KUALA LUMPUR, 27 JUNE, 2011: Thomson Reuters and IdealRatings today launched the Thomson Reuters IdealRatings Islamic Indices, the first Islamic benchmark offering research-based Shariah screening based on globally accepted standards, to investors, money managers and analysts across a range of Islamic instruments.

The indices, which will provide the most transparent Islamic guidelines for investors around the world, will also as a transaction channel for potential investment to Malaysia.

Thomson Reuters Global Head of Islamic Finance and OIC Countries, Rushdi Siddiqui said Islamic finance investors were seeking evolved screening methodologies and deeper sector coverage in order to benchmark and create funds and investments vehicles to tap into the increasingly liquid market.

"Malaysia is committed to be the Islamic finance global hub. We need to raise Malaysia's profile to the wholesale community. We need to tell the Malaysian story out there.

"Malaysian companies will be represented in our terminal through the new indices available globally and it will serve to users or wholesalers looking for opportunity to invest," Rushdi told reporters after the launch here today.

The new family of indices includes compliant companies in over 60 countries and covers the global equity markets in nine regions.

Rushdi said the US$1 trillion global Islamic finance industry was growing over 15 per cent annually.

-Bernama