cornerstone, shaping our local financial landscape.

WHEN ASKED TO CONSIDER OUR PERFORMANCE, WE ARE OUR OWN HARSHEST CRITICS. AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, WE ESTABLISH CLEAR GOALS AND EXAMINE PERFORMANCE, AND THIS IS IMPLEMENTED ACROSS THE ENTIRE STAKEHOLDER SPECTRUM TO INCLUDE CUSTOMERS, EMPLOYEES, COMMUNITIES, PARTNERS AND SHAREHOLDERS.

The past 18 months have been an interesting period not only for Lebanon, but also the Middle East.

What is your greatest worry about current market conditions?

Sluggishness is Lebanon’s major challenge.

Our resilience has been examined and verified. Bank of Beirut’s resolve will continue through current obstacles and new tests are yet to be encountered.

Apart from the above, what are your concerns when navigating these conditions and do you see these challenges persist going into 2019?

Many countries are moving forward far more quickly, and are dealing more efficiently with unusual and less existential challenges.

We cannot risk being left behind.

Our technology infrastructure and our

Bank of Beirut’s new hybrid branch concept where online and offline generations can bank together, is an integrated physical and digital approach which retains the foundations of the bank’s customer-centric tradition.

bankerme.net

23

COVER INTERVIEW

No bank in Lebanon or the region has recorded a growth like Bank of Beirut's.

foundations in general are striving to cope. Our government needs to break free of the status quo. Most importantly is that as and when our infrastructure is reconstructed, we should be in a position to get ahead into the latest technologies more rapidly, at a much lower cost.

All banks in the region have embarked on a transformative digital journey.

Can you tell us your vision for Bank of Beirut on the digital front? What is the

24

most important aspect for you when it comes to digitalisation?

The most important aspect of our digital journey is equilibrium and steadiness.

All initiatives offset best outcomes, risk management and cost effectiveness.

The best outcomes, in turn, focus on three areas: channels to customer engagement; products and services; and operating efficiencies.

Bank of Beirut’s omni-channel approach builds on decades of deep comprehension

of our customers’ needs and how digital transformation could better serve them.

This is an evolutionary process, rather than revolutionary.

In products and services, we are committed to creating and delivering easyto-use financially effective options. Our new hybrid branch concept where online and offline generations can bank together, is an integrated physical and digital approach which retains the foundations of Bank of Beirut’s customer-centric tradition.

In addition to our smart and hybrid branches, we have introduced satellites in remote areas, providing digital self-service account opening and loan applications through 24x7 videoconferencing.

In our internal economic model, including back office processes, we have a continuous improvement cycle.

As technology advances, some individual operating processes can be more radically transformative than others. But since we started from a sound base and

With only a

6.73%

year-on-year increase in assets for 2017, Bank of Beirut managed to deliver a

1.15%

return on average assets

have maintained pace with the markets, Bank of Beirut’s progress can be best described as “adaptable evolution”.

It’s fair to say that the digital future has since arrived at Bank of Beirut.

How do you seek to grow the bank moving forward?

Strategically, we have been executing well on an ambitious, and until today, successful plan. Of course, we regularly assess new opportunities. Some years ago, we adopted

bankerme.net

25

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the slogan ‘Banking Beyond Borders.’ Our intention to decorrelate and diversify in growing markets has already paid dividends, with approximately 50 per cent of our assets and income generated outside Lebanon.

Much of our future growth will result from initiatives we have already approved and are starting to expand. Our international balance sheet can also grow. We are open to risk-mitigated opportunities in new markets. Time and due diligence will tell.

What is your outlook on the Lebanese banking sector? Where do you see opportunities?

The Association of Banks in Lebanon is entering a period of transformation, which I hope will substantially enhance the banking community’s contribution to the country’s financial well-being. Important

MUCH OF OUR FUTURE GROWTH WILL RESULT FROM INITIATIVES WE HAVE ALREADY APPROVED AND ARE STARTING TO EXPAND.

conversations are taking place at this very moment. I am excited about the opportunity for the Association of Banks in Lebanon to better amplify, reflect and support the potential of our banking community. But if I were to add a note of caution, it will require an unyielding commitment to collectively transform the ABL. To all the questions you have raised there are three interwoven components; those combine the right vision, embedded with the right values, supported by transparent performance measurements.

This is my vision.

The best visions are realised when shared with good people. In this regard, I am reminded every day of how lucky I am to be surrounded by such a remarkable and skillful group of collaborators at Bank of Beirut.

bankerme.net

27

COUNTRY FOCUS

PALESTINE: ONE BUT NOT THE SAME Palestine’s economy has two halves and one hope

T

he Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA) describes its economy as “unusual”. That seems a polite way to sum up what the territories are facing. Dwindling donor support, a precarious political environment, stifling security situation and a burgeoning humanitarian crisis are just a few of the beasts it must tame.

In its economic outlook for 2018, the PMA explained that while economic activity in conventional economies is governed by internal policies, Palestine’s economy is ruled by external forces beyond its control.

The first and most obvious is the Israeli occupation and all the constraints

28

that go with it. The Government must also contend with a fluctuating amount of foreign grants, which are the life source of its economy.

From the inside, the Government must grapple with formulating a monetary policy in the absence of a local currency; in the meantime, its multi-currency system leaves it at the mercy of monetary policies adopted by the issuing countries. The private sector is weak, offering little support to the state’s fragile finances.

Palestine is also an economy of two halves, where any financial gains in the West Bank are erased by its troubled twin in the Gaza Strip.

While the West Bank has seen promising economic growth, sharp declines in Gaza have weighed heavily on both sides. “In the first quarter of 2018 real growth in the West Bank was close to five per cent,” said Karen Ongley, the IMF’s Mission Chief for the West Bank and Gaza. “However, the six per cent decline in Gaza brought the overall growth rate down to two per cent.

“With economic and financial buffers having been steadily eroded in Gaza, its economy was more vulnerable to the increasingly tense political and security situation, and cuts in donor support and transfers from the Palestinian Authority budget,” added Ongley.

PHOTO CREDIT: Shutterstock/Val_Yankin

WHILE THE WEST BANK HAS SEEN PROMISING ECONOMIC GROWTH, SHARP DECLINES IN GAZA HAVE WEIGHED HEAVILY ON BOTH SIDES.

HUMAN STORY A recent UNCTAD report paints an even bleaker picture. It warns that evaporating donor support, a freeze in the reconstruction of Gaza and unsustainable, credit-financed public and private consumption will have dire consequences. In the meantime, its people live with skyhigh unemployment, declining per capita income, contracting agricultural productivity and worsening socioeconomic conditions.

With the blockade now in its eleventh year, the productive capacity of Gaza has been obliterated by three major military operations and a crippling

air, sea and land blockade. More than 60 per cent of Gaza’s total stock of productive capital was erased between 2008-2009, according to the UNCTAD, and the 2014 strike destroyed 85 per cent of what was left.

In 2012, the United Nations warned that unless ongoing trends were reversed, Gaza would become uninhabitable by 2020. Since then, the report says, all socio-economic indicators have deteriorated.

The IMF admits that geopolitical turbulence and concerns for the peace process are worse now than in recent memory. Despite renewed calls to revive the peace process, so far there is no

agreed path forward. In the meantime, rigid border constraints, spending cuts, and threats of further donor funding declines have compounded the already perilous humanitarian conditions in Gaza and increased the potential for unrest.

Reunification may not be a silver bullet, but it would soothe many of the territories’ challenges if the process was handled with the care it needs.

In Gaza, the IMF predicts that growth could rebound in the near term to the high single digits and stabilise over the medium term at more than five per cent per annum.

These improvements could gradually reduce poverty and unemployment.

bankerme.net

29

COUNTRY FOCUS

The Palestine Monetary Authority estimates that credit facilities granted to the private sector by banks will rise 18 per cent this year compared with 2017.

However, without progress toward reunification, the IMF says that the Palestinian economy would stagnate at around 2.3 per cent growth, too little to generate enough jobs or meaningfully improve living standards.

“With pressures on the economy continuing to mount, the outlook has become more fragile and uncertain,” said Ongley. “If things continue as they are, overall growth in 2018 could slow further to 1.5 per cent, weighed down by activity in Gaza declining by four per cent. More broadly, Gaza is unlikely to register positive growth over the medium term without a profound and lasting change in circumstances.”

The UNCTAD argues that too much focus has been on humanitarian relief, rather than resources for development and resuscitation of the productive economy.

The IMF says that the Palestinian territories require a transformational, rather than transactional, approach to reforms and engagement.

However, any transformation would come at a cost, and the Palestinian territories have precious few resources to draw on. Real GDP growth for the first three quarters of 2017 averaged around 2.5 per cent, down from 4.1 per cent in 2016, the IMF said. Growth was generated almost entirely in the

West Bank, led by construction, trade, and manufacturing. The PMA expects a growth of 2.2 per cent in real GDP in 2018.

BANKING ON THE BRIGHT SIDE One bright spot has been Palestine’s banks.

Credit to the private sector continued its double-digit growth in 2017, according to figures from the IMF, and remains concentrated in consumption, construction and trade finance. The PMA estimates that credit facilities granted to the private sector by banks will rise 18 per cent this year compared to 2017.

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31

COUNTRY FOCUS

However, the IMF reported that nonperforming loans edged up and the number of delinquent creditors saw a sharp increase—particularly among SMEs in Gaza.

While banks’ direct lending to the Palestine Authority (PA) remains comfortably below the regulatory limit, the IMF said that they have a similar level of additional exposures to the PA via credit to PA employees and holdings of promissory notes.

Nonetheless, Palestine’s banking industry is seeing arguably more progress than any other sector. A new, higher limit on transferring shekel cash from the West Bank to Israel, in place since late 2017, should help banks in the West Bank to better manage their liquidity, the IMF said.

Palestine’s banking sector has also made moves towards the digital age, with the PA vowing to establish a FinTech Innovation Lab curtesy of generous funding from the Government of India.

HE Azzam Shawwa, Governor of Palestine Monetary Authority, said, “Palestine has a strong and effective banking system appreciated by international organisations and Palestine Monetary Authority has exerted big efforts for the continuous development of the banking system, making it more modern and in line with international developments, including technological aspects.”

Palestine is also considered one of the first Arab countries to establish a national strategy for financial inclusion. Its National Committee for Financial Inclusion met for the first time this year.

FISCALLY FITTER Boosted by the banks’ stellar performance, fiscal performance in 2017 was also better than expected. The authorities contained the overall deficit to 7.8 per cent of GDP and the recurrent deficit to 5.3 per cent of GDP, according to IMF data.

“Maintaining a healthy financial sector will be instrumental in supporting

32

Jihad Al Wazir

Governor, Palestinian Monetary Authority

The total assets of Palestine’s 14 banks rose to

$15.5 billion 11.5% in the first 10 months of 2017, an

increase over the same period in 2016

Source: Palestine Monetary Authority

growth, particularly given strains on growth in Gaza,” said Ongley. “The PMA should continue to ensure that risks are scrutinised closely, with the full use of the macro- and micro-prudential toolkits and frequent on-site visits. Continued cooperation between the PMA and Bank of Israel will be pivotal in maintaining the smooth function of correspondent bank relations.”

However, the precarious fiscal financing situation hampered efforts to reduce arrears, the IMF warned. As donors stepped back further in 2017, external budget support declined to 3.6 per cent from 4.5 per cent of GDP in 2016. However, the PA continued repaying old arrears to the private sector and kept borrowing from banks within the regulatory limit. As a result, the IMF estimates that the PA accumulated $361 million in new arrears, mainly to the pension fund and for health care referrals.

SUCCESS ALSO RESTS ON SECURING ADDITIONAL DONOR FINANCING, WHICH THE UN REPORTS HAVE DROPPED BY A THIRD IN THE LAST DECADE.

“Continued consolidation efforts by the Ministry of Finance and Planning helped to manage rising fiscal pressures,” said Ongley. “Strong growth in domestic revenues—particularly customs, VAT and income taxes—helped to offset weak clearance revenues and the unwinding of one-off factors in 2016. Together with spending cuts, this kept the overall fiscal deficit in 2017 to around eight per cent of GDP, broadly unchanged from 2016. However, these actions did not prevent the PA from having to resort to running arrears.”

WISHFUL THINKING? The PMA estimates that with serious political progress, improved security, peace talks, reconciliation between the two major Palestinian political parties and an accelerated reconstruction of Gaza the territory could achieve economic growth of 6.3 per cent, hoisted by 20 per cent growth in Gaza.

This may seem an unlikely scenario, however it does emphasise how much of Palestine’s hopes are pinned on political progress.

Given the substantial and heavily frontloaded costs of reunification, success also rests on securing additional donor financing, which the UN reports have dropped by a third in the last decade.

Although more is needed, Palestine has secured some fresh funding this year.

In July, the UK Government announced it would double its support for economic development in Gaza and the West Bank.

Middle East Minister Alistair Burt said that the UK will provide up to $49.6 million over five years.

The aid is intended to promote IsraeliPalestinian cooperation by lowering barriers to economic growth and improving the financial sustainability of the PA. This includes delivering significant reforms to unlock $287.5 million worth of annual taxes and revenues, as well as encouraging the PA’s Ministry of Finance and Planning to take control of the collection of its own customs revenue.

It will also provide technical support to help Palestinian businesses export more by reducing logistics costs, removing barriers to exporting and helping them meet international standards.

The UK’s Minister for the Middle East, Alistair Burt, said, “A thriving Palestinian economy is crucial to achieving peace with Israel but wages in Gaza are now lower than two decades ago and Palestinians could slide even deeper into poverty without urgent action.

“Our new approach to supporting the economy in Gaza and the West Bank will help create desperately needed

jobs, boost exports and collect taxes so that the Palestinian Authority can invest properly in vital services such as education and healthcare. Our work will also help to create reliable electricity and clean water supplies.”

To reduce subsidies in the electricity sector—around five per cent of GDP in Gaza—UK aid will help Palestinian electricity authorities to be selfsufficient by increasing the number of paying customers.

THE RIGHT SUPPORT While donor support is extremely welcome, it won’t be enough on its own.

The Government must also plug fiscal leakages and pave the way for easier cross-border transactions. While economic prospects improve under reunification, the IMF warns that there are also elevated risks if reunification fails to launch or proceeds without sufficient preparation.

“Given this mix of factors, lifting the growth trajectory on a permanent basis requires a comprehensive and coordinated strategy, anchored around four key elements,” said Ongley. “One, a mediumterm plan to gradually reduce the budget deficit, mindful of the impact on growth.

Two, a mix of revenue and expenditure measures by the PA, supported by reforms to strengthen public financial management.

“Three, faster and tangible progress toward reducing revenue leakages, where transparent and clearly understood mechanisms that rely on a regular exchange of the necessary information are put in place and adhered to by the Israeli and Palestinian authorities. Four, an actively engaged donor community that helps bridge the large financing gaps and assists in building necessary institutions, and abets an ongoing dialogue between the two sides.”

Palestine may be right to pin its hopes on an accelerated peace process, a unified political party and generous donors; however, it seems that hope doesn’t come cheap.

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COUNTRY FOCUS

PALESTINE in numbers POPULATION

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

5.05

29%

million

1m

6m

Source: World Population Review (2018)

4.1% 2.9% 2.3%

REAL GDP GROWTH

(2016) (2017) (projected 2018)

Source: IMF

NOMINAL GROSS PUBLIC DEBT (AS PERCENTAGE OF GDP)

36.5 38.6 40.7

(2017)

STOCK OF BROAD MONEY

$2.901 $2.538

billion (31 December 2017 est.) billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Source: CIA World Factbook

STOCK OF DOMESTIC CREDIT:

$2.041 $1.712

(projected 2018) (projected 2019)

INFLATION (GDP DEFLATOR, IN PER CENT)

Source: IMF

Source: World Bank

billion (31 December 2017 est.) billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Source: CIA World Factbook

Source: IMF

0.9 0.7 3.2

(2017)

(2017) (projected 2018) (projected 2019)

CURRENT ACCOUNT BALANCES

-$1.444 -$1.348

billion (2017 est.) billion (2016 est.)

Source: CIA World Factbook

EXCHANGE RATES NEW ISRAELI SHEKELS (ILS) PER US DOLLAR:

3.61 3.84

(2017 est.)

(2016 est.)

Source: CIA World Factbook

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bankerme.net

37

ISLAMIC FINANCE

A MARKET OUTLOOK Going into the second half of the year, Shibeer Ahmed, Head of Middle East Banking & Finance, Global Head of Islamic Finance and Partner at Winston & Strawn, provides an overview of the Shari’ah-compliant industry

Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are catalysts in the growth of Islamic finance over the next five years.

PHOTO CREDIT: Bloomberg

38

T

he Islamic finance sector has recorded positive growth in recent years. The Global Islamic Finance Report 2018 highlighted that, the industry was worth over $2.4 trillion by the end of 2017, a six per cent growth compared to the previous year. While the rate of growth is slightly lower than in 2016 (seven per cent), there are strong indicators of the long-term potential growth of Shari’ahcompliant financing as illustrated by the Saudi Arabia which raised $9 billion through its first international Sukuk issuance in 2017—the largest to date.

Globally, it is projected that the issuance of Sukuk will be valued between $70 and $80 billion by the end of this year, compared to the three-year high of $97.9 billion in 2017. Islamic banking, however, continues to be the largest driver of growth of the Islamic finance sector and is forecasted to grow at an average rate of 9.5 per cent per year to $3.8 trillion by 2022, with Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE in particular catalysing this growth.

MARKET TRENDS While there have been cautionary reports of a likely slowdown in Islamic finance during 2018, with Standard & Poor’s highlighting the need for standardised Shari’ah interpretation and legal documentation, the momentum of growth of Islamic banking has been positive.

This has been illustrated by the various noteworthy transactions in recent years, including: the AED 1.51 billion Tabreed (National Central Cooling Company) financing (July 2017); the $3 billion Airport Financing Company (Investment Corporation of Dubai, Dubai Department of Finance, Dubai Aviation City Corporation)

Islamic banking is forecasted to grow at an average rate of

9.5% $3.8 trillion per year to

by 2022

conventional and Islamic financing (May 2017); the AED 750 million World of Wonders (Mapa, Gunal – MNG Group) multi-tranche USD/AED conventional and Islamic financing (December 2016); and the AED 310 million Islamic facility Paragon Malls (owned by Tamouh Investments) for the construction of the final phase of Paragon Bay Mall in Abu Dhabi.

According to reports, while overall lending growth slowed down from 2013 to 2017, Islamic banks recorded growth of 6.9 per cent compared to 3.7 per cent within the conventional banking sector. Islamic banks in the GCC region continue to record stronger performance, with several drivers for growth such as preparations for Expo 2020 in Dubai and Saudi Vision 2030—both supported by increased government spending.

ISLAMIC BANKS IN THE GCC REGION CONTINUE TO RECORD STRONGER PERFORMANCE, WITH SEVERAL DRIVERS FOR GROWTH SUCH AS PREPARATIONS FOR EXPO 2020 IN DUBAI AND SAUDI VISION 2030—BOTH SUPPORTED BY INCREASED GOVERNMENT SPENDING.

POSITIVE INDICATORS OF GROWTH The potential for growth offered by Islamic banking has also found resonance in non-traditional hubs with, for example, the UK enjoying a growing network of Islamic banks. Islamic finance has played a particularly important role in commercial real estate development in the UK, such as the Islamic bank financings for the development of The Shard, the Olympic Village and the London Gateway. This is likely to grow further following Brexit as the UK takes a greater interest in Islamic finance as part of its goal to broaden its economic ties with non-EU countries.

Further, Africa is emerging as the next frontier market for Islamic finance, with the Islamic Financial Services Board valuing Sub Saharan Africa’s Islamic financial services industry at $30 billion in 2017.

Several African nations, such as South Africa, Nigeria and Togo, have issued Sukuk—totalling over $1.3 billion in 2016.

Increasingly banks in Africa are offering Shari’ah-compliant products, which will further boost the Islamic finance industry.

Although still in the early stages of development, there has also been increasing focus globally on fintech in Islamic finance, driven by growth in demand, regulatory support as well as greater awareness amongst Islamic finance market participants. In particular, as part of the growth of fintech across the GCC and generally across the MENA region, Dubai has delivered the fintech Hive accelerator, which brings together technology leaders and entrepreneurs to address the region’s fintech needs, and the Innovation Testing Licence, which allows fintech firms to test innovative products and services.

Further, advances in technology are also bringing greater efficiencies. Last year, Emirates Islamic Bank became the first Islamic bank to leverage blockchain technology for fraud prevention. By reducing the costs involved in transactions and processes, blockchain technology is helping automate contractual processes while reducing administrative complexities.

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ISLAMIC FINANCE

AFRICA IS EMERGING AS THE NEXT FRONTIER MARKET FOR ISLAMIC FINANCE, WITH THE ISLAMIC FINANCIAL SERVICES BOARD VALUING SUB SAHARAN AFRICA’S ISLAMIC FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY AT $30 BILLION IN 2017.

While there are a myriad of reasons for a positive outlook, challenges remain for the sector to be able to compete with the conventional banking market. The introduction of value-added tax (VAT) is expected to affect the profitability of Islamic banks this year but compared to traditional banks, they have displayed strong assetquality indicators, which places Islamic banks in good stead. In particular, the capital-base and limited product flexibility continue to stymie the growth of the Islamic bank finance market.

To ensure the sustained development of the sector, enhanced regulation and standardisation is expected to be implemented by governments, regulators and other stakeholders. There is a need for regulatory reform in many countries to broaden the market for Islamic bank finance through, among other things, the removal of double taxation and tax relief on asset-based transactions underpinning the Islamic financing structures.

Shibeer Ahmed, Head of Middle East Banking & Finance, Global Head of Islamic Finance and Partner at Winston & Strawn

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STANDARDISATION The UAE took a crucial stride towards much needed standardisation in the Islamic finance space by the establishment of the Higher Shari’ah Authority (approved by the UAE Cabinet in May 2016).

The Higher Shari’ah Authority is a national regulator overseen by the UAE Central Bank (CBUAE) which is entrusted with overseeing the Islamic financial sector, approve financial products and set rules and principles for banking transactions in accordance with Islamic jurisprudence on finance.

The national regulator will not replace the Shari’ah boards of individual banks but will approve new products that have already received approval from individual Shari’ah boards. A particularly noteworthy, and potentially trend-setting, step was taken by the Higher Shari’ah Authority in a recent resolution requiring the Shari’ah boards of financial institutions in the UAE to apply the Shari’ah Standards issued by Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) as of September 2018.

IN A NUTSHELL The Islamic finance industry, including the Islamic bank finance sector is now a well-established source of liquidity and the future of the industry appears promising.

Islamic finance continues to grow and compete with conventional modes of financing in its traditional hubs, as well as gaining ground in non-traditional markets.

Consistent with the GCC region gaining traction in growth, led by its focus on economic diversification and infrastructure development, Islamic finance is expected to gain further ground in the coming years and Islamic bank finance will continue to be increasingly tapped into as a viable source alongside conventional bank finance.

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ISLAMIC FINANCE

UNLOCKING THE VALUE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE Dr. Osman Babiker Ahmed, Lead Economist, IRTI-IDB Group, writes about how the UN’s sustainable development goals can be a perfect partner to unlock the potential of Islamic finance

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CURRENT LANDSCAPE emarkable progress was made globally in translating the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) into reality with a huge reduction in the levels of lifethreatening poverty over 2000-2015.

Most regions of the world experienced poverty reduction during this period.

Nonetheless, poverty reduction was very slow in some regions such as Sub Saharan Africa and Asia.

Income inequality has also very narrowly declined across countries but increased in many countries.

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The progress on other MDGs in relation to education and health has not been fully seen. Worldwide environmental issues need serious attention alongside other development objectives.

Because of these reasons, the world, through the UN, adopted a new set of development objectives: the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDGs are a new round of global goals to follow the 15-year MDGs period.

The range of SDGs is more generic than the MDGs, focusing on economic and environmental sustainability issues including inclusive growth,

industrialisation, job creation, and climate change. Besides, SDGs reframe development as a universal project and SDGs are comprehensive and indivisible with a great deal of interaction among them.

In reality, the implementation of SDGs needs a set of preconditions, including financial resources, sovereign leadership commitment, partnership, effective institutions, good governance, physical infrastructure, human capital, technology, social inclusion and effective policies.

The value of infrastructure finance is estimated at around $3-4 trillion

PHOTO CREDIT: Shutterstock/Yuttana Contributor Studio

GIVEN THE GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING DEFICIT OF $2.5 TRILLION ANNUALLY, ISLAMIC FINANCE CAN MOBILISE RESOURCES FOR MEGA PROJECTS AND EQUALLY FOR SME AND MICRO ENTERPRISES.

annually until 2030. Development financing that is currently available does not exceed $300 billion—only 10 per cent of the need, according to a report by the World Bank and the Islamic Development Bank in 2017.

The challenge is how to promote a financial system with the right institutions and governance that incentivizes a redirection of some of this investment toward sustainable development. Therefore, both private and public financing from domestic and international sources are necessary, and both need to be effectively exploited.

The Addis Ababa Actionable Agenda calls for resource mobilisation, of public and private capital, at local and global levels. The UN states that innovative financing initiatives will be required at all levels, especially the private sector, to secure funding for the SDGs and achieve the global sustainable aspirations of societies.

Studies have revealed that access to finance has a strong correlation with poverty reduction, economic growth and development and overall social welfare. Having said that, how can Islamic finance help and contribute to

achieve this ultimate goal of poverty reduction by providing funds for infrastructure projects?

FEASIBILITY Islamic finance has been accepted as a workable mechanism of dealing with poverty alleviation and augmenting inclusive economic development. It encourages economic activities and entrepreneurship, ensures financial and social stability, and addresses financial inclusion and supports comprehensive human development, which are all relevant to sustainable development.

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ISLAMIC FINANCE

Islamic finance can also offer new ways of addressing both small and medium projects on one side, and mega infrastructure and public-private partnership (PPP) projects on the other side. The global need for infrastructure is huge. It extends across all regions, giving rise to a massive deficit in infrastructure investment.

Given the global infrastructure financing deficit of $2.5 trillion annually, Islamic finance can mobilise resources for mega projects and equally for SME and micro enterprises. Different Islamic financial instruments can provide flexible tailored-funding for specific small-sized or mega projects. Examples of modes for financing include, Sukuk, Ijarah, instalment sale, Istisnah and equity.

Many member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) are on a drive to entice private capital to finance their infrastructure projects. Islamic finance can provide a complementary source of financing to these efforts.

In view of that, and to bring in more Islamic finance, the state of affairs must be set for infrastructure projects to attain a much larger share of total investment.

This can be done if the preparedness of developing countries for infrastructure projects can be upgraded, and additional sources of finance, such as Islamic finance, can be put in order for the infrastructure projects.

The evidence from a number of OIC member countries (Pakistan, Djibouti, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Malaysia) illustrates the flexibility of Islamic finance in putting together Shari’ah-compliant solutions across different countries and sectors. These projects include infrastructure such as power, airports, sea ports, healthcare, and roads. It should be noted that these countries vary greatly in terms of their: (i) macroeconomic environments; (ii) readiness to support infrastructure projects; and (iii) institutional maturity vis-à -vis Islamic finance.

The asset-backed feature of Islamic finance modalities and their emphasis

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The value of infrastructure finance is estimated at around

$3-4 trillion annually until 2030

on shared risks make them naturally appropriate for infrastructure projects.

A wide diversity of Islamic finance structures exist to provide sufficient flexibility to practitioners in selecting appropriate financing modalities.

The success of infrastructure projects in using Islamic finance has inspired project benefactors (equity investors) in countries such as Bangladesh, Djibouti, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan, to continue to pursue Islamic finance, along with conventional finance, in undertaking yet to come infrastructure projects.

The Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDBG) has been a pioneer in offering Islamic finance for infrastructure projects.

In addition, other multilateral development banks and international financial institutions, including the IFC and MIGA of the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank, have started positioning Islamic finance instruments to support infrastructure projects, thus providing much-needed assurance to fund providers. For each transaction that takes place, innovations in the structures used contribute to the

body of knowledge and experience, and prepare the way for future dealings. Yet Islamic financing is not consistently used in infrastructure projects.

More knowledge about Islamic finance is required by countries seeking infrastructure finance and techniques to facilitate the practise of Islamic finance instruments in order to mobilise private investment in infrastructure projects.

Assuming that many stakeholders, including project promoters and commercial banks have a rather modest understanding of the application of Islamic finance to infrastructure projects, there is a substantial opportunity for awareness and knowledge building in this space.

CALL TO ACTION In conclusion, and in terms of financing infrastructure projects, Islamic finance is among the workable alternatives to fund development based on SDGs. The two basic principles behind Islamic finance are the sharing of profit and loss, and significantly, the prohibition of the collection and payment of interest.

Theorists, practitioners and regulators recognise the ethical, multi-channel and diverse dimensions of Islamic finance, as well as its link to the real economy. In terms of the diversity of application, the use of Islamic finance extends to a range of economic subsectors (international trade, housing, education and health, food and water security, infrastructure and energy, agriculture and rural communities). While each sector has its own peculiarities, Islamic finance has suitable ways to address them.

Moreover, tradable securities (Sukuk, shares, Waqf certificates, etc.) originate from these mechanisms. Islamic finance is possible and provided through a multitude of channels, including through public, private and voluntary sectors for a wide range of goods and services (food and water security, housing, energy and infrastructure, education and health, trade) to further economic development.

LIQUIDITY MANAGEMENT

THE GOAL IN OFFERING THIS PRODUCT IS TO HELP ISSUERS IMPROVE THE LIQUIDITY OF THEIR SHARES, AND SECONDLY TO PROVIDE OUR CLIENTS WITH THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED.

Mohammad Al Mortada Al Dandashi Managing Director of Al Ramz Corporation.

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LIQUIDITY PROVIDING Al Ramz has introduced a solution where companies benefit from higher liquidity on screen and increase the visibility of shares

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iquidity risk or the risk that shares may be difficult to sell at a reasonable price, is an increasing concern faced by investors across the region. Working alongside local regulators, Al Ramz has introduced a liquidity providing solution to reduce this risk for investors and has been offering this to corporates across the Emirates since early 2017.

Al Ramz was the first company to obtain a licence as a market maker on ADX in 2016 and the first company to launch its Liquidity Provision service on the ADX in 2017. Since then, Al Ramz has been active across both the DFM and ADX and was recently awarded “Best Market Maker in the Middle East” at the Banker Middle East Industry Awards 2018.

In a region where investors have historically struggled with liquidity, the Liquidity Provision product offers companies the means to guarantee a tight bid/ask spread and increase the daily

turnover of shares which in turn renders investment less risky and reduces cost of capital. From a universe of the 100 largest listed companies across the UAE, over 70 per cent demonstrate symptoms of inadequate liquidity. Al Ramz is partnering with such companies to improve the liquidity of their underlying shares, increase average daily trading volumes and reduce bid/ask spreads resulting in improved price performance, and increased liquidity.

Al Ramz measures liquidity via three “Liquidity Metrics”: average bid/ ask spread, average daily turnover and annualised historical price volatility of share price. Al Ramz Liquidity Providing product aims to improve each of these metrics. As a result, investing in a covered company’s share is made more attractive to sophisticated investors having certain liquidity criterion that need to be met.

Increasing the investor base of a share will in turn increase research coverage.

All the above contributes to the overall goal of increasing a company’s visibility in the market and ultimately will reduce the cost of capital.

“The goal in offering this product is to help issuers improve the liquidity of their shares, and secondly to provide our clients with the services that they need. We have invested in talent and systems to a point where we are confident we now offer an excellent value proposition to our clients. Not only do they benefit from higher liquidity on screen, but they also gain unparalleled access to Al Ramz Client Network and our Research Department, which also helps increase the visibility of their shares. We are excited to grow this business over the coming months and look forward to helping more companies improve the liquidity of their underlying shares,” said Mohammad Al Mortada Al Dandashi, Managing Director of Al Ramz Corporation.

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INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

Ahmad Kilani

THE BUSINESS OF VALUES

By Ahmad Kilani, CEO, Tabarak Investment 48

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rom the contortions of forged steel making a skyscraper, to pressed resin and carbon fibre forming a performance car, to curves and pantones creating a logo; our modern economy is full of remarkable technological achievements. Yet, given the breadth of our economy, pace of innovation, and tools available, few companies can be identified as true, enduring icons.

It’s one thing to build a tower—it’s another altogether to do so year-onyear for decades, on budget and to scope, with quality and consistency standing for generations. It’s one thing to build a sports car and another to deliver consistent innovation for decades such that a star, corporate initials, or sketch of a propeller in flight become synonymous with top-of-the line performance—icons.

Iconic companies do not just get by; they define economies, set trends, and deliver consistent returns for their shareholders. Such achievements transcend the capabilities of any one person or team; they require the aligned efforts of thousands spanning continents, working in a collective upward direction over a timeline that far surpasses individual careers. The only mechanism for instilling such a commitment to quality, consistency, and innovation is, without a doubt, culture.

Company cultures do not happen by accident, and they’re not easy to come by. Culture is forged through a clear definition of vision, mission, and an unambiguous definition of the values from which the company will achieve its goals. Values are indoctrinated, time and again, through leadership actions, communication and performance reviews until—over years—they become internalised by each member of the organisation.

At Tabarak, an Emirati-led private equity firm, we aim to deliver more than

WHEN TABARAK TAKES ON AN UNDERPERFORMING COMPANY WITH THE GOAL OF TRANSFORMING IT INTO A STRONG ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTOR, WE UNDERSTAND OUR ROLE EXTENDS FAR BEYOND INJECTING CAPITAL. AT THE HEART, WE ARE TAKING ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THAT COMPANY’S CULTURE.

just high returns to our shareholders and investors. Through each company we transform, job we secure and community we contribute to, we play a role supporting the economy and sustaining the long-term wellbeing of our nation.

When Tabarak takes on an underperforming company with the goal of transforming it into a strong economic contributor, we understand our role extends far beyond injecting

capital. At the heart, we are taking on the responsibility of that company’s culture. To succeed in each investment, we identify the flaws that led the company into troubled waters, build on the components that work harmoniously, and put in place a long-term strategy for the revised vision, mission, and values to be truly internalised.

While these values vary in each company, there are certain universal themes we do not compromise on: integrity, accountability, and respect.

To hold credibility and relevance to an organisation, a company’s culture must ultimately grow from within, guided by top management, and tailored to the specific challenges and opportunities of each organisation.

It’s definitely a task that is easier said than done. While the line will not always point directly upward, and issues will inevitably occur, commitment to living a thoughtfullyconstructed vision, mission, and values will always underpin an overall trend for the better.

I firmly believe this upward trend is reflected in the thousands of jobs Tabarak has created or enhanced, across sectors such as real estate, infrastructure, construction, education, logistics, manufacturing, insurance and services—with assets ranging from Al Ain University of Science & Technology to Wahat Al Zaweya, a leading real estate development company, to Gulf Navigation Holding PJSC, operator of petrochemical tankers, and the only maritime and shipping company listed on the Dubai Financial Market (GULFNAV).

While profitability of our portfolio companies is a key success metric— ultimately, we are in the business of values. We work to enhance and reinforce the cultures of our assets to underpin success, not only for a few quarters, but for generations to come.

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INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

HOW TO INVEST MEANINGFULLY INTO AFRICA

There is more to Africa’s investable universe than listed equity, says Todd Micklethwaite, Client Solutions and Research, Sanlam Investments

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he opportunity set that exists in Africa presents investors with a sufficiently broad universe to bring positive, risk-adjusted benefits to institutional portfolios says Todd Micklethwaite, a member of the Client Solutions and Research team at Sanlam Investments.

But, Micklethwaite says, investors should adapt those strategies which work in more developed markets to what works best on the continent. To capture the true investment potential that Africa presents, one needs to understand how best to execute an investment strategy on the continent. This, Micklethwaite argues, has not always been the case with South African investors.

AFRICAN LISTED MARKETS ARE EVEN MORE ILLIQUID THAN YOU THINK African public equity markets are very different from their more developed peers with regard to accessibility, correlation to

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Todd Micklethwaite

external factors and liquidity. Investors accessing listed markets are inhibited by the limited volume of daily trades, which opens them to the risk of particularly poor fund performance should investors require significant liquidity. This was seen from late 2014 through 2016, when as little as $75 million in stock was traded per day across the continent. An efficient fund manager may have been able to participate in five per cent of that daily trade, but it would still have limited them to around $4 million in trades per day.

This limitation would have been exacerbated for larger funds; for those managers with funds that had grown towards $1 billion, this would have equated to an ability to trade less than 0.5 per cent of their fund per day. As a result, it could have taken anywhere between 200 and 300 days to rotate or liquidate an entire fund. Investors in these funds learnt this lesson the hard way, with

BUT, THERE’S MORE TO AFRICA THAN JUST LISTED EQUITY… Across African markets, there is a significant discrepancy between the stocks listed on the market and those that are actually accessible to investors.

Furthermore, the investable universe in even the larger markets is not a reflection of underlying growth in those economies.

Investors therefore need to widen their net beyond listed markets if they want to capture the wider growth opportunities across the continent.

The case for investing into private credit in Africa is compelling. The International Finance Corporation estimates that the credit gap for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Sub Saharan Africa is currently $70 billion to $90 billion per annum. This implies scope for an additional

CHART 1: DOMESTIC CREDIT TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR BY BANKS (% OF GDP) 160% 134%

140% 120%

96%

100% 80%

64%

60%

49%

45%

40%

46% 29%

20% 0%

East Asia & Pacific

Europe & Central Asia

Central Europe and the Baltics

Latin Middle East America & & North The Caribbean Africa

South Asia

SubSaharan Africa

Source: World Bank, 2016

CHART 2 1400 1300 1200 1100 1000 900 800 700 600

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37

Price Level Starting at 1000

performance suffering to a degree from which many can possibly never recover.

Considering these risks, it is startling to note that most listed equity funds operating today have redemption terms shorter than fortnightly and, in many cases, daily! The risks of investing in a fund with anything less than quarterly liquidity are significant, with long-term investors unfairly prejudiced by the actions of those of a shorter-term mindset.

Seasoned African-listed equity fund managers not only limit the capacity of their funds and have longer redemption and subscription terms, but they also broaden the scope of their mandate beyond the ‘investable’ benchmark-cognisant universe.

Where fund managers are not forced to invest with liquidity as a primary priority, more scope exists to find the best investment opportunities on the continent (over time, benchmark-cognisant managers tend to run portfolios that more closely resemble the MSCI Africa, the 35 largest and most liquid stocks out of a universe of over 1,200). In Africa, the closet index managers tend to underperform their peers, often markedly, since Africa investing is very much a stock-pickers paradise.

Time in Months since July 2015 Global Equities (MSCI ACWI) Africa Equity (not benchmark cognisant) Global Government Bonds (GLOUS) Africa Equity (MSCI EFM Africa ex ZA) Global Cash (Libor) Africa Equity (S&P All Africa ex-South Africa Capped) Africa Credit Source: Sanlam Investments; Bloomberg, 2018

300 per cent in advances over the current estimated levels of loans being extended to this market. The opportunity in the region is attractive relative to its global peers, as can be seen from Chart 1 which shows the World Bank’s estimation of the state of credit funding in Sub Saharan Africa relative to other markets.

The opportunity that exists for institutional investors is due to the dearth of finance on offer from local banks (that do not have the capacity to fill the gap) and the large international banks (which are increasingly steering clear of this sector due to their Basel III solvency obligations).

Without taking on excessive levels of risk, investors are able to achieve US dollar

returns in excess of Libor plus seven per cent per annum on a consistent basis, by investing into African private credit.

Chart 2 shows historical returns for a relatively conservative African private credit portfolio alongside a range of other non-SA asset classes over a three-year period to 30 June 2018.

The first notable element is the outperformance achieved through the unconstrained approach to investing in listed African equity markets relative to the major listed equity benchmarks. The second striking element is the consistency of returns delivered by an African private credit investment, relative to both African equities and global asset classes.

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INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

THERE’S MORE TO ‘IMPACT’ THAN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT Although investors have traditionally focused on infrastructure when a key driver for their allocation to Africa is the potential impact of that investment, many investors are identifying the critical credit funding gap as an equally noble cause.

It is certainly an honourable endeavour to support the growth of Africa’s capital markets and, equally so, to broaden the financial inclusion of Africa’s citizens.

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CHART 3 13% cpi+6

12% cpi+5

11%

Return

WHAT DOES AN ALLOCATION TO AFRICA EXECUTED IN THIS WAY BRING TO AN INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR’S PORTFOLIO? We built a model which uses a traditional mean-variance optimisation methodology with long-term historical and adjusted forward-looking expectations for traditional local and global asset classes; and a correction for stale pricing present in African asset classes. For purposes of this article, only listed equities (unconstrained) and private credit were considered for inclusion in an African allocation. The negative and zero correlations exhibited by these African asset classes relative to the traditional assets led to their inclusion and to improvements in the efficiency of overall portfolios (as can be seen in Chart 3).

Chart 3 shows a definitive improvement in the risk of every fund that included Africa relative to the same targeted return profile. Notably, the diversifying characteristics of the African asset classes resulted in a maximum 10 per cent allocation in each of the ‘optimal’ portfolios shown above. Furthermore, the bias within the Africa allocation moved entirely towards private credit as the target margin above inflation increased (as reflected in table 1).

It is worth noting that, in addition to the risk-return benefits outlined above, an investment into private credit has liquidity advantages over its private market peers—the weighted average duration of the portfolio modelled was two years.

cpi+4

10% cpi+3

9% 8% 7% 6%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

9%

10%

11%

Standard deviation With Africa

Without Africa

Source: Sanlam Investments; 2018

TABLE 1 CPI+3%

CPI+4%

CPI+5%

CPI+6%

Africa Listed Equity

4.9%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Africa Private Credit

5.1%

10.0%

10.0%

10.0%

Total Africa

10.0%

10.0%

10.0%

10.0%

The inability to access debt capital is not limited to corporate entities and local banks, but also micro-SMEs and individuals.

Apart from funding institutional borrowers, private credit funds are indirectly able to assist in servicing the individual and microSME market by providing debt capital to reputable micro-finance organisations that operate in this sector. Unlike borrowing for private use in more developed markets, such borrowing in Africa is not used by individuals for consumption but rather to fund necessary expenditure related to housing, education, small-scale agriculture and small business.

CONCLUSION As an African country, South Africa’s growth is inextricably linked to the continued development of the African economies and the communities with which it engages, and institutional investors in South Africa have a critical part to play. Historically, investors have had few doubts about investing billions of dollars into assets outside the continent.

Treasury has now opened the door further for investors to make an impact on the continent, where opportunities abound for earning attractive and consistent riskadjusted returns.

HUMAN CAPITAL

PROFESSIONALISM AND INTEGRITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST In an exclusive, Matthew Cowan, Chartered MCSI Regional Director at CISI Middle East, discusses the realities of professionalism in the region’s financial services sector

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ow would you describe the level of professionalism and integrity in the region’s financial services sector?

The financial services profession is one of the top growth sectors for the Middle East, steadily increasing in importance over the past few decades. This comes as no surprise, given that the Middle East has been witnessing a better performing economy year on year contributing to a healthier and more competitive investment environment across all its industries, leading to an increasing number of ultra-high net worth individuals and the establishment of global and local corporations in the region.

Such growth needs to be supported by the consistent implementation of best practises and is also dependent on the strong relationships financial professionals have with their clients. While the financial services profession in the region has been growing, the UAE in particular has continually proven itself to be a leading financial hub,

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demonstrating growth fuelled by a cohort of professionals who marry skill and ethics to deliver international standard services.

Another key indicator of the quality of the services delivered in the sector is the bigger demand for standardised professional certification. In addition to skill-based practise, it is necessary for financial professionals to continue enriching their expertise through CPD (Continuing Professional Development). This serves to provide solid, up-to-date resource of their commitment to becoming more responsible professionals in the sector. We are pleased to note that the sizeable community of CISI members in the region getting bigger year-on-year reflects a progressive level of professionalism in the region.

Matthew Cowan

What other elements do you think are required in financial services professionals?

Financial practitioners must have a strong understanding of their job, constantly hone relevant skills and always act with integrity.

Best-in-class certifications, a good CPD record and membership of a professional and credible body are effective indicators of proficiency that reflect a practitioner’s commitment to ensuring their competence and behaviour remains at a high standard.

CISI defines professionalism as having an effective combination of knowledge, skills and behaviour. What makes a financial practitioner’s professionalism stand out is how they manage the business with integrity and work ethics.

Individuals as well as firms are expected to be honest, open, transparent and fair in all their activities. Adhering to these values ensures the provision of high standard services and fosters greater confidence in client relationships.

In the financial services profession, proficiency is nothing without an ability to build relationships with clients based on trust. Looking back at the global crisis a decade ago, many remain apprehensive to trust the market due to its vulnerability to economic fluctuations. That is why trustworthiness in professionals dealing with finances and monetary resources is invaluable.

Clients deserve to have the confidence that their advisor is operating with their best interests in mind and have an exceptionally high regard for the principle of financial integrity. In a sector where the actions of a single individual can result in huge losses, it is significant to acknowledge the value of being able to base trust in a financial adviser or firm on more than just a good feeling. That is why it should be a priority for financial services professionals to ensure that they are worthy of their clients’ trust.

What strategies would you suggest for an organisation to implement to align itself with international standards?

One of the greatest challenges faced by the financial workforce is the lack of full understanding towards the importance of qualifications in formal

FINANCIAL PRACTITIONERS MUST HAVE A STRONG UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR JOB, CONSTANTLY HONE RELEVANT SKILLS AND ALWAYS ACT WITH INTEGRITY. practise. Professionals are often content with a certain level of knowledge and years of experience. There is no doubt that rich experience improves ability and contributes to a better skillset, however in this dynamic, fast-paced industry, individuals and firms should keep up by knowing the latest trends and adapting to more efficient industry practises.

Clients and customers have a higher level of trust and are willing to invest more when they know they are working with certified practitioners. In a sector that so often involves investment of hard-earned resources, it is vital that individuals and firms are able to judge the quality of professionals through straight-up, readily available proof such as certifications and accreditations.

Another challenge in the region is its increasing dependence on technology in the sector. Even though bankers and financial professionals are open to embracing the idea of integrating fintech innovations, the profession will require a new set of skills specific to this expertise. This outlook reflects the dynamic path that lies in the future of financial services professionals and organisations must be prepared for.

In the face of the ever-changing demands of the profession, it is crucial that practitioners are equipped with a strong foundation of professionalism and integrity, along with a willingness to continuously learn to ensure their skillset remains relevant and up-todate. Organisations must ensure

that practitioners are always making a conscious effort to develop their professional skills and knowledge. By encouraging membership of professional bodies such as CISI, firms ensure that their employees are formally committed to furthering their learning through mandatory CPD, and always upholding the highest standards of practise and behaviour.

How important is the role of the regulator in achieving this?

Regulators play a very significant role in ensuring that we have a harmonious and resilient monetary and financial market environment. Having regulators maintain integrity and a high standard of professionalism help address the existing challenges of the sector and continue to improve not only the profession’s reputation in the region, but it also enables better customer service.

The UAE is looking to diversify its economy with a knowledge-based culture of transparency; this is an example of a process where the role of the regulator is vital as they can lay down a stringent framework that can contribute to cementing a high regard to wellfounded integrity and high standards of professionalism in the financial services.

A workforce made up of highly-skilled individuals can help increase consumers’ confidence and trust towards the financial services profession.

The UAE’s regulatory bodies such as the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) and the Abu Dhabi Global Markets Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) aim to align the region’s existing financial landscape with the highest international standards it should adhere to as intended. Regulators have the authority to give good shape of the policies and steer the current systems making processes more transparent and providing better protection for both clients and professionals.

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IN DEPTH

CITIZENSHIP

BY INVESTMENT: A BOOST FOR THE NON-OIL ECONOMY Speaking to Banker Middle East, Emmanuel Nanthan, Head – Citizenship by Investment Unit, Commonwealth of Dominica, draws from his experience on the various means of foreign direct investment

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he concept of citizenship by investment (CBI)—allowing wealthy individuals a fast track to a second citizenship and passport in return for investment—is becoming increasingly attractive as a gateway to acquire citizenship and passport in one’s country of choice. For GCC, CBI programmes are a welcome source of extra revenues and a pole of

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attraction of high net worth individuals and entrepreneurs who may in turn contribute to the development of the country and bolstering of economic competitiveness.

The primary benefit for states that administer citizenship by investment programmes is a significant financial investment in their domestic economies.

The cost and design of each programme

vary, but most involve an upfront investment into the country. These inflows of funds are considerable and the macroeconomic implications for most sectors can be extensive.

In the Middle East and GCC in particular the phenomenon of citizenship by investment has come to be known as investor residency programme or acquiring of second passport.

In 1984, St Kitts and Nevis became the first-ever state to allow persons to be registered as citizens after making a substantial investment, in the 1980s Austria legalised granting nationality by reason of a person’s actual or expected outstanding achievements.

Emmanuel Nanthan, the Head of Citizenship By Investment Unit, Commonwealth of Dominica, said, “The

Middle East’s first fully-fledged CIB programme was established in 2017 by Turkey and tailed shortly after by Jordan.”

The trend for economic citizenship, as confirmed in the 2018 CBI Index, is gaining traction, particularly in the Middle East, added Nanthan. Bearing in mind the industry’s expanding reach, financial institutions, and other supporting entities around the world

must see economic citizenship as an opportunity to open new investment opportunities for those who can generate economic growth on a global scale— namely high net-worth and ultra-high networth businesspersons.

The GCC community saw the inception of the first fully-fledged programme in 2018 when the UAE introduced an array of CBI aligned reforms.

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IN DEPTH

In January May 2018, the UAE announced 100 per cent foreign ownership and 10-year visa for investors. This was followed by the UAE Cabinet’s approval of a plan to allow non-Emiratis to remain in the UAE from 2019 in a meeting chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid the ruler of Dubai, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE in Q3 2018. The move will allow foreigners to obtain long-term residency visas after they retire, in a major policy shift which will make UAE’s economy more competitive compared to its GCC neighbours.

Additionally, the Sultanate of Oman flexed its business and investment requirements, a move which will allow foreigners to start a business without an Omani partner and no minimum capital requirement will be necessary for the exchange of a longer residence visa. Just, like UAE, Bahrain was also quick to announce that it will follow the Emirates way in 2019 to create a competitive investment environment.

However other GCC countries, that is Saudi and Kuwait among others have not yet clarified their position concerning the programme, but in the case of Saudi, given the Kingdom’s economic transformation programme under Vision 2030 anything is possible.

According to Savory & Partners, one of the CIB consultancy agency in GCC, the majority of the applicants for CBI are from Syrians, Yemenis, Egyptians as well as Pakistanis and Sudanese.

Elsewhere in the Middle East, Jordan announced conditions to grant investors nationality or permanent residency in February earlier this year and interested investors who meet two of the stipulated standings will become eligible to get permanent residency for their families as well. Jordan requires an investor to do any of the following, buy securities worth $1.5 million from an active investment portfolio, invest $1 million in SMEs for five years or invest $2 million in any location in the country.

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IN THE GCC, COUNTRIES ARE ABLE TO USE CITIZENSHIP-BYINVESTMENT FUNDS TO FINANCE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, IMPROVE PEOPLE’S STANDARD OF LIVING AS WELL AS IMPROVE FISCAL PERFORMANCE AND MINIMISE DEPENDENCE ON OIL. Emmanuel Nanthan, Head – Citizenship by Investment Unit, Commonwealth of Dominica

Moreover, Turkey’s CBI programme went into effect in January 2017, offering foreign nationals Turkish citizenship in exchange for purchasing property worth $1 million but it failed to come close to the ambitious target of $10 billion. As of May 2018, the Government was planning to overhaul the citizenship incentive to properties worth $300,000 as part of a larger legislative package with hopes of a better return going forward.

The implementation of CIB in the Middle East region is expected to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) and aid non-hydro economic grow, with the UAE and Bahrain expecting profound effects in the fintech industry generating muchneeded funds to diversify the economy from reliance on oil, added Nanthan.

The foreign direct investment (FDI) attained from inviting global citizens to apply for the UAE’s 100 per cent ownership and 10-year visa has allowed investment in the banking and finance industry through the establishment of fintech start-ups. Since the passing of the law in Q2 2018, Dubai has seen an increase in Islamic fintech start-ups and blockchain technology.

These are but a few examples of how the funds are being injected directly into diversifying economies in GCC as well as bolstering economies for oil aftermath.

GCC governments are also working to improve real estate industry which has resulted in a surge in tourism in the past years as well as advancement in fintech in a bid to provide innovative, seamless and competitive experience in both Islamic and conventional banking.

The foreign direct investment brings capital both into a country’s public sector—in the form of donations to the government, tax payments or treasury bond investments - and the private sector, in the form of investments in businesses, start-ups or real estate.

According to Nanthan, In the GCC, countries are able to use citizenship-byinvestment funds to finance infrastructure development, improve people’s standard of living as well as improve fiscal performance and minimise dependence on oil.

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TECHNOLOGY

TRANSFORMING BRANCH FRONT END

By Rajashekara Maiya, Vice President - Business Consulting and Product Strategy, Infosys Finacle

T

he branch as a channel has been the foundation of traditional banking for centuries. However, setting up and maintaining branches can be expensive. With the increasing digital disruption and competition from new age digital only banking service providers, banks are today in a dilemma – to rethink branches to gain competitive advantage or to rely on less-expensive digital channels and give in to the disruptions brought in by the new age challengers and other digital attackers. Over the past few years, many banks have opted to slowly reduce their branch footprints in order to achieve operational efficiencies. However, on the other hand, there are many banks that are also reimagining their branch models and upskilling the talent, equipping the new future branches with innovative digital solutions that empower the workforce to engage the customers in a unique manner.

So, what is the way forward for the branch led model of banking?

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ARE BRANCHES REALLY DEAD? NOT REALLY! Though digitally savvy millennials seem to prefer the new age digital banking experience, many continue to express a preference for physical interaction, for faceto-face contact, advice and reassurance in their financial planning. According to a Celent Report, 61 per cent customers still choose to open their accounts in person, as they felt more comfortable talking to someone in the branch.

According to Efma and Synechron’s World Branch Report 2017, The Evolution of Branch Banking, 97 per cent of the bankers still believe that branches add value to the business. The human touch is seen as necessary to bring in an emotional aspect to customer engagements.

FUTURE BANK BRANCH – YOUR NEW DIGITAL AMBASSADOR Bankers are now looking at how digital transformation can switch the operational

expertise from systems to customers.

By taking advantage of digital innovation, banks can transform the branch network to offer banking services that are personalised, engaging, and relevant for their role as future digital bank. As per research (World Branch Report 2017), the top focus areas for branch transformation cited will be to improve customer service/engagement (42 per cent), introducing digital interactive experiences (38 per cent) and self-service automated technologies (36 per cent).

While technology will undoubtedly play the leading role in the future branches, the branch employees will increasingly become universal bankers, powered by digital solutions. A universal banker is the one who can serve all the branch personas and hence lead to workforce optimisation.

The branch will have to reinvent and reposition itself variously as:

BEFORE YOU REDUCE THE PHYSICAL NETWORK, USE TECHNOLOGY TO ENGAGE CUSTOMERS FOR A DIGITAL OMNICHANNEL EXPERIENCE.

PHOTO CREDIT: Shutterstock/PopTika

• The digital ambassador: Using digital tools built on advanced technologies, branch employees will increase the digital penetration of the customer base and reduce transaction costs.

• The advisory: Equipped with need analysis tools and simulators, actionable insights, customer profile and profitability summary, branch employees will be able to offer fullservice advisory services for complex products and financial planning.

• The problem solver: Powered by a single unified view, branch employees will be able to provide first-contact resolutions and specialised advice.

FROM SMART TO SMARTER – THE WAY FORWARD The branch transformation and the optimisation of the branch assets is more than just being digital. The key actions for customer acquisition require a unified single view of the customer, staff reskilling to channelise the efforts into high-value creation activities such as sales and advisory and revisit the traditional branch metrics to include Omnichannel customer experience.

At the time, when the differentiating factor of the branch is the emotional connect for developing relationships and transforming customer experiences, the

branch footprint needs to be strategically planned on customer segment needs, business as well as location. The future branch also needs to be seen as a centre of cutting edge customer experience technologies like touch screens, video conferencing, chatbots, etc, to increase adoption of self-interactive channels.

Even as branchless banking catches on as a trend, branches will continue to remain at the core of customer relationships. Powered by technology and the right new age branch solutions, the future bank branch will evolve and continue to stay relevant in the digital era.

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TECHNOLOGY

T GUARANTEEING

A SEAMLESS PROCESS

Raja Reddy, Chief Executive Officer of SR Intelligent Technologies shares his views on digitasation amongst banks in Saudi Arabia and UAE

Raja Reddy

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ell us about SR Intelligent Technologies and how it contributes to the banking landscape.

SR Intelligent Technologies (SRIT) was established with the intention to be a leading IT services provider in banking and finance.

The vision of the company is to be a strategic solution partner and a knowledge partner for our clients.

Currently the Middle East banking sector is undergoing the biggest transformation in digitisation and customer experience with their core focus of the banks being the ease of customer journey and safety across all the touch points. This is because banks are operating in highly competitive markets, with increasing operating costs and a critical need to invest in IT infrastructure to be competitive in the market. There is also a huge scope to create positive and healthy competition between IT partners and to optimise the costs of project implementation.

A CONSISTENT FOCUS ON REQUIREMENT ASSURANCE AND LIFE-CYCLE ASSURANCE ARE REQUIRED FROM PROJECT INITIATION TO COMPLETION FOR ANY SUCCESSFUL TECHNOLOGY PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION.

The market also faces a shortage in terms of attracting highly specialised talent to implement IT projects. A lot of IT infrastructure-related projects face time pressures and Turn Around Time (TAT) delays which impacts overall project costs. SR Intelligent technologies has been successful in addressing all the above issues with a customer-centric approach by using a unique hybrid delivery model.

From a quality assurance point of view, in which areas do you think the financial services sector in the UAE can improve?

There is a critical need for the industry to shift its strategies and adoptions in testing and quality assurance to solutions such as automation, continuous testing, adoption of cloud practises to improve time to market, optimization of cost and quality of delivery. It is always recommended to perform testing using hybrid models to optimise the project cost.

At SRIT we believe that a consistent focus on requirement assurance and

life-cycle assurance are required from project initiation to completion for any successful technology project implementation.

Looking ahead, what do you think are the biggest challenges for banks operating in the country?

Some of the biggest challenges are: increasing operational costs/expenses, increased cost of new technology adoptions, increasing regulation, customers having high expectations from their banks, and increased competition within banks to deliver new customer experiences.

What are your views on the wave digitalisation initiatives amongst banks right now? Digitisation across all platforms remains a key priority for banks across the region. Most of the banks are investing heavily in digitisation initiatives to improve the customer experience,

increase operational efficiency through process automation, move towards a paper-free and hassle-free customer onboarding and journey and many more.

What is your outlook on the banking industry in Saudi Arabia and the UAE? We believe that the UAE banking sector has made positive strides and is already the leader in the Middle East in terms of IT and technology adoptions in banking. This means that customers are already benefitting from such investments by banks offering them convenience and a better customer journey.

In Saudi Arabia, the Government has already made very positive steps in making technology as one of their key pillars for Vision 2030 and this will contribute to a huge shift in the way banks operate. We believe that customers will enjoy a more rewarding banking experience.

PHOTO CREDIT: Shutterstock/Chz_mhOng

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DIGITAL CURRENCIES

CRYPTOCURRENCIES AND THEIR REVOLUTIONARY ARCHITECTURE

By Stéphane Monier, Chief Investment Officer, Banque Lombard Odier & Cie

I

nvestment experts have often sceptically dismissed cryptocurrencies as excessively volatile. Technologists have described them as revolutionary.

Who is correct? Will cryptocurrencies become a mainstream asset class?

First of all, investors shouldn’t fall into the trap of confusing cryptocurrencies with the technologies that make them possible. Blockchain, the technological architecture underlying cryptocurrencies coins is, for now, far more important than the hundreds of emerging digital currencies.

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At the time of writing there are more than 1,700 cryptocurrencies with a total market capitalisation of $215 billion.

Bitcoin, the common cryptocurrency, accounts for more than 48 per cent of the total market cap. Last week, the US Securities and Exchange Commission delayed a decision on whether to approve a bitcoin-backed exchangetraded fund (ETF), pushing the digital currency’s decline this year to 46 per cent. In the last 12 months, bitcoin saw 93 per cent of daily price volatility, and suffered from a drawdown as large as 68 per cent.

With such volatility associated with the common virtual currency, the real value may in fact be the underlying architecture or technology—blockchain—that makes it possible to trade cryptocurrencies.

DIGITAL UNIQUENESS Blockchain is best defined as a digital ledger software that provides a verifiable public record of every transaction. It stores individual transactions in blocks (sets of data) attached to other blocks in an encrypted and chronological order to create a secure chain. Every user can be sure that every other user is

There are more than

THE CENTRAL QUESTION IN THE DEBATE ABOUT CRYPTOCURRENCIES ISN’T WHETHER THEY WILL BECOME, IN TIME, PART OF THE INVESTMENT LANDSCAPE BUT RATHER, WHETHER THEIR USE WILL REACH A CRITICAL MASS AND WHAT GOVERNMENTS WOULD THEN BE WILLING, OR ABLE, TO DO TO REGULATE AND TAX THEIR EXCHANGE.

1,700

cryptocurrencies with a total market capitalisation of

$215 billion *At the time of writing

BITCOIN, A HIGHLY VOLATILE CRYPTOCURRENCY 20,000 -68.41% drawdown

16,000 12,000 8,000 4,000 0 08.'17 09.'17 10.'17

11.'17 12.'17

Source: Bloomberg 1.08.2017-31.07.2018

01.'18 02.'18 03.'18 04.'18 05.'18 06.'18 07.'18

seeing exactly the same thing, with no intermediaries. Blockchain is not a product nor a service; it’s a revolutionary way of organising, recording and distributing information.

Immediate applications are in logistics and inventory management compliance and account reconciliation, limiting the scope for human error. Companies large and small are experimenting with this technology as it allows us to simplify much of what was complex or prone to error or fraud through traditional paperchains and digital databases, and this is a key breakthrough.

PHOTO CREDIT: Shutterstock/Mahathir Mohd Yasin

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DIGITAL CURRENCIES

The irreversible nature of transactions has profound implications for the finance industry and the most promising uses could be in post-trade reconciliation.

But while the hopes for blockchain’s revolutionary impact are high, deployment is taking time and investors seem to be overestimating the speed of adoption.

Since we last wrote on the subject one year ago, institutions such as the Nasdaq and the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), have communicated about the adoption of blockchain, but scaled down their plans for immediate implementation. This is due to the complexity of financial processes and the lack of agreed standards. But as operational set-ups progressively adapt, we expect more blockchain innovations and applications in the medium term.

While blockchain is developing, cryptocurrencies are facing their own set of challenges. One of the constraints at the moment is that investors lack a single source of market intelligence for all currencies. The situation is a little like the fixed income market before the arrival of the Bloomberg terminal—when there was little transparency or price data and investors had to call brokers for quotes, and prices were set by a small group of dealers.

Therefore, if pessimists about the technology are right, governments will sooner or later take an interest in tracking cryptocurrency transactions. That would rule out cryptocurrencies in their current forms ever replacing fiat currencies, which are essentially tender that a government defines as something that you have to use and accept. That doesn’t prevent cryptocurrencies being used by investors as a hedge against turbulence in fiat currencies and to avoid capital controls, nor has such thinking prevented governments including the US and Germany setting out guidelines for declaring capital gains for tax purposes.

In the US, for example, bitcoins are taxable as property and the European Union’s Court of Justice has found that virtual currencies are exempt from value added taxes because they are a means of payment.

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Debates about whether there is any intrinsic value in cryptocurrencies are, we believe, beside the point for now. There are, after all, debates about whether there is any intrinsic value in gold, for example. Such discussions will become irrelevant as digital currencies mature, grow in use and acceptance.

Stéphane Monier

Chief Investment Officer, Banque Lombard Odier & Cie

ONE OF THE CONSTRAINTS IS THAT INVESTORS LACK A SINGLE SOURCE OF MARKET INTELLIGENCE FOR ALL CURRENCIES. THE SITUATION IS A LITTLE LIKE THE FIXED INCOME MARKET BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THE BLOOMBERG TERMINAL WHEN THERE WAS LITTLE TRANSPARENCY OR PRICE DATA AND INVESTORS HAD TO CALL BROKERS FOR QUOTES, AND PRICES WERE SET BY A SMALL GROUP OF DEALERS.

CRITICAL MASS The central question in the debate about cryptocurrencies isn’t whether they will become, in time, part of the investment landscape but rather, whether their use will reach a critical mass and what governments would then be willing, or able, to do to regulate and tax their exchange.

It seems to us that over time, volatility in cryptocurrencies may decline as they mature, becoming more widely used and exchanged. That depends on their supply remaining limited (bitcoin for example is limited to a total supply of 21 million, compared with 17.1 million in circulation today) and cryptocurrencies continuing to be fully-backed by ‘real’ crypto coins, unlike fiat currencies held by banks.

Cryptocurrencies are clearly becoming a part of the global financial landscape. But for now, regulators and central banks are resisting efforts to treat cryptocurrencies the same way as their fiat counterparts. The SEC in the US already denied an ETF listing in July and now has until 30 September to allow, or not, last week’s fund listing to go ahead. And that hasn’t prevented Goldman Sachs Group looking at providing custody for cryptocurrencies, according to Bloomberg.

In the meantime, it makes more sense to follow the technologies behind blockchain. And for any investor willing to add a cryptocurrency to their portfolio, the traditional principles of diversification and security apply, as well as the first rule of not investing in anything that you do not fully understand.

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