There is no doubt that Sukuk continue to be the star performer of the Islamic finance industry, and are regularly deployed for an array of transactions including infrastructure development, Basel III liquidity requirements and even social welfare funding. However, other Islamic structured products have simply not attracted a similar level of interest in the UAE, despite the obvious advantages these products offer to companies looking to manage risk exposure (particularly in the context of trade finance, where plain vanilla hedging instruments may not be
sufficient) and to sophisticated investors looking to customize their investment portfolio to meet specific risk return objectives. Rahat Dar asks; why haven’t these Islamic structured products found a ready market in the UAE?
Category: Publications
Acquisition Finance (UAE chapter), Getting the Deal Through
This globally relevant Q&A of Lexology, Getting The Deal Through, focuses on key questions centered around Acquisition Finance in the United Arab Emirates. Some topics covered include; general structuring of finance, enforceability of foreign judgements, enforcement of claims and insolvency and many more.
Off-Plan Sales in Dubai: Risks and Rewards, ASIAN-MENA Counsel
Opportunities abound for investors, but there are some important considerations before making an off-plan investment. Learn everything you need to know by reading the full article.
A Pledge in Practice, Lexis Middle East Law Alert
Although a new UAE law governing the pledges of movable assets was issued back in 2016, as Charles Laubach, Partner at Afridi & Angell explains it is only now with the issue of its implementing regulations the impact of this new regime can actually be seen.
Merger Control Reform, The Oath
Abdus Samad of Afridi & Angell examines the key provisions of the Competition Law and their effect on M&A transactions in the UAE.
Regulatory Focus: Ready for reform across the region?
A host of employment law changes have been introduced across the GCC, which mean employers will have to think again about who they recruit and retain, and the penalties for failure to comply with other new requirements. Employment law experts from across the GCC explain the points to watch in each jurisdiction.
Public-private partnerships: the changing face of infrastructure finance
Over 30 years of heavy investment in infrastructure development has seen the emirate of Dubai transformed from an under-developed backwater into a hub for project finance which is often cited as the poster child for the type of metropolis that can be created through dedicated infrastructure investment. With the growing appetite for public private partnerships (PPPs) in the UAE, Rahat Dar analyzes the role Islamic finance will play in this new era.
Convertible Sukuk for funding social welfare in the modern era
As with other countries in the heavily oil-dependent Gulf region, the UAE has taken active steps in recent years to expand its revenue streams (including the implementation of value-added tax, effective the 1st January 2018). Afterall, relying on treasury reserves, albeit substantial, to plug spending gaps in the national budget was only going to be a short-term solution to the long-term problem of low oil prices.
Assessing the Impact of the Changes to Dubai’s Interim Property Registration Law
Shahram Safai, Partner and Anna White, Associate at Afridi & Angell assess the impact of the changes to Dubai’s Interim Property Registration Law which were announced in November.
Blockchain and Crypto Currencies, Lexis Middle East Law
Blockchain technology is attracting the attention of Governments, business people, and consumers. The headline-grabbing cryptocurrency, ‘Bitcoin’, is the best-known application, but the implications and potential uses of Blockchain technology and, more broadly, distributed ledger technology (DLT), are much broader than Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.