MALAYSIA - BANKING - Alkhair (ex UNICORN) eyes Malaysian bank

The Bahrain-based lender, Alkhair International Islamic Bank Bhd, is looking for a small, boutique bank 

 

Kuala Lumpur: Alkhair International Islamic Bank Bhd, formerly known as Unicorn International Islamic Bank Bhd, is seeking Bank Negara Malaysia approval to start talks to buy a local bank. (source)

MALAYSIA - Malaysia's Zarinah Anwar calls for greater GCC-Asian connectivity

LONDON: Zarinah Anwar, chairman of the Securities Commission of Malaysia, the securities and capital market regulator, has called on Middle Eastern and Asian countries to spearhead the further expansion of Islamic finance, which in the process would also deepen business and investment linkages between the two regions where the phenomenon is already being practiced on a significant scale. (source)

BANKING - Indonesia Targets Persian Gulf to Boost Assets: Islamic Finance

Indonesia's Foreign Ministry and central bank are seeking investment from the Persian Gulf to meet its target of increasing Shariah-compliant banking assets by 35 percent this year.

The delegation may meet officials in the Middle East as soon as this month, with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait the most likely destinations, Mulya Siregar, the Jakarta-based director of Islamic services at Bank Indonesia, said in a May 31 interview. (source)