World Bank

More than 200 Islamic financial institutions (IFI) are operating in 48 countries. Their combined assets exceed $200 billion with an annual growth rate between 12 % and 15%. The regulatory regime governing Islamic financial institutions varies significantly across countries. A number of international organizations have been established with the mandate to set standards that would strengthen and eventually harmonize prudential regulations as they apply to IFI. The paper contributes to the discussion on the nature of the prudential standards to be developed. It clarifies the risks IFI are exposed to and the type of regulation that would be needed to systemically manage them. It considers that the industry is still in a development process whose eventual outcome is the convergence of the practice of Islamic financial intermediation with its conceptual foundations. Accordingly, the paper contrasts the risks and regulation that would be needed in the case of Islamic financial intermediation operating according to a) core principles, and b) current practice. Implications for approaches to capital adequacy, licensing requirements and reliance on market discipline are outlined. An organization of the industry that would allow it to develop in compliance with its principles and prudent risk management, and facilitate its regulation is proposed