Private Equity, Islamic Finance, and Sovereign Wealth Funds in the MENA Region

The Middle East and North Africa region has experienced a significant amount of activity in the past few years, despite the worldwide economic problems caused by the subprime crisis. A strong influx of petrodollar reserves, sustainable economic growth, limited reliance on leverage, and limited exposure to the global credit markets have kept the region relatively outside the economic mishaps overwhelming a number of economies, especially in the West. Shariah-compliant, Islamic private equity funds and the use of sovereign wealth funds as sources of private equity in the region are two important evolutionary developments to watch in the next few years. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.