RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s sukuk issuances jumped by 37 percent in 2021, totalling $36.9 billion, up from $27 billion the year before, S&P Global Ratings revealed.
The increase is attributed to the global issuance of foreign-currency denominated sukuk, which has increased by 10 percent in 2021, with large issuances in the Kingdom, such as that by oil giant Saudi Aramco, contributing to the rise.
On a broader scale, global sukuk issuance has slightly decreased to $147.4 billion in 2021, compared to $148.4 billion in 2020.
In an earlier report, the credit rating agency expected the volume of sukuk disbursement in 2022 to linger around $145-150 billion without significant growth, amid lower and more expensive global and regional liquidity, increased complexity and reduced financing needs for some core Islamic finance countries.