Issue 3 - Kuwait Finance House
Transcription
Issue 3 - Kuwait Finance House
Issue 3 2012 | PQ/PP1505(17504) | Malaysia KFH Malaysia’s 11th branch opens in Kota Damansara New @ KFH Malaysia NEW @ KFH Malaysia NEW @ KFH Malaysia Getting to know the Chairman of KFH Malaysia, Dr.Nabeel Al-Mannae Another feather in the cap! Now juniors can invest in gold too Page 06 Page 08 Page 08 Contents Issue 3 - 2012 THE DUNES Editorial Advisor YBhg Dato’ Jamelah Jamaluddin Chief Executive Officer Editor Akmal Baqi Mohamed Ariff Corporate Communications Contributors Fun @ Work 12 After the hard work… some fun! Hajjah Rumaizah Dato’ Abu Bakar (Head) Fazlynn Nadira Mohd Azrul Raj Hardy Irwan Maarof Huzaifah Mazlina Mohd Alias Isnan Fitri Mohd Azmi Mohamed Anuwar Yunus Hafsah Ahmad Ustaz Muhammad Abdul Hakim Wendy Song Kuwait Finance House (Malaysia) Berhad Level 18, Tower 2, Etiqa Twins 11, Jalan Pinang, P.O.Box 10103, 50704 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. KFH Malaysia Contact Centre: 1800 888 KFH (534) Website: kfh.com.my perspective 03 Striving for Success House (Malaysia) Berhad. No portion of this publication covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. 2 THE DUNES — ISSUE 3 2012 Damansara CEO highlights bright future for Islamic banking Judging for journalism award begins Diabetics give KFH’s iPhone app the thumbs-up Kuveyt Türk issues a USD100 billion Sukuk Sukuk market to break USD200 billion barrier in 2012 Product Highlight 04 KFH Automobile Ijarah-i 14 USD1 billion in assets & deals the experts say KFH-Research wins prestigious global award 05 Getting acquainted with Islamic Banking terminology New @ KFH Malaysia 06 Getting to know the Chairman of KFH Malaysia, Dr. Nabeel Al-Mannae All rights reserved by Kuwait Finance 09 KFH Malaysia’s 11th branch opens in Kota 08 Another feather in the cap! New Shariah-based current account launched Now juniors can invest in gold too acquired last year 10 Joint promo puts dream car within reach Finance briefing for Chinese Chamber of Commerce Creating awareness through exhibition 11 New KFHAM CEO appointed Two new members join Shariah Committee At Group Level 13 KFH Bags best Islamic Bank Award Innovative products for women KFH a big hit in cyberspace Youth programmes top all in 2011 Creating Footsteps 15 KFH Kota Kinabalu branch brings cheer to orphans Perspective Striving for Success W We have to be more competitive and equipped to meet upcoming challenges. e are delighted to introduce the third issue of The Dunes and share inspiring progress of the Bank. Retail banking business remains important to Kuwait Finance House (Malaysia) Berhad (KFH Malaysia) as we expand our service channels, network and geographical reach. Recently, we unveiled our new Kota Damansara branch, the fifth in the Klang Valley and eleventh in KFH Malaysia’s branch network nationwide. The Bank will also benefit from the guidance of KFH Malaysia’s new Chairman, Dr. Nabeel Al-Mannae, with his extensive international experience in banking and finance which includes his service as Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Kuwait. In this issue, Dr. Nabeel shares his aspirations in his new role and in striving to make the Bank a successful regional hub for the Group. KFH Malaysia will continue to develop and offer innovative Shariah-compliant products to meet the increasing market demand. The Bank received the Islamic Business & Finance Award 2011 for the Best Investment Bank (Asia) category for its two main achievements in investment banking in 2010/2011. These consist of KFH Malaysia being the financier for the current development of 97 Islamic religious schools in the state of Johor through Murabahah Tawarruq financing facilities, and arranging and managing the issuance of Nomura Holdings Inc.’s Sukuk Al-Ijarah, the first United States dollar-denominated sukuk for a Japanese multinational corporation issued out of Malaysia. On the social front, a gathering was held in Port Dickson to recognise retail banking staff for their performance. These new developments have been encouraging. Nevertheless, we remain cautious while we strive to meet our business goals. We have to be more competitive and equipped to meet upcoming challenges. Through The Dunes, we shall continue to share the latest happenings at KFH Malaysia with you. Best regards, DATO’ JAMELAH JAMALUDDIN Chief Executive Officer THE DUNES — ISSUE 3 2012 3 Product Highlight prior to applying for financing, customers are advised to: • Obtain accurate and complete information regarding a particular financing and liaise directly with the financial institution. • Ensure that all transactions with the car dealer and financial institution are done directly, without using a third party (broker). • Ensure that all transactions are done with the respective parties e.g. car dealer or financial institution. While in the process of financing, customers should: • Ensure that correct details are stated in the automobile financing agreement. Check carefully before signing the agreement. • Keep a copy of the document for their reference. • Not sign an empty agreement letter. • Ensure that they jot down the purpose when a copy of the documents are given to a third party. • Ensure that a finance officer is present to witness the signing of all agreements and also, ensure that the finance officer signs the agreement in the customers’ presence. KFH Automobile Ijarah-i KFH Malaysia offers the KFH Automobile Ijarah-i much to the pleasure of motorists intending to purchase new vehicles. A Shariah-compliant product, KFH Automobile Ijarah-i is a hassle-free package based on the concept of Al-Ijarah Thumma Al-Bai' (AITAB). Approval is quick and finance rates are competitive coupled with an attractive margin of financing and a financing tenure of up to nine years. Customers will also enjoy personalised service such as road tax renewal and easy payment methods through MEPS and Interbank GIRO. 4 THE DUNES — ISSUE 3 2012 As a general precaution, customers should not use the name of a third party to apply for any automobile financing and not allow their names to be used for the automobile financing of a third party. KFH Malaysia guarantees that there is no hidden charge in the product as everything is stated clearly. What’s more, all transactions, processing and notifications are done in a transparent manner according to Shariah guidelines. If a late penalty charge is instituted, it is channelled to charitable activities and bodies with the aim of contributing back to the community. The Experts Say MUSYARAKAH MUTANAQISAH Musyarakah Mutanaqisah or diminishing partnership is a form of Musyarakah (partnership) in which one of the partners promises to purchase the equity share of the other partner gradually until the title of the equity is completely transferred to him. This transaction starts with the formation of a partnership, after which buying and selling of the equity takes place between the two partners. One partner may lease his share of the asset to the other partner on Ijarah (lease) basis. The partnership will come to an end with one partner being the sole owner of the asset or business venture. Tenets of transaction: As Musyarakah Mutanaqisah will involve several contracts such as Musyarakah, Sale and Purchase and Ijarah, all tenets and general terms and conditions of such contracts shall be applied provided that all are in separate agreements. MUDHARABAH Getting acquainted with Islamic Banking terminology Mudharabah means partnership in profit whereby one party provides capital (rabb al-mal) and the other party acts as an entrepreneur (mudharib) who solely manages the project. If the venture is profitable, the profit will be distributed based on a pre-agreed ratio. In the event of a business loss, the loss shall be borne solely by the provider of the capital unless it is due to the misconduct or negligence of the mudharib. Mudharabah can be structured based on a parallel or back-to-back basis. MURABAHAH Murabahah means cost plus profit from a sale. It is a trust sale. It refers to the sale and purchase transaction for the financing of an asset whereby the cost and profit margin (mark-up) are made known and agreed to by all parties involved. The settlement for the purchase can be either on a cash basis, a deferred lump sum basis or on an instalment basis, which will be specified in the agreement. Tenets of transaction: The three principles of Murabahah are as follows: • Contracting parties i.e. seller and buyer. • Subject matter of the sale i.e. sale price and goods. • Contract language i.e. offer and acceptance. Tenets of transaction: The three tenets of Mudharabah are as follows: • Contracting parties i.e. capital provider (rabb al-mal) and entrepreneur / capital user (mudharib). • Subject matter of Mudharabah i.e. capital, profit and loss. • Contract language i.e. offer and acceptance. THE DUNES — ISSUE 3 2012 5 New @ KFH Malaysia Getting to know the Chairman of KFH Malaysia, Dr. Nabeel Al-Mannae C hairman of KFH Malaysia Dr. Nabeel Al-Mannae joined KFH Kuwait as ViceChairman in March 2011 and was appointed Chairman of KFH Malaysia on 5 September 2011. A PhD holder in Economics from the University of Miami, Florida in 1987, he obtained his Master of Arts in Economics from the Florida International University in 1983. Dr. Nabeel Al-Mannae also holds a degree in Commerce (Economics) from the Kuwait University. Could you tell us a little about your background? Prior to joining KFH Kuwait, I was Chairman and Managing Director of Hayat Investment Company, an asset management company I co-founded after leaving the Central Bank of Kuwait in September 2008. I also served at the Central Bank of Kuwait for 21 years and held numerous key positions including Deputy Governor for 10 years. Apart from that, I served as board member for various corporations in Kuwait and was a member of various national and international specialised committees. Could you share some of your experiences during your service as Deputy Governor at the Central Bank of Kuwait? The Central Bank of Kuwait holds the role of monetary and supervisory authority in Kuwait and both these functions require us to be up-to-date on new trends and economic phases both at the national and international level. An important aspect is being actively involved in regional and international events through participating and meeting with different global financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and other important regional central banks. With these connections, one learns a lot about policy-making that helps in decision-making at the national level. During this period, we have witnessed national and regional economic and financial crises in different parts of the world. The most important and valuable thing is to learn lessons from these crises such as the root causes and how it is being handled and improved. Then, we can successfully upgrade our policies to further strengthen our financial sector through improving and updating our regulation and supervisory policies. One of the key lessons is that the seeds of the crisis begin during peak periods when market participants, seeing their asset prices shoot up; further participate in expanding the bubble. This self-fulfilling prophecy finally reaches its peak when investors realise that price levels are far away from fundamentals which then sets into motion the panic that finally causes the bubble to burst. Furthermore, timely and precautionary measures always prove to be more efficient and less costly than taking late actions. 6 THE DUNES — ISSUE 3 2012 Fortunately in Kuwait, the banking sector still focuses on basic banking without involving complex derivatives that were a key factor in accelerating the financial crisis in the developed world. Furthermore, having witnessed our own financial crisis in 1980 and by looking at the experience of other countries in the world, we have a culture of being conservative which is reflected in our supervisory policies and procedures. How would you describe your leadership style? To me, identification of responsibility and accountability are the core attributes towards achieving the end goal. Teamwork with clear responsibilities can get work done in addition to the quality of the results achieved. For New @ KFH Malaysia example, the quality of assets in the banking sector is highly important, not just achieving a specific target in terms of asset size. How do you feel about your new role as Chairman of KFH Malaysia? While holding the position of ViceChairman of the KFH Group, the Board of the Group also nominated me to take on the role of Chairman of KFH Malaysia. This represents the importance of our Malaysia subsidiary as the KFH Group sees Malaysia as an important economic hub for Islamic investments. In addition, it is also a gateway to other important regions such as Far East Asia due to its increasing importance within the global economy. I decided to take the role as a challenge based on my belief that these challenges are very much manageable and can be converted into opportunities. I decided to take the role as a challenge based on my belief that these challenges are very much manageable and can be converted into opportunities. I am confident that with the strong coordination between the Board and the Management to achieve our targets, we will secure the top position in Malaysia. I am deeply touched with the trust given to me by the KFH Group and I look forward to what lies ahead. I know for sure that we can achieve our corporate goal to take the bank to the next level and position it as a premier Islamic bank in Malaysia. What are your views on the efforts to raise two-way investments between the GCC and Malaysia? In my view, there are large synergies that can be achieved by raising two-way investments between the GCC and Malaysia. On one side, Malaysia offers GCC investors a broader range of Shariah-compliant products and brings large diversification benefits while simultaneously giving opportunity to Malaysian institutions to explore and tap the GCC markets. The policy for the establishment of foreign Islamic subsidiaries in Malaysia reflects in part the further liberalisation of Malaysia’s Islamic financial services industry as well as the initiative to enhance the outreach of Islamic finance and to strengthen the industry’s international relations. Foreign Islamic subsidiaries also have the potential to promote innovative product development and enhance international integration of the Islamic financial system. Hence, the KFH Group sees Malaysia as an important platform for long-term expansion in the AsiaPacific region. The country’s strategic position enables KFH to serve the region effectively and facilitate an expansion in investment and trade between Southeast Asia and the MENA region. What in your opinion is the future of Islamic banking and what makes a successful Islamic bank? The same principles that apply to conventional banking are also applicable to Islamic banking. Being Shariah-compliant does not make you immune to key risks in the financial sector. As for any conventional bank, the success of an Islamic bank also depends upon the accumulation of quality assets on the balance sheet, quality of product and service mix as well as independent and effective risk management policies and procedures. Giving the bank early warning signals can also help in achieving success. During the past decade Islamic finance has emerged as one of the fastest growing areas in the field of investments. According to Standard & Poor’s estimates, assets of the top 500 Islamic banks expanded 28.6% to USD822 billion at the end of 2009. Commercial banks account for the bulk of assets with investment banks, Sukuk issues, funds and Takaful making up the balance. Geographically, Islamic finance is concentrated in Malaysia and the Middle East including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. However, it is also spreading rapidly in Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan and Indonesia, as well as North African countries like Sudan and Egypt. Given this impressive growth in such a short span of time, one can confidently believe in a bright future for Islamic banking. Do you have any advice for those who want to succeed in the financial industry? As the financial industry is quite dynamic, continuous research is required both on product development and customer base. As such, quality education along with continuous training are the key attributes needed in order to achieve continued success. THE DUNES — ISSUE 3 2012 7 New @ KFH Malaysia Another feather in the cap! KFH Malaysia recently won the Best Investment Bank (Asia) award at the Islamic Business & Finance Awards 2011. The award was given in recognition of the Bank’s two main achievements in investment banking. The first was in regards to KFH Malaysia becoming the financier in July 2011 for the development of 97 Islamic religious schools in Johor through Shariah-compliant Murabahah Tawarruq financing facilities of up to RM160 million. This is part of the bank’s strategic partnership with the state. The second recognition commemorated KFH Malaysia’s achievement in arranging and managing the issuance of Nomura Holdings Inc.’s Sukuk Al-Ijarah in July 2010. The Sukuk, which marked the first-of-its-kind for a Japanese corporation, was also the first United States dollar-denominated Sukuk for a Japanese multinational corporation issued out of Malaysia under the Framework of Issuance of Foreign Currency-Denominated Bonds and Sukuk in Malaysia. New Shariah-based current account launched KFH Malaysia recently introduced the Mudharabah Current Account-i for individuals that enable profit earning based on predetermined profit sharing ratios. Available at all its branches, the new Mudharabah Current Account-i also offers free Takaful PA coverage of up to RM50,000 and cheque book facility. Open to individual customers only, the new Mudharabah Current Account-i is a product insured by Perbadanan Insurans Deposit Malaysia (PIDM). Now juniors can invest in gold too 8 THE DUNES — ISSUE 3 2012 KFH Malaysia’s KFH Gold Account-i for Junior/Joint Accounts was introduced at all branches on Monday, 30 January 2012. The product enables customers to invest in gold in a convenient, secure and cheaper way without having to keep the gold physically. This newly launched account is open to both minor account holders below 18 years old and joint account holders. As a junior account holder, initial deposits start from as low as five grams with subsequent deposits and withdrawals at one gram for both types of account holders. As an added bonus, account holders can also make physical gold withdrawals in the new denomination of 20 grams. KFH Gold Discovery III continues at all KFH Malaysia branches until 31 August 2012! The campaign is for KFH Gold Account-i customers with a minimum deposit of 10 grams of gold. Customers will also enjoy special campaign rates at 4.00% p.a.for KFH International Commodity Murabahah Deposit-i (ICM) with a minimum placement of RM50,000 and tenure of 6, 12 or 24 months. New @ KFH Malaysia Norman Md Salleh, Branch Manager Kota Damansara Branch KFH Malaysia’s 11th branch opens in Kota Damansara KFH Malaysia has widened its reach to new and existing clients with the opening of a new branch in Kota Damansara on 29 December 2011, making it the fifth in the Klang Valley and the eleventh in KFH Malaysia’s nationwide network. The new KFH Malaysia branch is located at 22A & 26, Ground Floor, Jalan PJU 5/20D, The Strand PJU 5 Kota Damansara. Dato’ Jamelah Jamaluddin, CEO, KFH Malaysia said, “Kota Damansara was specifically chosen as it has a diverse customer base that enables the Bank to reach out to a wider audience”. This new location also presented a wonderful opportunity for KFH Malaysia to enhance the service delivery to meet customers’ growing needs and interest in Islamic finance. This branch expansion is in line with the Bank’s overall efforts to strengthen the KFH Malaysia brand presence and ensure that customers get more from their banking. With the branch now open for business, Dato’ Jamelah said the business sector, government bodies and retail customers from Kota Damansara and its surrounding areas can benefit from the Bank’s attractive rates and ongoing promotions with its full range of Shariah-based products and services. Among the innovative new products offered are the Gold Account-i, Personal Financing-i, KFH Home Financing-i and KFH Automobile Ijarah-i. Dato’ Jamelah also thanked Bank Negara Malaysia and the state of Selangor for their continued support towards KFH Malaysia, and for their assistance in realising the new branch. “Kota Damansara was specifically chosen as it has a diverse customer base that enables the Bank to reach out to a wider audience.” Dato’ Jamelah Jamaluddin CEO, KFH Malaysia CEO highlights bright future for Islamic banking Dato’ Jamelah Jamaluddin, CEO, KFH Malaysia shared with the audience the positive outlook for Islamic Banking when she spoke at the National Transformation Summit on Thursday, 16 February 2012. With the summit’s theme being ‘Capitalising on Opportunities from the Economic Transformation Programme’, Dato’ Jamelah spoke about the role Islamic banking could play in terms of infrastructure financing, the issuance of foreign Sukuk, SMEs online presence and Shariah-compliant retail banking products and services. THE DUNES — ISSUE 3 2012 9 New @ KFH Malaysia Joint promo puts dream car within reach The joint promotion between KFH Malaysia and Peugeot Malaysia was a roaring success with many customers eagerly snapping up deals and placing orders on their dream car using the KFH Automobile Ijarah-i finance package. The limited-time-only joint promotion was held at Menara Etiqa and attracted customers from surrounding offices who came in droves to test drive the cars and sign-up for the car financing package. The cars on offer were the Peugeot RCZ, 308, 3008 and 5008. The KFH Automobile Ijarah-i is an attractive and comprehensive Shariah-based car financing product that offers customers a convenient and hassle-free package based on the concept of Al-Ijarah Thumma AlBai’ (AI TAB). Easy Way to Own a National Car KFH Malaysia offers customers attractive financing rates for KFH Automobile Ijarah-i on selected national cars such as Alza, Myvi, Exora and Inspira. Terms and conditions apply. Call us now at 1800 888 KFH (534) for more details or log on to kfh.com.my. Creating awareness through exhibition KFH Malaysia made the move to participate in the 1Malaysia Trade & Commercial Exhibition 2011 in Batu Pahat, Johor to create awareness of its retail and commercial banking products. Organised by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce from Thursday, 24 November to Sunday, 27 November 2011, the yearly event is the biggest commercial exhibition in town with over 100 participants from local companies including banks, housing developers and new car dealers. 10 THE DUNES — ISSUE 3 2012 Finance briefing for Chinese Chamber of Commerce Representatives of KFH Malaysia met up with over 60 members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce (CCC) in Kluang, Johor on Friday, 25 November 2011 to get them acquainted with the Bank’s financing products. The CCC members were mostly interested in financing products for oil palm estates, the KFH Gold Account-i and hire purchase. Dato’ Jamelah Jamaluddin, CEO, KFH Malaysia and Dato’ Tan Seng Leong, Chairman, CCC attended a dinner with the participants. New @ KFH Malaysia New KFHAM CEO appointed Mushthaq Ahmad A.M. Ibrahim was appointed Chief Executive Officer of KFH Asset Management Sdn Bhd (KFHAM) on Tuesday, 10 January 2012. Mushthaq Ahmad holds a Master of Business degree from the Governors State University Illinois, USA and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Southeast Missouri State University, USA. Prior to joining KFHAM, Mushthaq Ahmad held senior management positions at MIDF Amanah Asset Management Berhad, Asia Unit Trusts Berhad, Singapore Unit Trusts Ltd, Amanah Asset Managers Sdn Bhd and Bumiputra Merchant Bankers Berhad. His last position was Chief Executive Officer of Wasatah Capital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. With over 20 years of experience in private equity, asset management and advisory, among others, he also successfully managed regional investments. He was a Board Member at MIDF Amanah Asset Management Berhad, Core Competencies Sdn Bhd, T.A.G. Marine Sdn Bhd and BTS Holding (M) Sdn Bhd. Two new members join Shariah Committee Sheikh Isa Abdulla Yusuf Dowaishan and Dr. Engku Muhammad Tajuddin Engku Ali joined KFH Malaysia’s Shariah Committee in January 2012. Their appointments were timely as it fulfilled Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM’s) requirement for a minimum of five Shariah Committee Members for every bank. This shows BNM’s recognition of the important role that Shariah plays in Islamic banking. Sheikh Isa is the Head of Shariah Department, Kuwait Finance House, Bahrain. He is a member of the Shariah Scholar Association as well as registered as a Professional Accountant in the Courts of Bahrain. He holds certificates as Certified Shariah Advisor and Auditor (CSAA) and Arabic Chartered Accountant (ACA). He was a former Acting Head of Legal Affairs and Registration of Awqaf Property and also a former officer of Bahrain Monetary Agency. Sheikh Isa graduated from the Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University with a Bachelor in Shariah and Islamic Studies, majoring in Accounting. He holds a Master of Science in Finance and Banking, majoring in Islamic Banking (First Sheikh Isa Abdulla Yusuf Dowaishan Dr. Engku Muhammad Tajuddin Engku Ali Class) from Arab Academy for Banking and Financial Sciences, Jordon. Dr. Engku is the Head of Shariah Department, Faculty of Islamic Contemporary Studies, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA). He is also a member of the Shariah Committee, Department of Finance & Banking, Faculty of Business Management and Accounting, UniSZA. He had previously served as a lecturer at the School of Islamic Studies at Kolej Ugama Sultan Zainal Abidin (KUSZA) for over 15 years. Dr. Engku holds a Bachelor of Shariah from the Al-Azhar University, Egypt, and a Master and PhD in Comparative Laws from the International Islamic University Malaysia. With Sheikh Isa and Dr. Engku Muhammad now onboard, KFH Malaysia has a more solid Shariah team to help strengthen the quality of products and services offered and its stature as a leading Islamic bank. THE DUNES — ISSUE 3 2012 11 Fun @ Work After the hard work… some fun! Two hundred fifty two staff of KFH Malaysia gathered at the Regency Tanjung Tuan Beach Resort in Port Dickson from Saturday, 14 January to Sunday, 15 January 2012 to celebrate the achievements of the Retail & Consumer Banking division in 2011. Dato’ Jamelah Jamaluddin, CEO, KFH Malaysia and Attar Salleh, Head, Retail & Consumer, KFH Malaysia, were also present at the event. The gathering proved to be a fun getaway for participants with teambuilding activities such as water rafting, exploreracing and ‘fear factor’ thrown into the mix. An awards presentation ceremony was also held for top performers who excelled in the areas of mortgage financing, automobile financing, personal financing, unit trust, gold account as well as current and savings accounts. The teambuilding event not only helped forge closer ties among the participants but also helped instill a greater sense of pride and accomplishment in their work. 12 THE DUNES — ISSUE 3 2012 At Group Level Diabetics give KFH’s iPhone app the thumbs-up KFH bags best Islamic Bank Award Kuwait Finance House (KFH) recently bagged the prestigious Best Islamic Bank in Kuwait 2011 award given by the Islamic Finance News (IFN) magazine thereby cementing its status as the best Islamic financial institution in Kuwait. Mohammed Al-Fouzan, AGM of Banking Sector, KFH said that winning this award for the third consecutive year was clearly a testament to KFH’s commitment to offering its clients a bouquet of innovative Islamic banking services that boosted the market and economy. The award was also proof of KFH’s ability to reinforce its market share based on numerous financial indices thus allowing it to top the list in banking deposits, operative revenues, banking cards and real estate services. It achieved all this despite ferocious competition and continues to play a leading role in the Islamic financing sector while offering financial services for individuals and corporations. Judging for journalism award begins KFH is eagerly awaiting the results of the Journalism Creativity Award that it sponsored earlier now that judging for the competition is underway. Saeed Tawfiki, Deputy Manager of Marketing and Public Relations, KFH, said the competition organised in association with the KJW, had become a part of the Kuwaiti media landscape for the past 70 years. He added that the competition was a reflection of KFH’s appreciation of the pivotal role journalism played in disseminating information to readers who made up the various sectors of the national economy. The iPhone application launched by KFH for diabetic patients has proven to be highly successful and in great demand, and it is being downloaded daily in Arabic and English. The free application puts the spotlight on KFH’s efforts to play a more socially responsible role among the communities it operates in. The application called ‘Diabetes Aid’, the first of its kind among local banks and companies, can be downloaded through App Store. The application contains useful information about diabetes, recommendations by doctors, suitable diets and patients can also create a personal folder of their own data and even time their medications. The application also allows patients to send e-mails to their doctors, thereby enabling the treatment process and creating a medical history. Kuveyt Türk Issues a USD100 billion Sukuk Kuveyt Türk has successfully issued a USD100 billion Sukuk. Speaking at the signing ceremony on Tuesday, 22 November 2011, Ufuk Uyan, CEO, Kuveyt Türk said that Kuveyt Türk was happy to take a pioneering role in opening the door for procuring long-term funds from financial markets, in accordance with interest-free banking principles. Kuveyt Türk’s two Sukuk issuances, the first ever of its kind in Turkey, has enabled the country access to a brand new market that contributed long-term funds necessary for the country’s development. Sukuk market to break USD200 billion barrier in 2012 KFH Research reported that Sukuk issuance is expected to increase by 25-30% this year breaking the USD 200 billion barrier despite industry challenges. The report noted several positive indicators such as the increasing role of governmental issuance that will form the backbone of the market to boost the private sector and finance major developmental projects; the economic growth that the region and emerging markets are witnessing; having new parties and the increase in popularity of Sukuk outside Islamic markets. The report also stated that the Sukuk market witnessed unprecedented growth in 2011 that reached 88% compared to the previous year, adding that Kuwait had returned to the Sukuk issuance market after three years through the issuance of the Al-Oula Investment Company. THE DUNES — ISSUE 3 2012 13 At Group Level USD1 billion in assets & deals acquired last year KFH acquired real estate assets and entered into long-term real estate partnerships worth USD1 billion in 2011. Ali Al-Ghannam, Manager of International Real Estate Department, KFH, said the bank signed a partnership agreement with Grovner to invest USD600 million in profitable real estate in the field of healthcare and medical centres in the United States and acquired 70,000 square metres of real estate for €52 million in Sweden which consists of central warehouses that offer logistic services. By end 2011, KFH acquired a 127unit residential compound in Canada for CAD33.3 million. This is the bank’s first investment with the Killam Company that KFH had signed a real estate partnership with in 2010. KFH-Research wins prestigious global award KFH Research was awarded the prestigious Best Islamic Research Award from the Islamic Finance News (IFN). Votes for the award came from Islamic finance industry practitioners that included Islamic and conventional global banks, clients, leading corporations, financial investors and issuers of Sukuks and Islamic instruments. Fahad Al-Mukhaizeem, Chairman, KFH Research said, “The award is the 11th award of excellence bestowed on KFH Research since its inception five years ago, and marks the unmatched global coverage, analysis, forecast accuracy and talent of the team at the Malaysia and Kuwaitbased branches.” 14 THE DUNES — ISSUE 3 2012 Innovative products for women KFH’s integrated strategy of offering more innovative banking, commercial and investment products and services for women, has resulted in women being able to increase their wealth in 2011. Hala Al-Tannak, Area Manager at Banking Sector, KFH said, part of the integrated strategy included increasing the number of branches for women to 41 branches, in addition to offering them a unique bouquet of banking products. To strengthen its strategy, KFH intensified its promotional and awareness campaigns targeting this sector of clients. The Commercial Sector offers a bouquet of services and products that meet the demands of women, such as financing of used and new cars, boats, new and used navy equipment, and commercial financing. KFH a big hit in cyberspace With 35,000 Facebook followers and 21,000 Twitter followers, KFH has certainly created a genuine interest among its clients. Fahad Al-Mukhaizeem, Manager of Marketing and Public Relations, KFH asserted that this following showed the strong ties that bind KFH to its clients. KFH’s Facebook and Twitter accounts have proven to be excellent avenues of communication to promote the bank’s products and services to the worldwide public. The Facebook and Twitter accounts are an extension of KFH’s belief in utilising modern modes of communications such as smartphones and the bank’s official website. Youth programmes top all in 2011 KFH dedicated 2011 to youths by launching a series of youth programmes throughout the year. In the field of education, KFH launched a programme honouring distinguished Kuwaiti high school students while lending support to university undergraduates by participating in their activities. KFH also adopted a group of Kuwaiti inventors including Arab inventor Sadeq Qassem while in the field of sport, KFH sponsored Kuwait’s national jet-ski team that went on to win first place at the world championships in the United States. In a separate programme, the Bank donated wheelchairs to Kuwaiti Disabled Sports Club. KFH Kota Kinabalu branch brings cheer to orphans KFH Malaysia Kota Kinabalu branch handed over a contribution to Rumah Anak Yatim As-Sakinah on Saturday, 17 December 2011, in conjunction with the orphanage’s first gotong-royong activity. The function was witnessed by ADUN Kawang, YB Datuk Hj. Ghulam Haidar Khan Bahadar who is also the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing. KFH Malaysia is the first Bank to make a donation to this orphanage which was established in October last year. It houses 10 orphans under the age of 15. The orphanage was set up to cater to the growing number of orphans in the locality of Kota Kinabalu and Papar. Branches Kuala Lumpur Ground Floor, Tower 2, EtiqaTwins, 11, Jalan Pinang, P.O.Box 10103, 50704 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel : 03-2173 3228 Fax : 03-2055 7754 Pavilion Lot 22, 1st Floor, Pavilion KL, 168 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel : 03-2056 7612 Fax : 03-2141 8980 Shah Alam Ground Floor, No. 3 & 5, Jalan Plumbum S7/S, Pusat Komersial Seksyen 7, Seksyen 7, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Tel : 03-2056 7630 Fax : 03-5519 1177 Johor Bahru 62, Jalan Molek 2/2, Taman Molek, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia. Tel : 07-356 3100 General Line : 07-356 3111 Fax : 07-353 5242 Penang F-12A-1, F-12A-2, F12A-3, Lorong Bayan Indah 1, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia. Tel : 04-619 1600 General Line : 04-619 1688 Fax : 04-643 6700 Klang No. 1 & 3, Jalan Bayu Tinggi 2B, Batu Unjur, 41200 Klang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Tel : 03-3326 5200 General Line : 03-3326 5252 Fax : 03-3326 5210 Kota Damansara No 22A & 26, Ground Floor, Jalan PJU 5/20D, Pusat Perdagangan Kota Damansara, The Strand PJU 5, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Tel : 03-6142 4442 Fax : 03-6142 4443 Kuching Ground Floor, Menara Zecon, No.92 Lot 393, Section 5, KTLD Jalan Satok, 93400 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel : 082-224 800 General Line : 082-224 888 Fax : 082-233 413 KL Sentral Unit 14, Departure Hall, KL City Air Terminal, KL Sentral Station, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia General Line : 03-2688 6999 Fax : 03-2260 3545 Kota Bharu Lot 549 (PT 210 & PT 211), Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, Seksyen 21, 15299 Kota Bharu, Kelantan Darul Naim, Malaysia Tel : 09-743 3877 Fax : 09-744 9877 Departure Level, Terminal Building, Kuala Lumpur International Airport Lot MTBD 12a, Departure Level, Terminal Building, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, 64000 Sepang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. General Line : 03-2688 6988 Fax : 03-8787 3318 Kota Kinabalu No 65, Wisama Great Eastern, Jalan Gaya, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Tel : 088-251 996 Fax : 088-251 993 Batu Pahat No 1 & 3 Jalan Flora 3, Taman Flora Utama, 83000, Batu Pahat, Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia Tel : 07-433 3110 Line : 07-433 3977 Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT), Kuala Lumpur International Airport Lot LCIA 03, International Arrival Hall, Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT), Kuala Lumpur International Airport, 64000 Sepang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. General Line : 03-2688 6900 Fax : 03-8775 1222 THE DUNES — ISSUE 3 2012 15