Supreme Sharia Supervisory Board established at the CMA

HE Sultan Salim Said Al Habsi, Minister of Finance and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Capital Market Authority issued Decision No. 171/2021 establishing the Supreme Sharia Supervisory Board (SSSB)in the Capital Market Authority and issued its Articles of Association pursuant to Article 5 of the Takaful Insurance Law promulgated by Royal Decree No. 11/2016.

SSSB was established to enhance the legislative and regulatory  processes for the companies operating  in the Takaful insurance business based on best international practices. The SSSB will put in place the general policies regulating such types of companies and advising the CMA on the Sharia aspects related to Takaful insurance and contribute to developing the legislations related to the Sharia beside advice on the compatibility of the products, services and contracts of the Takaful insurance companies and deciding on issues of fiqh  disputes among the members of Sharia supervisory commitees in Takaful insurance companies.

The Articles of the SSSB  states that the board must be constituted by the board of directors of the CMA comprising five members including the chairman of SSSB and at least three members must have bachelor’s degree in Islamic Sharia or an equivalent degree beside knowledge of Islamic transactions (Fiqh Al Muamalat) or Islamic banking or Islamic finance or capital market or insurance in addition to ten years experience.

The establishment of the SSSB comes in line with the evolution  in the Takaful insurance market in the Sultanate of Oman during the past years as the volume of the market reached about RO 64.8 million  representing 14% of the total insurance portfolio with two companies specialized in providing Takaful insurance products out the 20 insurance companies operating in the Sultanate of Oman.