Sarwa launches Halal & Socially Responsible Investment portfolios

Social impact investing is a popular concept in the west, but relatively nascent in the Middle East. Sarwa, the first regulated hybrid robot-advisor is changing this, by bringing Halal and Socially Responsible Investing portfolios to investors in the region.

In its effort to bring investment opportunities to everyone, it has also reduced the minimum fund requirement to open an account down to just $500 (earlier $2500), which is a drastic change from traditional investment firms that normally require capital of more than USD 100,000 for account opening and investment.

With the move to offer Halal and SRI investment portfolios, Sarwa is filling the gap in the market for underserved observant Muslim investors. Mark Chahwan, Co-founder and CEO of Sarwa, said, “At Sarwa, we believe that people should be able to invest in their values as well as their goals. With both Halal and SRI portfolios, they now have the ability to do so. We’re so excited to launch these in the region after all the demand we received from the GCC and expat investor community.”

Sarwa’s halal portfolios are specifically designed to comply with Islamic laws and consist of globally diversified portfolio of Blackrock Index-trading Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) that exclude companies profiting from Islamic-value contradicting industries (alcohol, gambling, tobacco, pork, etc.)

Read more about their halal and socially responsible portfolios in their press release here.