Unlike many of the 100-odd new Saudi investment firms, Jadwa is not just a brokerage or an under-employed Saudi equivalent of an international firm. Created three years ago by Prince Faisal Bin Salman and other Saudi investors, Jadwa is Shariah compliant and has the sixth-largest asset management portfolio in the Kingdom.

A bridge between Asia and the Middle East.

Middle East debate: A bright future for the Gulf’s wealth managers

At the beginning of the year Kuwait’s biggest investment company, Global Investment House, announced that it had defaulted on about $2.5 billion in debt. It became the first big financial institution in the Gulf to default since the credit crisis began. In an exclusive interview its chairwoman Maha Al Ghunaim tells Dominic O’Neill how she plans to turn the company’s fortunes around.

Saudi’s PIF to flex its financial muscle

Saudi debt markets are set for a resilient year, with the promise of more to come.

Michael Ervolini, chief executive of Cabot Research, a behavioural finance adviser to investors, says that an increasing number of investment managers are beginning to analyse their buying and selling behaviour to increase returns. According to Ervolini, most managers could capture more than 100 basis points more in alpha by better understanding their behavioural tendencies.

UAE loan buys time and gives options – but which to take?

At our recent Euromoney Islamic Finance Summit Mukhtar Hussain, global CEO HSBC Amanah, discusses the impact of the financial crisis on the Islamic banking systems, demand for sukuk, new issue premium and areas of growth for Islamic finance

At the recent Euromoney Islamic Finance Summit Mohieddine Kronfol - managing director - Alegra Capital, discusses the impact of the financial crisis on Islamic finance, government intervention and the performance of Allegra's sukuk fund

At our recent Euromoney Islamic Finance Summit, Dr Mohamad Nedal Al Chaar - secretary general - AAOIFI, discusses the impact of AAOIFI's ruling on sukuk, Islamic finance reform, standardization and the role of international banks.

At our recent Euromoney Islamic Finance Summit, Debashis Dey, partner at Clifford Chance, discusses AAOFI's definition of sukuk and its legal ramifications plus the progess in developing a true sales securitization market.

At Euromoney's Islamic Finance Summit, Aamir Khan - managing director - Unicorn Investment Bank discusses the size of the private equity market in Islamic fianance, the differences between conventional private equity and Islamic finance private equity, the impact of the liquidity squeeze and how private equity is perceived in the Middle East?

Central bank governor of Kuwait speaks of a more restrained support plan for the investment sector.

It is not all bad news at Royal Bank of Scotland. At least its Saudi franchise is improving, which might ultimately fetch the troubled UK bank a higher price if it decides to sell the stake it inherited from ABN Amro.

Winner: HSBC Amanah

Winner: Khazanah’s $550 million exchangeable sukuk Malaysian state-investment company Khazanah had already impressed the market with its first groundbreaking sukuk transaction in 2006. In March 2008, its third such deal pushed the boundaries of the Islamic debt capital market even further with a $550 million exchangeable sukuk that featured a number of innovations.

Winner: Kuwait Finance House

Winner: Orimix Concrete Products "It is important not to fall in love with the company and to look at a serious offer when it comes, even though it may not have met your time horizons," says Aamir Khan, managing director of global private equity at Bahraini investment bank Unicorn.

Old-style capitalism is in disrepute. Fans of Islamic finance say it is a model whose ethics give it more sustainability. But optimists will be disappointed to see how far it is part of the global bust. Dominic O’Neill reports.

Winner: BNP Paribas Najmah

Winner: Calyon Calyon’s Islamic banking team made big strides over the past year. The French bank was involved in several eye-catching deals, including financing for the Ma’aden Phosphate Company’s $5.6 billion development in Saudi Arabia.

Winner: CIMB Islamic

Winner: Kuwait Finance House

Winner: Clifford Chance

Winner: Ras Laffan power and water project

Winner: Al Rajhi Bank Of the four biggest project finance deals in the world last year, Saudi Arabia’s Al Rajhi Bank participated in two: the $10 billion Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Complex and the $5.6 billion Ma’aden-Sabic Fertilizer Complex Project.

Winner: HSBC Amanah

Winner: Standard Chartered Saadiq

Winner: SABB Takaful