“The rapid rate of growth that the global takaful market seen so far will slow, given the stuttering global economy and the relative maturity of some of the larger takaful markets,” the report added.
“Takaful is most prevalent in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and Southeast Asia, but the sector has developed quite differently in these regions. The business lines that predominate in these two regions are distinctly different, as are the sources of growth and the investment models,” the report said.
“In our view, the credit profile of takaful insurers has improved over the past decade. Capitalization could be hampered in future by volatile investment markets and continued growth.”
“The growing need for insurance that complies with Sharia law means that the global takaful sector is becoming an increasingly significant niche within the wider insurance industry,” S&P in its latest report titled “diverging models shape the Growth prospects for takaful,” said.
“We expect to see generally strong growth in contributions, which act as premium income, and greater use of insurance in Islamic states,” it added.
Takaful has developed most in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and Southeast Asia, but individual countries in each region have taken different routes to develop the sector. Thus, the business lines that predominate in these two regions are distinctly different, as are the sources of growth and the investment models.
“We remain concerned by widespread use of high-risk investment strategies by takaful providers, and by the sector’s lack of global standards in areas such as accounting standards and Sharia compliance. In our view, it is unclear how many of the companies involved will sustain their profitability over the longer term, particularly in the GCC region. However, developments in Malaysia–the largest takaful market in Southeast Asia–appear much more healthy and sustainable. They are supported by more-sophisticated regulatory oversight and the stronger investment profile of the industry.”