ICIEC Newsletter

August 2022

Message from the CEO

Welcome to this summer edition of the ICIEC Newsletter – where our themes focus on building digital resilience, supporting sustainable growth and robust trade in Egypt and OIC member states.

The global economy remains in flux amid the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 epidemic, the ever-present need for climate change mitigation, and the geopolitical cross-currents from the war in Ukraine. As the worst of the pandemic effects should now be behind us, there are points of light. Amid inflationary pressures along global supply chains, ICIEC has a unique role to play in helping support our members’ economies while not adding pressure on sovereign debt levels through our commercial and political risk mitigation and credit enhancement solutions.

Egypt has its own Vision 2030 agenda in parallel with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and we will undoubtedly be hearing a lot more from the country as it prepares to host COP27 this November. We were delighted to be hosted by Egypt in June, and in this edition, we are focusing on developments at the private sector forum at IsDB Group Annual Meetings at the Sharm El Sheikh, with several prestigious sessions hosted by ICIEC.

We focus on some key takeaways from the action on digitization in ICIEC member states and how credit insurance can support climate action, particularly in Egypt. We draw lessons from what can be achieved in Egypt on financing climate enhancement and economic growth while improving digitization and how ICIEC can help on both counts. Energy security and sustainability will continue to be a focus for Egypt, and ICIEC continues to support deals in Egypt that benefit the country and secure vital energy resources.

We are also celebrating our new partnership with the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI), which in turn is marking its centenary of existence. To that end, we feature an interview with the Chairman of FEI and discuss the achievements of FEI and its ambitions for how our partnership can help foster Egyptian trade with Africa.

Also, we introduce one of our colleagues in charge of the MENA region, a country manager who is particularly fascinated with all things Egypt.

Enjoy reading the articles, and let us know if there are new topics you would like us to feature in upcoming editions.

Sincerely,

Oussama A KAISSI

Chief Executive Officer

News & Events

On June 9, 2022, Cairo, Egypt. The Board of Governors of the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) approved an ID600 million (around $805 million) increase in capital for the Shariah-compliant multilateral insurer during its 29th Annual Meeting held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt on June 4 2022.

On June 5, 2022, Jeddah, KSA. ICIEC signed a wide-ranging Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Export Bahrain, in which ICIEC will provide export credit insurance services in support of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the country. The MoU was signed by Oussama KAISSI, CEO of ICIEC, and Mrs Safaa Abdulkhaliq, Acting CEO of Export Bahrain. Under the MoU, ICIEC will use its expertise and knowledge of local and global markets, especially OIC member countries, to provide institutional support to Export Bahrain in developing and enhancing the export capabilities of Bahraini SMEs to these markets. The parties agreed to exchange economic and trade information and statistics regularly and for ICIEC to organize technical training courses relating to the export credit and investment insurance ecosystem for Bahraini officials, exporters and allied services.

On June 4, 2022, Sharm El Sheik, Egypt. The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), the Insurance arm of the (IsDB) Group, has released its Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements for 2021 upon approval from its Board of Governors on June 4, 2022. ICIEC has once more demonstrated resilience in a year of unprecedented risks, shifting priorities and continuing global impacts of the Pandemic. In 2021, ICIEC insured a near-record of $9.8 billion, with corporate net results equally strong at $9.3 million, significantly surpassing targets. Since its inception, ICIEC has supported exports, imports, and foreign direct investments with a total of $83.3 billion.

On June 3, 2022, Cairo, Egypt. ICIEC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federation of Afro-Asian Insurers and Reinsurers (FAIR) to foster greater cooperation to encourage business collaboration among their members. Under the MoU, there will be greater cooperation between FAIR and ICIEC on sharing insurance and reinsurance information, regulatory guidelines, emerging insurance needs, market gaps, ICIEC’s added value in risk mitigation, and credit enhancement for the benefits of common countries of coverage/operations. The MoU was signed by Oussama Kaissi, CEO of ICIEC, and Mo’men Mukhtar, Secretary-General of FAIR.

On June 3, 2022, Sharm El Sheik, Egypt. ICIEC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate with one of Egypt’s most prominent companies to accelerate climate action in the ICIEC Member States. The MoU between ICIEC and El-Sewedy Electric provides a framework for joint action in promoting climate action and water projects, in line with the ICIEC Climate Action Guidelines and El-Sewedy Electric’s Sustainability Strategy 2020-2023. The MoU was signed by Oussama KAISSI, CEO of ICIEC, and Ahmed El-Sewedy, Chairman and CEO of El-Sewedy Electric.

On June 3, 2022, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. ICIEC and Saudi EXIM Bank signed reinsurance agreements during the Islamic Development Bank Group’s Private Sector Forum (PSF), which will help facilitate trade finance flow into and out of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Facultative Reinsurance Agreement will see ICIEC provide reinsurance to Saudi EXIM Bank coverage of confirmed documentary credits. The agreement encompasses documentary credits confirmed by Bank AlBilad and Arab National Bank – the original policyholders – and will create additional capacity for Saudi EXIM Bank to support exporters and importers of essential goods and services in Saudi Arabia. Under the agreement, ICIEC’s reinsurance will protect against commercial and political risks of issuing banks in the ICIEC Member States. The combined approved limit for the reinsurance agreements is $138 million over a 12-month tenure.

On June 3, 2022, Sharm El Sheik, Egypt.  ICIEC and UAE-headquartered Tabarak Investment Capital have signed an insurance policy that will provide tailored insurance cover for exporting and importing Sharia-compliant goods and services.

On June 3, 2022, Sharm El Sheik, Egypt. ICIEC and the Arab Republic of Egypt, represented by the Ministry of Trade and Industry and two other partners of the Arab-Africa Trade Bridges (AATB) Program, have signed a Framework Agreement to increase economic integration and support sustainable growth in all Arab and African countries.

On June 3, 2022, Sharm El Sheik, Egypt. The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI) to facilitate cooperation and promote trade and investment opportunities for Egyptian industries.

On May 19, 2022.  ICIEC and the International Federation of Islamic Takaful and Insurance Companies (IFTI) signed a ground-breaking Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in a move designed to boost the development of the Islamic insurance sector. The MoU was signed by Oussama KAISSI, the CEO of ICIEC, and Reda Amin Dahbour, the Chairman of IFTI. Under the agreement, ICIEC, as the insurance arm of the Islamic Development Bank Group, and IFTI, an umbrella entity for Islamic Takaful and insurance companies around the world, have a general framework to facilitate cooperation on their common goals and a range of collaborative initiatives and programs.

Insights

El Sewedy on Egypt’s FEI and its new era of cooperation with ICIEC

How digital transformation can support finance and investment

How can credit and political risk insurance help facilitate climate action?

ICIEC in Five:
Meet the Team

Project Highlights

ICIEC supports energy investments in Uzbekistan

On April 11, 2022, ICIEC provided $60 million in support for Uzbekistan’s energy generation and transmission investments. In the five-year deal, ICIEC provided political risk insurance [PRI] coverage for Hidro Enerji to make an equity investment of $40 million in Odas Enerji CA, Uzbekistan. This is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of a 174-megawatt combustion engine combined cycle power plant in the Khorezm region of the country. Also, the support was for the revenues of $20 million to be generated under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) signed with the Government of Uzbekistan.

The equity investment insurance is against three risks (breach of contract, expropriation and transfer restriction) and follows an investment agreement signed by Odaş Enerji and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan (represented by the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade).

The investment aims to improve energy infrastructure, increase energy efficiency, reduce power outages in the Khorezm region, support employment and economic growth, and contribute to the government’s industrialization and import substitution ambitions.

ICIEC provides Murabaha facility to SNB for vital Egypt energy purchases

On April 1, ICIEC provided a $200 million one-year facility to Saudi National Bank (SNB) to purchase crude oil, refined petroleum products and LNG (gas) from Egypt. The Bank Master Policy is a syndicated Murabaha facility.

ICIEC has played a central role in helping Egypt raise additional funds to counteract the adverse impact of COVID-19 on Egypt’s increased funding needs for fiscal and socioeconomic requirements. It has done this by covering SNB to support Egypt’s government actions relating to pandemic effects on public finances. The assistance to help the purchase of crude oil, refined petroleum products, and gas products will aid in preventing a shortage in such essential commodities.