High provisions for non-performing loans depressed the net profits of Sharjah Islamic Bank (SIB) by nearly 23 per cent in 2008 and the income is expected to fall further this year before rebounding sharply in the next few years, according to a key Kuwaiti investment bank. The bank's assets jumped by around 50 per cent last year and they could continue their surge in the next years despite investment impairment and credit crunch, the Global Investment House (GIH) said in a study on SIB performance. From Dh302 million in 2007, SIB's net earnings dipped by 23 per cent to Dh232m in 2008, GIH said.