Press Release

This article was first published in Islamic Finance News on the 4th October 2017. For more information, please visit www.islamicfinancenews.com.

One of the biggest trends in recent years has been the exponential rise of ‘ethical’ investing — and its concurrent conflation, in the Islamic industry, with Shariah compliant finance. But while there may be many similarities, the two are not the same — and linking them can offer a misleading appearance to what are in reality two very different approaches to investing. Here at IFN, we think it is vital for the continued health and independence of the industry to draw a much-needed line in the sand.

By ASIF IQBAL, Qatar Tribune

THE unjust blockade imposed on Qatar by the Saudi-led bloc has failed to make any dent on the aspirations of Qatari companies to acquire overseas firms and rescuing them from insolvency. Since the blockade began three months ago, a couple of firms have successfully closed deals abroad, demonstrating the robustness of Qatari businesses. 

Interview by Capital, Istanbul, Republic of Turkey    QInvest is Qatar’s leading investment bank and, with operations across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the US, is one of the most prominent Islamic financing institutions in the world. QInvest has performed strongly over the last three years with revenue increasing consistently every year, from US$ 35 million in 2013 to US$ 114 million in 2016. QInvest has spent a significant amount of effort expanding its capabilities in Turkey. The size of its asset portfolio is over TRY 1 billion in Turkey. We asked QInvest's plans for the upcoming period and its goals for Turkey to the top executives of the company. Nasser Al Mahmoud, Head of Client Coverage and Distribution, Dr Ataf Ahmed, Head of Asset Management and Can Güçlü, Head of Investment Banking – QINVEST Turkey Office answered our questions…

By Satish Kanady / The Peninsula

QINVEST, Qatar’s leading investment group, is set to reinforce its presence in Turkey. Amidst a raft of global market challenges, the prominent Qatar-based Islamic financing investment bank, is betting on Emerging Market equities, Europe and other developed markets.

QINVEST, Qatar's leading private investment group and one of the region’s most prominent Islamic financial institutions, today announcedthat it has invested in and is a shareholder in OneOcean Port Vell in Barcelona – Spain. The investment was made through its wholly-owned subsidiary BOH LLC, and was made in conjunction with an investment partner.

QINVESTwill work with the city and port authorities in Barcelona to increase the profile of the marina by investing additional resources in the port infrastructure.

• QINVEST recognized as – “ASSET MANAGEMENT ADVISORY FIRM OF THE YEAR” in Qatar during ACQ5 Global Awards 2017
• QInvest’s Income-generating Ijara Fund, which provides investors access to income generating assets in developed markets, oversubscribed

QINVEST, Qatar's leading private investment group and one of the region’s most prominent Islamic financial institutions, today announced its results for the first half of 2017. Revenues from all business lines were QAR 209 million (US$ 57 million), resulting in an operating profit of QAR 113 million (US$ 31 million) and net profits of QAR 34.6 million (US$ 9.5 million).

QInvest, Qatar's leading private investment group and one of the region’s most prominent Islamic financial institutions, announced today its results for the first quarter of 2017. QInvest maintained revenue and operating profitability at a consistent level and is pleased to publish results in line with its expectations. The Bank’s revenues continue to be well diversified across numerous markets and sectors creating a balanced risk profile.

QInvest, Qatar's leading private investment group and one of the region’s most prominent Islamic financial institutions, announced today its collaboration with a GCC institutional investor to create and launch the Magnolia Real Estate Fund, LLC (“the Fund” or “the Magnolia Fund”) which completed its first acquisition of  an outstanding asset in Colorado, US. The acquisition was funded using an Ijarah property debt structure provided by Freddie Mac.

QInvest, Qatar’s leading investment group, announced today that it successfully launched its QInvest SQN Income Fund (the “Fund”), with it being oversubscribed. The Fund, which is a Sharia’a compliant closed-ended fund, provides a unique opportunity for investors to access income generating assets in developed markets. It aims to pay out a net yield of 7% per annum on a monthly basis and has a targeted IRR of between 8% and 9%, with a tenure of 5 years. The Fund was launched in collaboration with SQN Capital Management, a global asset-based investor and fund manager.

QInvest, Qatar's leading investment bank and one of the region’s most prominent Islamic financing institutions announced today the acquisition of a plot of land on South Boulevard in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, in conjunction with a GCC investor.  The property, which is located in a highly sought after area of Charlotte, will be developed into an upscale 200-unit, multifamily apartment complex covering 165,000 square feet. The necessary regulatory approvals have been received and the project is already well underway, with completion expected in August 2018.

• Fund invested in a prime real-estate development in St John’s Wood, London
• Fund achieved 22% net returns to investors, surpassing initial return expectations   
• Demonstrative of QInvest’s strategy to provide investors with compelling real-estate opportunities in international markets

• Record revenues and operating profit since inception
• Well-diversified revenues across multiple geographies and sectors
• Advised on several international landmark deals and transactions
• 2017 outlook is positive and a number of transactions and investments are underway

By Hani Ibrahim, Head of Debt Capital Markets at QInvest  

Islamic Finance News 

n the 19^th October 2016, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) priced its inaugural international bond issuance, raising US$17.5 billion. There is no question that this was a landmark global transaction; the largest debut debt capital markets transaction, the largest emerging markets bond issue and the largest syndicated sovereign bond. However, one fact was notable only by its absence: there was no Islamic tranche as part of the issuance, unlike the recent sovereign issuance from Bahrain. So why did the KSA issue its jumbo debut issuance in a bond format and could it not also issue in a similar size and tenor in the Sukuk format? HANI IBRAHIM delves further.

QInvest, Qatar's leading private investment group and one of the world’s prominent Islamic financial institutions, today announced its results for the first nine months of 2016