Bank Muscat has $1.3bn sukuk plan rejected by Oman's central bank
It has been reported that Oman's central bank has rejected plans by Bank Muscat to launch a OMR 500mn ($1.3bn) sukuk programme as it is concerned the bank will use the sukuk proceeds to increase personal lending. Bank Muscat says it will "restructure the sukuk proposal and file for the approval again".
Bank Muscat, Oman's largest lender, has delayed plans to launch a 500 million rial ($1.3 billion) sukuk programme after the central bank rejected the proposal, a source at the bank told Reuters.

The regulator informed Bank Muscat in writing that it would not accept the plans in their current form, which involved the lender asking for a single approval to issue 100 million rials a year for the next five years, the source said, adding that the central bank had concerns over plans to use the sukuk proceeds to increase personal lending.

"We will restructure the sukuk proposal and file for the approval again," the source said.

Net loans and advances at the bank reached 6.4 billion rials in the six months to June 30, up 4.6 percent on the corresponding period last year, Bank Muscat said as is reported second-quarter earnings.

No one from Oman's central bank was immediately available to comment on the Bank Muscat sukuk.

The plans for the sukuk to be issued in various tranches was backed by Bank Muscat's shareholders in March.