Saudi Arabia and Islam have had a very close relationship since the establishment of Saudi Arabia. Thus, Saudi Arabia chose Islam to govern all its laws. Since 1952, with the discovery of oil, the country has witnessed a huge development including the establishment of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) as a Central Bank. SAMA was expected to only allow financial activities that did not conflict with the teachings of Islamic law, as stated in its Charter. However, since its existence, SAMA has supervised and licensed conventional banks that charge Riba (interest or usury) and all the regulations made by SAMA have been designed to deal with conventional banks. Consequently, there is a difference between the law, Islamic law, and the practice. Over the years a dramatic improvement in Islamic finance has been realised. Many countries and international organisations that specialised in Islamic finance have set especial regulations that suit such finance. Nonetheless, Saudi Arabia as a regulatory body preferred not to join this trend and continued adopting and practising the same regulations that were made for conventional finance. This thesis seeks to develop the regulatory framework towards Islamic finance by sheding light on the legal challenges and difficulties that may encounter Islamic finance in Saudi Arabia, which may prevent the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from being the leading country for developing Islamic finance. To help in identifying these challenges, an Islamic financial product Sukuk (Islamic bonds) is chosen to be a case study to show some of the challenges in practice. The thesis firstly discusses Islamic principles toward finance, then the legal environment of Saudi Arabia and how Islamic finance is practised in the Kingdom. It then introduces the new development in the legal environment in response to the Saudi Vision 2030 which can be a tool to help solving the obsricales that Saudi Arabia is encountering. Then the thesis discusses some challenges related to sharia boards in financial institutions, such as not having sharia governance as part of the corporate governance of financial institutions that market their products as being compliant with sharia law; in addition, the absence of a Central Sharia Board that should help in ensuring the conformity of financial products to sharia law. The thesis proposes that the regulators should develop and adopt especial regulations framework that could help the development of Islamic finance. The thesis defines Sukuk and shows how it differs from other financial instruments in conventional finance. Then, it identifies some of the challenges that face Sukuk and its development in the country. Moreover, it looks at a very recent development in the Saudi legal system, which is in response to the Saudi Vision 2030 and the recent interest that was shown by decision-makers, such as the Chairman of the CMA, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, the Deputy Minister for Internal Trade, and also both the Governor and Vice-Governor of the SAMA, in response to the Vision 2030 which could contribute to the development of Islamic finance. As far as the researcher is aware, hardly any studies have addressed this issue with respect to the new development that Saudi Arabia is currently witnessing in response to the Saudi Vision 2030 and the recent developments taking place in neighbouring countries which broadly share similar cultural and religious values. Finally, the thesis proposes some recommendations to develop Islamic finance including some guidelines for establishing a Central Sharia Board, and also, a sharia supervisory governance for Islamic financial institutions which should have a positive effect on Islamic finance in the country.

Les banques islamiques sont complètement différentes des banques conventionnelles. Elles sont pilotées par les principes de la finance islamique. Lors de la prise de décision pour accorder un crédit, les banques islamiques utilisent des outils et des méthodes spécifiques différents de ceux qui sont utilisés dans les banques conventionnelles. Le processus de décision d’octroi de crédit aux entreprises est complexe dans les deux types de banques. Cette thèse cherche à comprendre ce processus et à comparer les déterminants d’endettement dans les deux catégories de banques dans la mesure où elles n’évaluent pas l’entreprise selon les mêmes critères. Par exemple, le partage du risque, qui est une caractéristique du fonctionnement de la banque Islamique, implique la garantie d’une bonne rentabilité des projets financés. Ainsi, nous avons présenté l’état de l’art des deux types de financement pour mieux comprendre les différences de fonctionnement. Les théories qui ont été sollicitées sont la théorie de Trade Off et la théorie de Pecking Order. La régression sur données de panel confirme que les déterminants d’octroi d’un crédit aux entreprises diffèrent selon la banque. Cette différence est due aux principes spécifiques des banques islamiques. / Islamic Banks are thoroughly different from Conventional Banks. They are led by Islamic Finance principles. Indeed, during the decision-making process regarding a loan application from a company, Islamic Banks use their own tools and specific methods. Nevertheless, the two decision-making processes are highly complex. Thus, the aim of our research is to understand the different processes and compare the debt determinants for each kind of bank in so far as they don’t use the same criteria to estimate a company. For example, the risk-sharing, which is one of the features of the Islamic Bank, implies the guarantee of a good Return On Investment. In order to bring some answers relative to the two kind of financing, we exposed the state of the art. We notably mobilized two theories: The Trade Off Theory and the Pecking Order Theory. The regression in panel data confirmed that the Islamic Bank and the Conventional Bank don’t lean on the same determinants in their decision-making process. The specific principles of the Islamic Bank explain this difference.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the profitability performance of Islamic banks (IBs) of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region during 2008 global financial crisis. Design/methodology/approach: Bank-specific data are taken from the Bank Scope database and macroeconomic data are collected from International Financial Statistics. Using a panel data series of 30 banks for the period of 2005 to 2011, the study shows the evidence of structural break for the crisis year as well as the factors that impact the profitability of IBs. Findings: The performance of GCC IBs was significantly influenced during the crisis period by capital adequacy, credit risk, financial risk, operational efficiency, liquidity, bank size, gross domestic product, growth rate of money supply, bank sector development and inflation rate. The study also finds that there is a structural change before and after the global financial crisis. Originality/value: This is an original study that shows that the Sharīʿah-compliant banks have performed better during the crisis and are not affected based on their internal performance records; rather, they have been affected indirectly from the macro shock owing to the overall economic crisis.

Cette étude se propose de mesurer la performance, l’efficience et la concurrence des banques islamiques et conventionnelles dans la région de MENA et ses déterminants. Nous utilisons à cet effet le ROAA et ROAE pour appréhender la rentabilité globale et la méthode de l’enveloppement des données (DEA) et la méthode de l’analyse de la frontière stochastique (SFA) pour calculer les scores d’efficacité technique. Les résultats révèlent des évolutions semblables des deux types de mesure de performance. L’analyse par catégorie de banques révèle que les banques conventionnelles sont plus performantes que les banques islamiques. Malgré les changements technologiques qu’a connu le système bancaire de la région MENA, l’analyse de l’efficience montre que l’inefficience technique provient de l’inefficience technique pure. Enfin, l’efficacité des banques de la région MENA est sensible aux variables telles que la crise, les dépôts, la capitalisation et notamment les variables liées aux lignes de métiers. / This thesis addressed the subject of "Operational Efficiency of Islamic Banks : A Comparative Empirical Study", in order to assess the efficiency of Islamic banks in controlling costs as compared to those of conventional banks. This Search has been divided into five chapters as follows :Chapter I : General concepts and principles;Chapter II : Competition between banks Islamic and conventional banks in opticalefficiency;Chapter III : Banking efficiency: concepts and approaches to measure;Chapter IV : Framework for analysis and research methodology;Chapter V : An Econometric Study of the operational efficiency of Islamic banks andconventional banks;The study found a set of results, including: that the traditional banks are more efficient than Islamic banks, both in the exploitation of the resources available or in a combination of these resources optimally and then to control costs, and that the conventional banks and Islamic banks are more efficient in utilization of available resources to reach output from the use of the optimal mix of these resources.

La crise économique de 2008 a secoué l’économie mondiale en laissant des séquelles dans divers secteurs, notamment dans celui de la banque dont le mode de fonctionnement et le rôle d’intermédiation ont montré leurs limites. La pratique de l’intérêt et la mise en œuvre du mécanisme de la spéculation ont été à l’origine de ces crises contemporaines. Face à cet événement des économistes, des politiques, voire même des banquiers, se sont levés pour trouver une issue à cette turbulence financière. Les premiers rapports et travaux rendus ont été presque tous orientés vers une problématique commune, les uns proposent une finance alternative à la finance conventionnelle et d’autres plaident pour une finance plus éthique. Les solutions suggérées recoupent les principes de la finance islamique. Cette dernière fonctionne en conformité avec les règles de la loi islamique : l’interdiction du riba, de la spéculation, ou encore l’application du principe de partage des profits et des pertes, alternative au riba dans le système islamique. Si du point de vue économique l’intégration de l’industrie islamique dans le système financier français ne pose pas de souci, tel ne semble pas être le cas au regard des règles juridiques qui gouvernent l’organisation et le fonctionnement des banques en France et celles qui régissent le droit des contrats. C’est pour cette raison, qu’il est nécessaire de voir si la banque islamique remplit toutes les conditions requises pour être érigée au rang d’une banque au sens des dispositions du Code monétaire et financier, autrement dit l’intérêt est-il une condition nécessaire pour une opération de crédit, permettant par la même occasion de qualifier une institution de banque ? Ces interrogations ne se limitent pas seulement sur le plan organisationnel, elles s’étendent aussi au fonctionnement de cette banque, car leur régime juridique et la qualification des produits utilisés dans ces banques islamiques méritent un examen judicieux afin d’en déduire le droit applicable en cas de contentieux. Notre thèse se propose d’apporter des solutions à ces interrogations ou, à tout le moins, d’essayer de trouver des voies pour faciliter l’accueil et l’intégration de ces banques en France. / The economic crisis of 2008 shook the worldwide economy by leaving after-effects in various sectors, in particular in that of the bank where its operating process and its role of intermediation showed their limits. The practice of the interest and the placement of the mechanism of the speculation were at the origin of these contemporary crises. The first returned reports and work all were almost directed towards common problems, the ones propose an alternative finance with conventional finance and others plead for a more ethical finance. These suggested solutions recut with the principles of Islamic finance. The latter functions in accordance with the rules of the Islamic law: the prohibition of the riba, the speculation and the application of the principle of division of the profits and the losses, the alternate one of the riba in the Islamic system. So from an economic standpoint the integration of Islamic industry in the French financial system does not pose a concern such does not seem to be the case taking into consideration those and legal rule which controls the organization and the operation of the banks in France which governs the contract law. It is the interest for this reason, that is it is necessary to see whether the Islamic bank meets all the requirements to be set up with the row of a bank within the meaning of the provisions of the monetary and financial Code, in other words a requirement for an operation of credit and allowing by the same occasion to qualify an institution of bank? These interrogations are not limited only on the organisational level, they also extend on operation from this bank, because their legal mode and the qualification of the products used in these Islamic banks deserves a judicious examination in order to deduce the applicable duty in the event of dispute from it. Our thesis is harnessed to bring solutions to these interrogations or at least to try to find ways to facilitate the reception and the integration of these banks in France.

L’objectif de cette thèse est de répondre à trois questions de recherche, peu explorées dans la littérature. Le but de notre premier essai est d’examiner la relation entre le développement financier islamique et la croissance économique, en utilisant un échantillon de 15 pays sur une période allant de 2000 vers 2009. Les résultats de l’estimation du modèle à effet fixe, variable instrumentale et GMM en différence montrent que le développement financier islamique a un impact positif sur la croissance économique. Les résultats du modèle semi-paramétrique prouvent que l’impact du développement financier islamique sur la croissance économique puisse être non linéaire. Notre deuxième essai s’intéresse à étudier l’effet de la crise des subprimes de 2007-2008 sur les banques islamiques portant sur 70 banques, réparties entre 43 banques classiques et 27 banques islamiques pendant la période 2005-2009. Les résultats prouvent qu’il n’y a pas de différence significative en termes d’effet de la crise sur la solidité des banques islamiques et conventionnelles. Dans notre troisième essai, nous nous s’intéressons à analyser la volatilité des indices boursiers islamiques par rapport à leurs consorts conventionnels. Cinq indices islamiques ont fait l’objet de cette étude ainsi que leurs consorts conventionnels. L’étude couvre la période : 2/02/2009-12/02/2014. Les résultats du test de Granger détectent différentes relations causales. Ainsi, Les résultats du modèle Garch montrent que quatre parmi les cinq indices islamiques sont moins volatiles que leurs consorts conventionnels tandis qu’un seul indice islamique est plus volatile que son consort conventionnel. / This dissertation contains three essays on different issues on mergers and acquisitions, left unexplored or unresolved by the existing literature. The first study examine the relationship between Islamic finance development and economic growth in a panel of 15 MENA and Sout-est-asia countries over the 2000-2009 period, using a variety of econometric methods and four standard measures of Islamic financial development. The study identifies two sets of findings. First, fixed effects estimation, panel-data-instrument variables regressions and GMM-difference estimator reveal that the relationship between Islamic financial development and economic growth is positive. The semiparametric panel model shows that there is evidence of nonlinearity in the data. The second study, assess empirically the effect of the 2007-2008 subprime financial crisis on Islamic banks using a sample of 27 Islamic banks and 43 conventional banks during the period from 2005 to 2009. Using the Z-score as indicator of bank stability the results of our regression analysis show that there is no difference in terms of the effect of the financial crisis on the soundness of Islamic bank and their conventional counterparts. The third study aims to examine the volatility of Islamic stock index compared to their conventional counterparts. Five major Islamic stock indexes have been the subject of our third study as well as their conventional counterparts. Covering a time period from 12/02/2009 to 12/02/2014. The application of Granger causality tests detected different causalities during the period, between the returns series under study. Employing Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedastic (GARCH), our results indicate that, four among five Islamic stock indexes were less volatile than their conventional counterparts. But, one Islamic index are more volatile than their conventional counterpart.

With the rapid development of the Islamic banking and finance in South Africa, the legal regime of South Africa, must be able to progress at the same rate of development. The recognition of a foreign legal system such as Islamic law in South Africa is challenging and difficult. South Africa, has an interest based insurance legislative framework and this is not aligned with the principles of the Islamic financial system. As a result of this, regulators have taken various measures to develop and promote the Islamic Industry. The amendment to the South African Tax legislation has created an equitable and level playing field for Islamic law. The South African government also has a further obligation which is to develop a legislative framework to govern Islamic law, as well as to enhance the regulatory and supervisory framework. The study of the development of the Islamic legal regime is an important area that aids legal practitioners in identifying and resolving legal disputes. The purpose of this paper is to examine the accommodation of the Islamic law of Takaful under the South African Insurance legal framework. / Public, Constitutional and International Law / LL. M. (Public, Constitutional and International Law)

L’objectif de cette thèse est de présenter la Banque islamique comme réponse à l’instabilité de l’économie de crédit. La lecture de la crise des subprimes au prisme du modèle post- keynésien de Minsky-Kindleberger permet d’affirmer que l’Hypothèse d’Instabilité Financière (HIF) débouche sur des propositions de gestion des crises financières. Car, si les crises sont inhérentes au capitalisme, il devient nécessaire et urgent de mettre en place des institutions à même de gérer les perturbations financières. Les réformes monétaires proposées au fil du temps par des éco- nomistes et le comité Bâle III posent le problème du développement bancaire. Dans le cas où la monnaie est séparée du crédit financier, soit le cas des reformes monétaires proposées par Fisher (1935) et ses disciples, nous rencontrons le problème du multiplicateur de crédit alors que le risque systémique est faible et il y a remise en cause de la nécessité du prêteur en dernier ressort dans ce système. Tandis que si la monnaie n’est pas séparée du crédit financier, cas des réformes monétaire proposées par des instruments de gestion tels que ceux proposées par Minsky (1982) ; Kindleberger (1989) ; Aglietta et Moutot (1993) ; Aglietta (2011) et le comité Bâle III, le risque systémique per- siste toujours. Dans ce dernier cas, c’est le prêteur en dernier ressort qui est le plus susceptible d’assumer l’objectif de la stabilité du système financier dans son ensemble en émettant de la liquidi- té ultime. L’étude comparative de deux cas de développement de banques islamiques, celui de l’Arabie Saoudite et celui du Pakistan, a montré que ces deux systèmes bancaires ont été confrontés au même problème que celui de la finance occidentale : le développement bancaire. Du fait que, si la monnaie est séparée du crédit financier – cas du Pakistan – les Banques islamiques sont à la fois moins vulnérables au risque systémique mais sont moins performantes. Alors que si la monnaie n’est pas séparée du crédit financier – cas de l’Arabie Saoudite – les banques islamiques sont plus vulnérables aux risques systémiques mais sont plus performantes. A contrario, même si la Banque islamique ne répond pas au risque systémique de l’Hypothèse de l’Instabilité de l’Économie de Crédit, elle résiste tout de même à la crise systémique de cette hypothèse du fait qu’elle ne peut en aucun cas conduire à une crise systémique comme celle des subprimes. Car, en contraste avec l’instrument du système financier conventionnel, les spécificités de l’instrument du système finan- cier islamique l’amènent à être moins vulnérable à la crise systémique. / The goal of this PhD is to analyze the Islamic bank model as a possible solution to the credit economy instability. Reading the subprime crisis through the post Keynesian model of Minsky-Kindleberger lenses allows us to assert that the Financial Instability Hypothesis (HIF) leads to proposals for financial crises management. If crises are inherent in capitalism, it becomes necessary and urgent to set up institutions able of managing financial perturbations. The monetary reforms suggested over time by economists and the Bale III committee too raises the problem of banking development. If money is separated from the financial credit, as in the example of Fisher (1935) and his followers monetary reforms shows, we run into the problem of the credit multiplier while the systemic risk is weak and the necessity of the lender of last resort in this system is questioned. Whereas, if money is not separated from the financial credit, as in the case of monetary reforms proposed by instruments of management such as those suggested by Minsky (1982), Kindleberger, Aglietta and Moutot (1993), Aglietta (2011) and Bale III, the systemic risk persists and this is, after all, the lender in the last resort who may assume the objective of the financial system’s stability in general by uttering of the ultimate liquidity. The development study of the two cases of Islamic banks, those in Saudi Arabia and those in Pakistan, showed the confrontation of these banks of the same problems noticed in the western finance. In fact, if money is separated from the financial credit, which is the case in Pakistan, Islamic banks are less vulnerable to systemic risk and are less efficient. While if money is not separated from the financial credit, as in Saudi Arabia, Islamic banks are more vulnerable to systemic risk and more efficient. However, even if the Islamic bank does not respond to the systemic risk of the Hypothesis of the Credit Economy’s instability, it answers as even to the systemic crises of this hypothesis. Hence, in all cases, it cannot lead to a systemic crisis similar to the subprime one. This is due to the fact that specification of the Islamic financial system instrument, in contrast to the instrument of the conventional financial system, is less vulnerable to the systemic crisis.