logo
Standard & Poor (S&P) Reaffirms Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit's (ICIEC) AA- Financial Strength and Issuer Credit Rating with Stable Outlook

Standard & Poor (S&P) Reaffirms Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit's (ICIEC) AA- Financial Strength and Issuer Credit Rating with Stable Outlook

Zawya6 days ago
The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) (http://ICIEC.IsDB.org), a Shariah-based multilateral insurer and member of the Islamic Development Bank Group, has marked another significant milestone with the reaffirmation of its "AA-" long-term issuer credit and financial strength rating by Standard&Poor's (S&P), with a stable outlook. This rating remains the highest within its peer group globally.
The reaffirmation underscores ICIEC's solid credit profile with robust financial strength and low credit risk. S&P expects ICIEC to continue expanding its business operations while maintaining robust levels of capital adequacy, exceptional liquidity buffers, and steadily increasing profitability.
The rating report reconfirms ICIEC's Enterprise Risk Profile (ERP) as 'strong' under S&P's Multilateral Lending Institutions (MLIs) criteria, underpinned by the corporation's supportive shareholder base, strong Preferred Creditor Treatment (PCT), and unique policy role of conducting all business in a Shariah-compliant manner.
Moreover, for the second year, S&P assesses ICIEC's Financial Risk Profile (FRP) as 'very strong' under its insurance criteria, as ICIEC's capital adequacy shows a significant buffer above the 99.99% confidence level, as measured by its insurers' risk-based capital model. Additionally, the Corporation maintains exceptional liquidity, reaffirming its upscaled financial strength.
' sincerely congratulate the Member States, His Excellency the Chairman and distinguished Members of the ICIEC Board of Directors, and the dedicated Staff for their unwavering commitment and sustained achievements." said Dr. Khalid Khalafalla, CEO of ICIEC. " Aligned with the IsDB Group's strategic direction, we reaffirm our deep commitment to supporting Member States through advancement of Islamic finance and key development priorities, including green financing, ESG integration, and food security. ICIEC will continue to play an integral role in implementing the Group's strategy in the years ahead." added Dr. Khalid.
The reaffirmation of the "AA-" highlights ICIEC's strong financial position, prudent risk management, and sound governance practices. It also underscores the Corporation's ability to navigate complex global challenges and its commitment to supporting sustainable economic development in member states.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC).
About The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC):
As a member of the 'AAA' rated Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), ICIEC commenced operations in 1994 to strengthen economic relations between OIC Member States and promote intra-OIC trade and investments by providing risk mitigation tools and financial solutions. The Corporation is the only Islamic multilateral insurer in the world. It has led from the front to deliver a comprehensive suite of solutions to companies and parties in its 50 Member States. ICIEC, for the 17th consecutive year, maintained an "Aa3" insurance financial strength credit rating from Moody's, ranking the Corporation among the top of the Credit and Political Risk Insurance (CPRI) industry. Additionally, S&P has reaffirmed ICIEC's 'AA-' long-term Issuer Credit and Financial Strength Rating for the second year with a stable outlook. ICIEC's resilience is underpinned by its sound underwriting, global reinsurance network, and strong risk management policies. Cumulatively, ICIEC has insured more than USD 121 billion in trade and investment. ICIEC activities are directed to several sectors—energy, manufacturing, infrastructure, healthcare, and agriculture.
For more information, Visit http://ICIEC.IsDB.org
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Egypt Participates in Drafting and Launching the G20 Development Working Group Ministerial Declaration
Egypt Participates in Drafting and Launching the G20 Development Working Group Ministerial Declaration

Zawya

time9 hours ago

  • Zawya

Egypt Participates in Drafting and Launching the G20 Development Working Group Ministerial Declaration

H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, represented the Arab Republic of Egypt at the G20 Development Working Group Ministerial Meeting held in South Africa. She also participated in drafting and launching the Ministerial Declaration at the conclusion of the meetings. The Ministerial Declaration, issued at the meetings, affirmed that development financing is at the core of shared priorities. It also highlighted the urgent need to enhance domestic resource mobilization, address illicit financial flows, and strengthen the role of multilateral and innovative financing mechanisms. The G20 reaffirmed its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, its pledge to leave no one behind, and its enhanced shared responsibility in confronting global challenges and interconnected crises, from debt to global inequalities, climate change, and the SDG financing gap. During her participation, H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat highlighted Egypt's experience in launching the "Country Approaches for Financing Sustainable Development and Climate Action" initiative within the Seville Platform for Action, with the aim of advancing integrated financing frameworks globally. Egypt co-leads this initiative (alongside South Africa, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, UNICEF, regional development banks, and others). Its objectives include 100 countries implementing integrated financing programs or country financing platforms funded by public, private, and philanthropic sources by 2030. Egypt has already begun joint work with Mexico to understand the mechanism for designing and implementing national platforms. Regarding stimulating large-scale investments, H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat emphasized the importance of allowing the private sector to play an effective role in development financing, improving governance in international financial institutions, and strengthening the United Nations' role in setting global economic rules. She also stressed the significance of debt sustainability and updating the basis for calculating Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) to ensure a fairer assessment for developing countries, particularly in Africa, and to support these countries with incentive tools and mechanisms to overcome ongoing debt challenges. In line with the G20 ministers' declaration, which highlights the urgent need to bridge the $4.5 trillion annual SDG financing gap, H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat affirmed the pressing need to expand blended finance and public-private partnerships, and to implement debt-for-development swap programs. She pointed to Egypt's experience, particularly with Italy, Germany, and China, in providing fiscal space for investment in high-impact projects in food security, women's empowerment, environmental protection, and climate change, making it a successful and replicable model. Furthermore, between 2020 and May 2025, Egypt successfully mobilized approximately $15.6 billion for private sector financing from international partners, with $4 billion allocated to the private sector within the Country Platform – the "NWFE" program. Despite the absence of an internationally agreed definition for Global Public Goods, the G20 Ministerial Declaration stressed the urgent need to enable the provision of these goods, along with the importance of taking action to support low-income and developing countries in implementing the 2030 Agenda in accordance with their national priorities and contributing to global well-being. This is what the Development Working Group calls for: enhancing global consensus, research, and cooperation on the protection and provision of Global Public Goods. The Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation reiterated in her speech that development financing and investments in essential sectors represent the cornerstone of sustainable economic and social growth and have a direct impact on human well-being and long-term productivity. She confirmed the necessity of achieving a common vision in line with the G20 Ministerial Declaration, through mobilizing long-term and affordable financing and rethinking multilateral cooperation. With over $460 trillion in global assets, the potential to bridge SDG financing gaps is within reach – if countries redirect capital towards inclusive and sustainable priorities. H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat concluded her speech by stating that the outcomes of this Ministerial Meeting must represent the beginning of a practical phase – to translate commitments into tangible progress, moving from policies to practices with strong political will, while ensuring that no country is left behind in our pursuit of a more sustainable and equitable future for all. It is worth noting that the G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation and plays an important role in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on all major international economic issues. Its membership includes 19 countries plus the European Union and the African Union. South Africa assumed the G20 presidency from December 1, 2024, to November 2025, and is committed to leading the G20 by focusing on people, development, and solutions in a complex global geopolitical landscape. This comes against the backdrop of Egypt's pioneering experience – as a middle-income country – in balancing its national priorities. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation - Egypt.

Wall Street, dollar firm ahead of a big week for market risk
Wall Street, dollar firm ahead of a big week for market risk

Gulf Today

time9 hours ago

  • Gulf Today

Wall Street, dollar firm ahead of a big week for market risk

Wall Street and the dollar firmed on Friday as investors girded themselves for the week ahead, which includes a Federal Reserve policy meeting, crucial corporate results and US President Donald Trump's August 1 deadline for negotiating trade deals. 'Some deals will be done and talks will continue, and Trump may push out the deadline further,' said Tim Ghriskey, senior portfolio strategist at Ingalls & Snyder in New York. 'Trump's process is to shock and then be reasonable in terms of tariffs.' All three indexes were modestly green in early trading, and were on course for weekly gains. Gold lost some shine, pressured by the dollar as healthy risk appetites lured investors away from the safe-haven metal. With Trump's negotiating deadline just a week away, the US and its trading partners are scrambling to reach trade agreements, with European negotiators heartened by the deal with Japan announced on Tuesday. Intel's shares INTC.O dropped 8.8% after the chipmaker forecast steeper-than-expected quarterly losses and said it had halted or scrapped new factory projects in the US and Europe. More than a third of the companies in the S&P 500 have posted results, 80% of which have beaten estimates, according to LSEG data. Analysts now expect year-on-year second-quarter earnings growth of 7.7%, compared with the 5.8% estimate as of July 1. Four members of the Magnificent 7 group of Artificial Intelligence-related megacap stocks - Amazon, Apple , Meta and Microsoft are on next week's earnings docket, and market participants will scrutinize the companies' conference calls for signs that AI expenditures are beginning to pay off and whether tariff-related uncertainties continue to weigh on forward guidance. US economic data released on Friday showed an unexpected decline in new orders for core capital goods, as companies hold back on big ticket purchases amid the fog of ongoing trade talks. The Fed is expected to convene next week for its two-day monetary policy meeting, which is expected to culminate in a decision to let its federal funds target rate stand in the 4.25% to 4.50% range. The meeting comes at a moment in which Fed Chair Jerome Powell is facing criticism from Trump for not cutting rates. 'I don't expect Powell to change what he does, nor should he,' Ghriskey added. 'The idea of lower interest rates should scare us because Fed has had this huge job of bringing down inflation, and to ease rates at this point is clearly going to be inflationary.' The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 113.54 points, or 0.25%, to 44,806.30, the S&P 500 rose 16.19 points, or 0.26%, to 6,379.67 and the Nasdaq Composite rose 44.40 points, or 0.21%, to 21,102.36. European shares gave back some of the previous session's gains as market participants parsed mixed corporate earnings and awaited developments in the U.S.-EU trade negotiations. MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe fell 1.01 points, or 0.11%, to 940.34. The pan-European STOXX 600 index fell 0.29%, while Europe's broad FTSEurofirst 300 index fell 5.34 points, or 0.24%. Emerging market stocks fell 10.36 points, or 0.82%, to 1,256.93. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan closed lower by 0.95%, to 661.07, while Japan's Nikkei fell 370.11 points, or 0.88%, to 41,456.23. US Treasury yields drifted higher in a subdued trading as investors braced for a data-heavy week, updates on US trade talks, and a Federal Reserve policy meeting. The yield on benchmark US 10-year notes rose 0.2 basis points to 4.41%, from 4.408% late on Thursday. The 30-year bond yield rose 0.5 basis points to 4.9543% from 4.949% late on Thursday. The 2-year note yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations for the Federal Reserve, fell 0.6 basis points to 3.919%, from 3.925% late on Thursday. The dollar gained strength but remained on course for its biggest drop in a month as investors focused on tariff negotiations and central bank meetings on the calendar for next week. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies including the yen and the euro, rose 0.28% to 97.72, with the euro down 0.2% at $1.173. Against the Japanese yen, the dollar strengthened 0.4% to 147.57. In cryptocurrencies, bitcoin fell 3.08% to $115,133.22. Ethereum declined 2.63% to $3,641.43. Oil prices softened as investors mulled the global demand outlook and a potential supply increase from Venezuela. US crude fell 0.56% to $65.63 a barrel and Brent fell to $68.91 per barrel, down 0.39% on the day. Gold prices dropped in opposition to the firming dollar, amid growing optimism surrounding U.S.-EU trade talks. Spot gold fell 0.93% to $3,336.52 an ounce. US gold futures fell 0.85% to $3,342.50 an ounce. Canada's main stock index edged higher on Friday, led by technology shares, even as US President Donald Trump suggested the United States may not reach a negotiated trade deal with Canada. The benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index rose 0.2% to 27,427.78 points, remaining on track for a modest weekly gain. Trump said on Friday that the United States may not reach a trade agreement with Canada, hinting his administration could set a tariff rate unilaterally. Agencies

Arada Developments Seeks Debt Financing Amid GCC Boom
Arada Developments Seeks Debt Financing Amid GCC Boom

Arabian Post

time16 hours ago

  • Arabian Post

Arada Developments Seeks Debt Financing Amid GCC Boom

Arada Developments has turned to the debt markets for financing, following its decision to issue a sukuk bond aimed at capitalising on the construction boom within the Gulf Cooperation Council region. With its credit ratings from Moody's and Fitch at B1 and B+, respectively, the company has mandated a consortium of major banks to facilitate the issuance of a five-year fixed-rate sukuk. The sukuk will be issued under Arada Sukuk 2 Limited's $1 billion Trust Certificate Issuance Programme, a key structure that offers Arada the flexibility to issue sukuk over a period. The bond is expected to receive a combined rating of B1 from Moody's and BB- from Fitch, which is indicative of a relatively higher risk investment but one with potential returns, especially in the current market context. Several prominent financial institutions have been enlisted to help manage the deal. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD Capital, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Mashreq, and Standard Chartered Bank are acting as the joint global coordinators for the issuance. Alongside them, a range of other banks, including Arab Bank, Arqaam Capital, Bank ABC, RAKBANK, Sharjah Islamic Bank, and Warba Bank, are involved as joint lead managers and bookrunners. ADVERTISEMENT The move comes at a time when GCC-based developers are increasingly turning to debt markets to raise funds, particularly as demand for real estate continues to soar in the region. A series of fixed income investor calls kicked off last Thursday, giving potential investors an opportunity to engage with Arada's plans and the offering's prospects. The sukuk offering is poised to benefit from the strong growth momentum in the GCC construction and real estate sector, driven by both government-led infrastructure projects and private sector initiatives. The UAE, in particular, has seen a substantial influx of investments in the property sector, driven by both foreign capital and domestic demand. Major projects across residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments are fueling optimism about the sector's future. In the case of Arada, the company has seen rapid growth since its inception. Founded with the ambition to drive innovation in urban developments, Arada has made strides with large-scale projects in key cities like Sharjah and Dubai. The company's flagship projects, such as the Aljada development in Sharjah, showcase its position as one of the leading developers in the region. However, like many other developers, Arada has faced challenges related to financing and liquidity, with the sukuk issuance being a strategic move to secure funds for continued expansion. The growing reliance on sukuk issuances by real estate developers in the GCC highlights an emerging trend. Developers are increasingly tapping debt markets as a means to fund large-scale projects. Sukuk bonds, due to their compliance with Islamic finance principles, are particularly attractive to investors in the region and beyond. This trend is also a result of the favourable financing conditions that have been available in recent years, with lower interest rates and increased liquidity in regional markets. As the sukuk market expands, there are concerns over the sustainability of such growth, especially in the context of rising interest rates and economic uncertainty in global markets. However, the demand for high-yielding, fixed-income instruments continues to remain strong among investors looking to diversify their portfolios, particularly those seeking assets that align with Islamic finance principles.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store