SUKUK - Indonesia delays global sukuk to 2011

JAKARTA, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Indonesia will delay a planned $650 million global sukuk offer to the first half of 2011 from October because a lower budget deficit forecast reduces this year's borrowing needs, a government official said on Wednesday.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, is keen to develop Islamic finance and has sold $650 million in sovereign sukuk in 2009. It has not sold any global sukuk so far this year.

Last month, a source told Reuters that the size of the sukuk could be reduced because of the lower budget deficit.