European retail and microfinance developments 2013 is a key year for the regulation of microfinance investment funds (MIFs) and social impact investments funds (SIIFs). Several EU regulations came into force which on the one hand strengthen the regulatory requirements for MIFs and their managers and on the other hand facilitate distribution at European Level by…
Luxembourg: Sovereign Sukuk setbacks The increasing number of recent sovereign and corporate Sukuk issuances in the Islamic world has not remained unnoticed in Europe. Both the UK and Luxembourg have announced the issuance of sovereign Sukuk in a move to boost their Islamic fi nance credentials and to welcome further investments from the Islamic world.…
Investment treaty protection — mitigating the risk of government intervention Investors should always be very diligent, when choosing the right investment, as well as the right investment vehicle but, as a Turkish real estate fund promoter recently pointed out to me, investors should also be aware that their investment might be subject to politically motivated…
A quantum leap for the Luxembourg fund structuring toolbox Being Europe’s most important cross-border investment funds domicile, with respect to retail (such as UCITS) and alternative investment funds (AIFs), and with EUR3.4 trillion (US$3.86 trillion) of assets under management (ALFI, the 31st March 2016), there is no other domicile such as Luxembourg in the world…
Luxembourg: Sovereign Sukuk setbacks The increasing number of recent sovereign and corporate Sukuk issuances in the Islamic world has not remained unnoticed in Europe. Both the UK and Luxembourg have announced the issuance of sovereign Sukuk in a move to boost their Islamic fi nance credentials and to welcome further investments from the Islamic world.…
Luxembourg’s nurturing ecosystem for ethical and responsible investment funds The recent decision of the US to leave the Paris Climate Agreement and its increasing reluctance to support the unanimously approved UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) might have been expected to impact ethical and environmental projects. Quite the contrary, funds with a focus on socially responsible…
A common standard for Islamic funds Standardization remains a buzzword in Islamic fi nance. It appears logical that a common legal framework and common standards will make the industry fl ourish and grow. If we look at the Islamic fund industry, in particular, the total size of the industry remains relatively small with total global…
Opportunities in Islamic wealth management One might think that the current economic diffi culties in the Middle East would have a negative impact on the wealth management industry in the region. Quite to the contrary, private high-net-worth wealth in the Middle East and North Africa has increased and a variety of reports have come to…
