Standard & Poor's Voted Best Takaful Ratings Agency

For the second consecutive year, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services announced on July 2nd, 2009 that it has been voted "Best Takaful Ratings Company" at the International Takaful Awards 2009.

For the second consecutive year, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services announced on July 2nd, 2009 that it has been voted "Best Takaful Ratings Company" at the International Takaful Awards 2009. The accolade, presented during an awards ceremony at The 3rd International Takaful Summit 2009 in London, acknowledges our commitment to supporting the development of the Islamic insurance industry. We published our first Takaful rating in 1997 and we remain the leading rating agency for Islamic insurers, with eight ratings on Takaful and Retakaful firms across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia--more than any other global agency. During 2008, we published updated guidance on our approach to rating Islamic insurers and assigned new ratings to Bahraini-based composite insurer Takaful International Co. BSC, Kuwait-based insurer Wethaq Takaful Insurance Co. K.S.C., and Dubai-based insurer Dubai Islamic Insurance & Reinsurance Co. (Aman). "We are thrilled to be recognized by the Islamic finance community for our continuing support of the Shariah-compliant risk-management industry, which is driving increased acceptance and understanding of the Takaful business model," said Yann Le Pallec, managing director of Standard & Poor's. "We continue to experience strong demand for new ratings from both Islamic and traditional insurers worldwide." "Having grown from a niche product servicing limited demand, Islamic insurance has reached a critical mass in the past five years and is now firmly established within the global risk management markets," said Kevin Willis, credit analyst at Standard & Poor's. "The potential for growth is immense, with many consumers switching from conventional insurance or entering the Takaful market for the first time." The International Takaful Awards 2009 are an initiative of the Middle East Business Forum and Afkar Consulting. Winners were selected from a pool of nominees by a panel of Shariah judges, lawyers, journalists, and practitioners from leading Islamic insurance firms worldwide.