
SIB strengthens global standing, issues $500 M. Perpetual Sukuk
The issuance drew robust and was oversubscribed by more than 2.0x
from a wide spectrum of investors across the GCC, Europe, and Asia, reflecting the high level of confidence the Bank enjoys among international financial institutions and investment funds.
This transaction further demonstrates the Bank's strategic use of capital markets as an effective tool to support its
growth trajectory and strengthen its capital base.
His Excellency Mohamed Abdalla, CEO of Sharjah Islamic Bank, commented: This latest sukuk issuance reflects the continued success of our strategy to leverage capital markets in supporting the SIB's financial position and long-term expansion. Since our first sukuk in 2006, we have built a solid track record as a trusted and consistent issuer in the global Islamic finance space. This marks our tenth sukuk issuance, reaffirming SIB's leadership in the international sukuk market.'
The transaction attracted exceptional interest, far exceeding expectations, and securing demand from a highly diversified investor base.
His Excellency Ahmed Saad, Deputy CEO of Sharjah Islamic Bank, added: 'The overwhelming interest from international investors in this issuance underscores growing trust in our performance, strategy, and future vision. The strong pricing outcome is a testament to SIB's position as a robust Islamic banking institution offering innovative, Sharia-compliant financial solutions and maintaining deep engagement with global investors.'
This latest issuance builds on the Bank's successful track record in the sukuk space. In February 2025, SIB priced a USD 500 million sukuk at a profit rate of 5.20%, representing a margin of 89.8 basis points over 5-year US Treasury notes. Despite market volatility, that deal attracted over USD 1.7 billion in orders, more than 3.4 times the issuance size, with strong participation from investors across the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and Asia.
The joint lead managers and bookrunners for the issuance were: Arqaam Capital, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD Capital, First Abu Dhabi Bank, HSBC, Kamco Invest, Mashreq Bank, and Standard Chartered Bank.
This transaction forms part of a broader capital strategy aimed at strengthening SIB's capital structure, supporting business expansion across key markets while maintaining a commitment to financial governance, resilience, and sustainability.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Arabian Post
12 hours ago
- Arabian Post
Aramco Eyes Islamic Debt Market Amid Fiscal Pressures
Saudi Aramco has filed a new prospectus for an Islamic bond issuance programme, indicating a potential return to the debt markets following a $5 billion conventional bond sale earlier this week. The prospectus, dated 30 May, was submitted to the London Stock Exchange, where the sukuk would be listed. Under its terms, Aramco has a year to issue the Islamic bonds. This move comes as the company navigates economic uncertainties and increased oil supply, which have impacted crude markets and reduced the oil exporter's profits. In March, Aramco announced plans to reduce its dividend by nearly a third due to declining profits and free cash flow. The Saudi government relies heavily on revenue from Aramco, including dividends, royalties, and taxes. Last year, oil accounted for 62% of state revenue. The International Monetary Fund estimates that Saudi Arabia requires oil prices above $90 per barrel to balance its budget, while Brent crude is currently trading around $64.40.


Web Release
17 hours ago
- Web Release
Diamond Standard Announces Fatwa: The Ideal Solution for Islamic Finance
Diamond Standard Co., producer of the world's only regulator-approved natural diamond commodities, today announced a historic milestone for the Islamic finance industry: the issuance of a Fatwa by Sheikh Dr. Mohamed Ali Elgari, approving the use of diamond commodities to enable more efficient and more proper Islamic finance applications. Dr. Elgari is an esteemed authority in Islamic finance, having served as Professor and Director of the Centre for Research in Islamic Economics at King Abdulaziz University, and as Shariah board member for organizations including AAOIFI, Islamic Fiqh Academy, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, BlackRock, Citibank, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates NDB, HSBC, Standard Chartered and other banks worldwide. A New Era for $5 Trillion of Islamic Finance The Fatwa signifies a pivotal breakthrough for Islamic finance, where the lending of money with interest is prohibited under Shariah. Instead of directly lending money, the annual settlement for $5 trillion of global loan and bond transactions must be asset-backed, through structures like commodity Murabaha. Until now, commodity Murabaha used metals like nickel, copper, or aluminum. These assets were often created on paper, as options and warrants—a practice now in conflict with AAOIFI Standard 62, which requires the title to the commodity to be delivered to the borrower. Gold, silver, and food commodities are not permitted for Murabaha, and use of metals can result in substantial storage and delivery costs. In contrast, Diamond Standard commodities are a Shariah compliant, fully deliverable and fungible physical asset, with custody and delivery costs up to 97% less than that for metals like copper. After the issuance of Standard 62, a consortium of Islamic banks asked Diamond Standard to develop a commodity Murahaba solution, with audited physical custody in a Muslim majority country. Technology Meets Tradition Diamonds are a $1.2 trillion natural resource that was inaccessible to investors. Diamond Standard commodities—physical Coins and Bars—contain optimized and equivalent sets of diamonds, transparently sealed with a wireless computer chip. Since the commodities are all equal, they trade easily on spot exchanges, with a daily market price reported by Bloomberg. The wireless chip enables each commodity to issue an electronic title of ownership, recorded and traded securely on a public blockchain. This innovation supports instant title transfer and remote audit, and eliminates all uncertainty. The commodities are approved to settle CFTC-regulated futures and options in the U.S., and the commodity production is internally audited by Deloitte. GCC Expansion and Islamic Trading Platform To provide a standing pool of commodities to support Islamic applications, and enable investors to allocate to diamonds as a newly accessible natural resource, Diamond Standard is launching a commodity holding and trading company in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. This entity will: Supply Shariah-compliant diamond commodities to Islamic finance institutions and trading platforms for Murabaha via an active market making desk. Offer a listed fund vehicle for equity and Sukuk investors seeking to invest in hard assets, expecting the value of diamonds to increase due to Islamic and investment demand. Anchor the development of new manufacturing, exports, and trading in the GCC region. This Diamond Standard commodity holding company has secured $280 million in capital commitments and is in discussions with GCC anchor investors to finalize the location of diamond importing, production and trading in the region. The initiative is expected to create over 200 new jobs, relating to commodity operations, import and export, marketing, trading, custody, and lending–as well as Islamic finance jobs. Tax Free Custody at DMCC Diamond Standard also announced that it had selected the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) as the venue to provide audited, tax-free custody for the Diamond Standard commodities. This will benefit Islamic banks and investors by avoiding the tariffs on diamonds entering the U.S. and elsewhere. Unlocking a New Future Cormac Kinney, Founder and CEO of Diamond Standard, stated: 'We intended to unlock $1.2 trillion of natural diamonds as an investment asset, but their dense value, combined with modern technology, has surprisingly made diamonds ideal for Islamic finance. We are honored to offer this asset to strengthen Islamic values.' By establishing Shariah-compliant diamond commodities, Diamond Standard is pioneering a new asset class for Islamic finance—fusing centuries-old ethical values with the latest innovations in blockchain and commodities, and offering borrowers and investors an unexpected, but ideal solution for modern Islamic financial transactions. For more information, visit


Web Release
18 hours ago
- Web Release
Ajman Bank Wins MEA Finance Banking Technology Awards 2025 for Outstanding Innovation and Digital Excellence in Islamic Banking
Ajman Bank has been recognised as one of the winners at the prestigious MEA Finance Banking Technology Awards 2025, held on 8 May at the Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Now in its fifth year, the awards celebrate excellence in banking innovation and digital transformation across the Middle East and Africa, attracting over 300 senior banking and fintech leaders. Commenting on the achievement, Mr. Mustafa Al Khalfawi, CEO of Ajman Bank, said: 'We are honoured to receive this prestigious award. It is a testament to the strength of our transformation strategy and the dedication of our team. This recognition reflects our customers' trust and our ongoing commitment to providing seamless, secure, and inclusive digital banking experiences. We remain focused on driving innovation in the UAE's financial ecosystem through speed, service, and specialisation.' Organised by MEA Finance Magazine, the awards are widely considered a benchmark for excellence in banking technology. Winners were selected by an expert panel based on criteria including innovation, strategic impact, and execution. The award specifically recognises Ajman Bank's achievement in 'Best Cloud Implementation,' a milestone that has significantly enhanced the overall user experience by delivering faster, more seamless digital services. The adoption of cloud technologies has also opened new, dynamic channels of engagement with customers – redefining convenience, connectivity, and responsiveness in Islamic banking. This accolade further cements Ajman Bank's standing as a digitally agile Islamic bank. The bank's achievements include the successful launch of digital-first services such as instant account opening, fully digital credit card issuance, and collaborations with global fintech and payment platforms. These efforts support the Bank's strategic objectives around financial inclusion, sustainable growth, and the Ajman Vision 2030.