The Bahrain award is one of the easier ones in the region to decide upon; Ahli United is the leader on almost any metric. Its $579.4 million net profit for the 2013 financial year ($366.5 million after allowing for a one-off exceptional gain) was a record and a 25.7% improvement on the previous year, as well as being the biggest profit in the country’s banking industry. Total assets grew 9.3% to $32.65 billion; loans, 8.3%; customer deposits, 17.4%. NPLs are a healthy 2.4% and total provisions for those NPLs 149.4%, while the bank’s capital adequacy ratio now stands at 16.2%. Most of these metrics lead the industry.

During a discussion on capital market development at the annual meeting of the African Development Bank in Rwanda, panellists argued sovereign sukuk issuance will finally take off this year in a bid to diversify sources of long-term dollar financing away from the Eurobond market.

Revenues up; costs down; Has autonomy and capital

Issuance in ‘next financial year’; deal likely to be one-off.

On top of the Aldar-Sorouh merger, the financing of the second phase of Emirates Aluminium (Emal) added to Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s resurgent confidence in 2013.

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Best sukuk deal:

Best Islamic bank in UK

Best sukuk house

Best Islamic leasing house

Best Islamic bank in Saudi Arabia

Best Islamic real estate deal:

Best Islamic assurance and advisory services

Best Islamic fund manager

Most innovative Islamic deal:

Best Islamic rising star

Best takaful house

Islamic finance roundtable: The new contest to be the capital of Islamic finance

Best Islamic bank in Bahrain

Best international Islamic bank

Best Islamic bank in the Middle East

Islamic finance deal of the year:

Best Islamic bank in Kuwait

Best Islamic project finance deal:

Best Islamic bank in Asia

Best Islamic bank in Indonesia

Best Islamic bank in Qatar