People throughout Yemen continue to live in the midst of a civil war, with much of the country in a state of conflict. Despite the ongoing challenges, Al-Amal works to provide loans to individuals who have business or personal credit needs. This loan supports crucial business expenses or household needs. By lending to this borrower, you are helping people in Yemen maintain their financial independence during a difficult time in their country.
This loan is also governed by Islamic lending principles, specifically using the Murabaha lending methodology. Click here to learn more about this loan type and Kiva’s approach to lending in the Islamic world.
About Al-Amal Microfinance Bank:
Al-Amal reaches out to low-income micro-entrepreneurs and small business owners in Yemen with a suite of credit, savings, and insurance products tailored for Muslim borrowers. Before lending through Al-Amal, please consider the following:
1) Due to ongoing security concerns, full due-diligence of Al-Amal was conducted remotely rather than on-site. This makes Al-Amal atypical among Kiva’s Field Partners, as Kiva staff have not conducted an on-site assessment. Al-Amal’s assessment included in-person meetings with the top management in other, more secure locations in the Middle East.
2) Because Yemen is a new and unstable environment, there is a possibility that future loan repayments could be held indefinitely in the country for regulatory reasons, even if individual borrowers pay back their loans. As a lender to borrowers in Yemen, you accept this additional risk.
Additionally, all of Al-Amal’s products are Sharia compliant and customized for its Muslim clients. Most of the loans are structured as Murabaha interest free loans. Al-Amal purchases goods for its borrowers and charges them a markup or fee. Al-Amal is also experimenting with Ijarah loans (an Islamic leasing product). For more information on Islamic microfinance, please click here.