The contest between DIB and CIMB Islamic for best sukuk house could not have been tighter. However, the standout deal over the past 12 months was DIB’s role as co-lead manager of a $600 million issue for the government of Malaysia. CIMB has failed to make significant strides in the Gulf, while DIB was able to snatch business from CIMB’s own backyard. Aref Kooheji, DIB’s executive vice-president of investment and corporate banking, says that DIB expects to do more deals in Malaysia and Asia more broadly in the future.