Islamic funds in Malta: opportunities and challenges

Abstract

Islamic finance is one of the world's fastest growing sectors in banking and finance around the world. It is a financial system based on the principles of Islamic law also known as Shariah. This type of finance attracts Muslim borrowers and investors in both Islamic and non-Islamic countries. In these last few years, Islamic finance was introduced to Europe, where the number of financial institutions is increasing at a fast pace also fuelled by a growing Muslim population in this region. The aim of this dissertation is to explore the characteristics of Islamic investment funds, whilst attempting to identify those factors within the local context which could aid or hinder the growth of Islamic funds in Malta. A review of international and local literature on the subject is pointed to different factors hindering the growth of Islamic funds. However, one important factor is the availability of professionals and experts specialising in Islamic finance. Having a supportive regulatory framework was identified as a major factor that helped the development of this financial system. Results from interviews and questionnaires have also served to confirm the literature findings carried out with local experts in Islamic finance. Based on the findings, the study concludes with a number of recommendations that can be implemented in order to overcome the barriers and attract more investors to further Malta's position in the industry.