Appointed by the Malaysian Minister of Finance as the Executive Chairman of the Securities Commission of Malaysia (SC) in June 2024, Mohammad Faiz Azmi was an SC Board Member since August 2023. He was the Chairman of PwC Malaysia for 11 out of his 30 years with the firm, and has over 38 years of experience in the audit and business advisory services sectors in Malaysia and the UK. He was the leader of PwC’s Global Islamic Finance Team practice from 2007 to 2012 and was also PwC Malaysia’s Financial Services Leader and Joint Head of Audit, leading the ESG and Shariah Investing part of PwC’s Sustainability and Climate Change practice. He retired as a Partner and Executive Chairman of PwC Malaysia in June 2023.

Much of Mohammad’s recent work has been with the federal and state governments, involving work related to accrual accounting. He has also been involved in the financial restructuring of government agencies as well as investigations. He is a Member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants, where he was a Former President and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He has held the post of Chairman of the Malaysia Accounting Standards Board, President of the Kuala Lumpur Business Club and ICAEW City Group Chairman.

Mohammad Faiz was educated in Malaysia and the UK, and read law at the University of Durham before being called to the English Bar. He is a Member of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Accountants England and Wales and was conferred an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws by the University of Nottingham in 2016.

Ahmed Lamei leads product management at ITS, a core banking solutions provider serving Islamic financial institutions across the GCC, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia. He drives the design and rollout of ITS’s digital banking platforms, enabling Shariah-compliant transformation at scale.

Ahmed Tabook is the Head of Treasury, Tax & Insurance at OQ Base Industries, with over 15 years of experience in financial management across the oil, gas, petrochemicals sector in addition worked in Sultanate of Oman Ministry of Finance. A graduate of Sultan Qaboos University with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Ahmed has led major initiatives in treasury, cash flow optimization, taxation, insurance, financial controlling, and governance. He played a pivotal role in process automation, risk management, and large-scale financing projects, including the successful execution of OQBI’s Shariah-compliant IPO. Ahmed’s expertise and leadership continue to support OQBI’s strategic financial growth while promoting innovation and best practices in the region’s capital markets.

Aisha Al Kharusi is the Deputy Executive Chairperson of the Modern College of Business and Science, Oman’s oldest full-fledged private institution, overseeing transformation and innovation within the college. With a proven track record of leadership and strategic vision, she brings a wealth of experience to this pivotal role for driving progress and a commitment to excellence.

Prior to this role, Aisha served as the Assistant General Manager of Government and Institutional Banking, Chief Marketing Officer in Oman’s leading Islamic bank. From 2009 to 2012, she was the executive manager of corporate communications and strategy, a key leadership team member and a strategic, long-range business planner of Oman’s oldest commercial bank, National Bank of Oman. Earlier, she was the Deputy Regional Director of The Boeing Company, part of the team responsible for setting up the largest aerospace company, the Middle East Dubai Office, covering ten regional countries. Her responsibilities included international relations, university relations and the Global Corporate Citizenship arm.

Aisha began her career with USA Today in Washington, DC, followed by a publishing firm in Oman and a short tenure at Sultan Qaboos University. In her nearly three decades of work experience, she has held several other senior leadership positions at the corporate level and mid-level management. Aisha has completed several leadership courses and programs. In 2016, she was selected to join the National CEO program organized by the Diwan Royal Court and led by IMD Business School and the National University of Singapore. Aisha also completed a senior executive program at the London Business School. She has served on several boards, including founding board members of inJAz Oman, AEISEC Oman, Oman Business Forum, Oman Chamber of Commerce’s Businesswoman Forum and the Capital Market Authority.

Aisha has a Bachelor’s degree from the American University, Washington, DC, and a Master’s degree in Communication Design from the University of Arts London, Central Saint Martins. She has received several awards, including Woman of the Year 2012 from the Al Mar’a Excellence Award. Aisha was listed among the Most Powerful Women in Corporate Oman by the Oman Economic Review. Aisha’s leadership skills have been honed through her experiences in the UK, Washington, DC, Cologne, Germany, Dubai, the UAE and most of the Middle East. Beyond her professional life, Aisha is deeply involved in philanthropy. She sits on the board of Bwejuu Charity School in Zanzibar, East Africa, a school for underprivileged children with over 600 students. In Oman, she was a board member of Children First, UNICEF Oman Leadership Circle and a founding member of the Association of Early Intervention for Children with Special Needs.

Ali Al Lawati joined Bank Muscat in 2004 and has more than 20 years of banking experience in various segments, including retail banking, SME, corporate banking, project finance, and investment banking, ranging from working with individuals, MSMEs, corporates, pension funds, family business and individual business clients mainly in the Sultanate of Oman and GCC.

Ali was closely involved in setting up the bancassurance and mortgage lending and is the founding member of the Retail Enterprise Unit at Bank Muscat, which provides products and services to the micro enterprises. He applies this expertise to develop custom plans for SMEs and corporates to help them sustain and grow.

Ali’s experience includes working with HSBC Bank in Oman for three years. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Kent. He is also a Certified Accountant Technician and Certified SME expert, in addition to being a graduate from INSEAD business school management program and the Islamic Financial Qualification.

Ali Hassan Moosa is a distinguished leader with over 30 years of extensive experience across the banking, technology, real estate and hospitality sectors. Based in Muscat, Oman, Ali has demonstrated a profound commitment to advancing financial sector development through innovation and strategic leadership. Ali’s current role as Financial Expert in the Ministry of Finance at Estidamah, the National Programme for Fiscal Sustainability and Development of the Financial Sector, underscores his pivotal role in harmonizing fiscal, monetary and economic policies in Oman. Ali is also a member of the Finance and Insurance Committee at the Oman Chamber of Commerce & Industry which plays a crucial role in fostering the development of the financial and insurance sectors within the Sultanate of Oman. Furthermore, Ali is a member of the Advisory Council at Muscat College providing expert advice and sharing latest industry trends with Academia to assist the college in teaching and research.

Anastasia Lim is the Head of Fixed Income at Jabal Asset Management, where she leads the firm’s fixed income and money market business. Since joining in 2024, she has played a key role in expanding the firm’s investment offerings, notably launching two flagship funds: the Jabal Fixed Income Fund and the Jabal Money Market Fund. With over 12 years of experience in the global fixed income space, Anastasia brings deep expertise across conventional and Sukuk instruments, credit markets and regional strategies. Prior to Jabal, she was a Portfolio Manager at the Malaysian Employees Provident Fund (EPF), one of the world’s largest pension funds, where she managed over US$4 billion in global fixed income assets within EPF’s broader US$250 billion portfolio. Her focus was primarily on public fixed income markets.  

Anastasia holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Manchester. During her studies, she spent a semester abroad at Harvard University and completed a summer program in Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London. She is a licensed dealer in Malaysia, an Ordinary Member of the Financial Markets Association Malaysia, and has completed the Oman Securities Market Regulations Exam. She speaks six languages to varying degrees and is currently learning Arabic. 

Asad Qayyum is a highly skilled dual-qualified corporate and commercial lawyer with extensive multi-jurisdiction experience in a number of sectors of the law including capital markets, funds, conventional and Islamic finance, mergers and acquisitions, natural resources (oil, gas and mining) and project finance transactions.

Asad is qualified as a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales, a barrister of England and Wales and an advocate of the High Courts of Pakistan. He has over 22 years of experience advising on a broad range of transactions during his time in the UK, Sultanate of Oman and Pakistan. Asad’s expertise is in advising sovereign and sovereign-owned companies and listed and private companies with respect to their debt and equity capital market financings (conventional and Islamic), registration of funds (including real estate investment funds, acquisitions and disposals of hydrocarbon assets – onshore and offshore) and negotiating clients’ commercial (oil and gas) contracts across the globe (including in the UK, Oman, Canada, the Middle East, Pakistan, Cameroon, Tanzania, Namibia, Burundi, Benin, Cameroon, Nigeria and Kazakhstan).

Azman Mokhtar is a prominent Malaysian leader in finance, education, and public policy. He currently serves as Chairman of the Malaysia International Islamic Finance Centre Leadership Council, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, and INCEIF University. He also sits on influential global platforms including the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Investing, the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (Edinburgh), and advisory boards at Oxford University, SOAS London, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (Qatar), and Saudi Arabia’s Investment Advisory Council. He is also a Senior Fellow at IKIM Malaysia and active in humanitarian and educational organizations such as MERCY Malaysia and the Malay College Kuala Kangsar. From 2004 to 2018, Azman was Managing Director of Khazanah Nasional Berhad, Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, where he transformed the institution into a regional leader. Under his leadership, Khazanah’s net portfolio value rose 3.5 times to RM115.6 billion, with significant international expansion and investments in financial services, telecoms, infrastructure, healthcare, and technology. He spearheaded the Government-Linked Companies Transformation Program, oversaw the development of Iskandar Malaysia, and drove the creation of IHH Healthcare, now one of the world’s largest hospital groups. Earlier in his career, Azman co-founded financial advisory firm BinaFikir, headed research at UBS and Salomon Smith Barney Malaysia. His leadership at Khazanah extended beyond investment returns, embedding frameworks for responsible investment, Islamic and sustainable finance, corporate governance, and human capital development. He established institutions such as Yayasan Hasanah, Yayasan Khazanah, Khazanah Research Institute, Think City, and the Taman Tugu Park initiative. Academically, Azman holds an M.Phil in Development Studies from Cambridge, a Diploma in Islamic Studies, and is both a CFA Charterholder and ACCA Fellow. His contributions have earned numerous awards, including recognition as Malaysia’s Outstanding CEO (2016) and humanitarian honors from MERCY Malaysia (2019).

Azza Alhabsi is an economist at Ominvest, Oman’s largest publicly listed investment firm. She leads macroeconomic and market research to guide investment strategies across global public and private markets. With over a decade of experience, including nearly 10 years at a sovereign wealth fund, she brings deep insight into Oman’s economy, fiscal policy and reform agenda, while also tracking regional and global dynamics.

David Russell KC commenced legal practice in 1974. He is licensed to practice in Australia, England and Wales (Lincoln’s Inn), the Courts of the Dubai International Financial Centre, New York (as a Legal Consultant), New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. He currently practices in Dubai, London, Abu Dhabi, Sydney and Brisbane. He has acted for commonwealth and state governments as well as individuals and corporations. David was President of the Taxation Institute of Australia from 1993 to 1995, and of the Asia Oceania Tax Consultants’ Association from 1996 to 2000. David is a current member of the panel of arbitrators of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre. He has lectured at the University of Sydney for the Master of Taxation course, the University of Queensland for the Master of Laws course and served as an Adjunct Professor of the University of Queensland. He is the Co-Editor of the Oxford University Press Journal Trusts & Trustees and was the Inaugural Chairman of the STEP International Client Special Interest Group. David was also the Deputy Chair and a Director of STEP and a Member of its World Wide Council and various committees as well as a Co-Chair of the United Arab Emirates Chapter of the International Section of the New York State Bar Association. Additionally he was a Member of the Executive Committee of the Section, an Academician of The International Academy of Estate and Trust Law, a Member of the Middle East and North Africa Branch Committee of the Chartered Institute of Taxation (UK), a Member of the Worshipful Company of Tax Advisers, a Freeman of the City of London and an Honorary Member of the Taxation Institute of Hong Kong. In 2016 he chaired the DIFC’s Wealth Management Review Working Group. David is listed in the Taxation Category in the Australian Financial Review/Best Lawyers review of the Australian Legal Profession in 2008 and all later years and in 2014 was the Tax Institute’s Chartered Tax Adviser of the Year. Since 2016, he has been recognised by Legal Week and The American Lawyer as part of the Private Client Global Elite.

Dr Ehab Elsonbaty’s practice focuses on sovereign wealth funds, government advice as well as projects and affairs, corporate matters, corporate governance, sustainability, ESG and Shariah compliant legal services. He advises Middle Eastern entities seeking to do business in the Americas and American clients seeking to do business in the Middle East. Ehab’s extensive transactional and regulatory experience enables him to provide efficient and effective strategic legal support in a wide variety of business matters. Ehab is a strategic adviser to many boards or directors and advisory boards. He helps the firm deliver seamless cross-border solutions for Middle East entities. Among them are corporate enterprises, private equity investors, family offices, government entities and sovereign wealth funds. He helps clients maximize inbound and outbound opportunities arising from this dynamic region, providing comprehensive bilingual legal services and sensitive on-the-ground awareness of each geography in this diverse region. Before joining DLA Piper, Ehab served as Senior Legal Counsel and Head of Corporate Governance and Government Affairs and Senior Adviser to the General Counsel on Special Projects at the Qatar Investment Authority, Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund and one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world. There, he was responsible for strategic, corporate, sustainability, ESG and special projects and transactions valued at billions of dollars as well as was a member of several management committees including the Management Investment Committee and the Crisis Management Committee. Earlier in his career, he served for six years as Senior Legal Adviser to the Amiri Diwan, the office of the Amir of Qatar at the Royal Court. During this time, Ehab was also a member of many policy and legal committees, among them the Permanent Legislative Committee of the Council of Ministers and the Committee for Review of Legislation as well as a Member of the National Committee to Review Commercial Laws of the Ministry of Economy and Trade. Ehab drafted and contributed to several laws and regulations of Qatar, GCC and Middle East. In addition, he served as a public prosecutor in the Egyptian public prosecution, and as a Judge in the commercial courts and was Assistant Minister of Justice for more than 15 years, most recently as a Judge in Cairo’s Court of Appeal. He is currently admitted to the Bar in Egypt and is a certified and practicing arbitrator and mediator and a Member of the Egyptian Judges Club. During his service in Egypt, Ehab was seconded to the Ministry of Justice’s Office for International Cooperation and Human Rights, was an Adviser to the Minister of Telecommunication and Information Technology, a Member of the National Committee for Humanitarian Law, a Member of the National Committee for Counter-Terrorism and the national committee to control the public elections. He has provided consultancy support to several regional and international organizations such as the UN, United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, International Telecommunication Union, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the Council of Europe and the Arab League.

Firas Al Lawati is the Deputy CTO for Digital Transformation at the Central Bank of Oman. With a wealth of experience as the former General Manager of Payment Systems and Head of Fintech Committees in the Central Bank of Oman, Firas brings extensive knowledge and expertise to his current role as the General Manager of IT Directorate. He is holding master’s degree in Accounting and Business Information Technology from the University of New South Wales, Sydney and Bachelor degree from Sultan Qaboos University. His contributions span beyond the workplace, as he actively participates in local and international conferences, sharing insights and fostering collaboration. Known for his strategic mindset, Firas has successfully led and delivered numerous key projects, driving organizational growth, digital transformation and innovation. In addition to his professional role, Firas serves on the advisory boards of two prominent colleges in Oman.

Hichem Bouqniss is the Executive Director leading the Business Operations Department at the International Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation (IILM). He oversees the execution of business strategies, the regular issuances of short-term Sukuk, the origination and structuring of Islamic assets, the distribution of the IILM papers globally and the smooth running of the short-term certificates issuance program. Prior to joining the IILM, Hichem worked at BNP Paribas in the Middle East for eight years, specializing in structuring and distributing fixed income, foreign exchange and interest rate derivatives hedging solutions.

Ibrahim Shaikh is an experienced investment professional with over 11 years across public markets, private assets, and fund structuring, with a specialization in Shariah-compliant strategies. He currently serves as Principal – Investments at Wahed, where he leads the development and launch of alternative funds, UCITS ETFs, and global investment solutions tailored for institutional and retail investors. His work spans product structuring, investment manager selection, cross-border regulatory strategy, and portfolio governance – bridging institutional rigor with faith-based investing. Ibrahim has previously held senior roles at leading Islamic banks and sovereign wealth-backed institutions, managing proprietary public funds and advising ultra-high-net-worth clients and family offices on diversified portfolios across geographies. He has also led investment analysis and planning functions across private markets, including real estate, infrastructure, and special situations – with exposure to global markets including the US, UK, EU, and GCC. Ibrahim is a CFA Charterholder and holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Mumbai. He brings a deep understanding of how to align institutional investment processes with faith-based principles and is focused on expanding access to Shariah-compliant investment opportunities globally.

Jonathan Segal joined Energy Development Oman (EDO) as Director of Treasury & Capital Markets in November 2024. In this role, Jonathan and the EDO Treasury team are focused on accessing cost-effective and diversified financing for EDO, developing its investor base and maintaining the rating agency dialogue. Prior to joining EDO, Jonathan spent over 30 years in capital markets and corporate finance roles at international banks including Barclays, Deutsche Bank and MUFG; and advising governments, corporates and financial institutions on financing strategies and risk management. Jonathan has spent significant time dealing with clients in the GCC since 2007 and was based in Dubai from 2014 to 2017 before returning to London in a role focused primarily on developed market corporates. He also has experience on the buy side and with development finance, having acted as Chair of the Investment Committee of the African Local Currency Bond Fund (a fixed income fund backed by several DFIs) from 2015 to 2023. Jonathan is a CFA Charter holder, has a Master of Arts in Modern Languages from Cambridge University and speaks fluent French, German and Spanish.

Kemal Rizadi Arbi has 30 years global experience in the financial services and corporate sectors involving Islamic finance, corporate and investment banking, corporate governance, fund management, sustainable finance, crowdfunding platforms, fintech, virtual assets and as a regulator, policy maker and strategic developer of capital markets (including the Islamic capital market) in the Middle East and Asian region. He was appointed Board Member of the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC Malaysia) by the Prime Minister of Malaysia who is also the Minister of Finance. He is currently an Expert/Advisor at the Financial Services Authority (Oman FSA), which regulates and develops the financial industry in Oman relating to the capital market and insurance sectors (both conventional and Islamic). He has been involved in the development of the Islamic capital market in Oman from the very beginning since the introduction of Islamic finance in 2013 and led the issuance of the Sukuk regulatory framework then. He was appointed by the Oman Minister of Finance to be on the Oman Government Sukuk Committee managing the 1st Oman sovereign Sukuk issuance of OMR250 million (US$ 650 million) in 2015 which won the IFN Sovereign Deal Of The Year Award in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He was involved in the establishment of the first global Islamic crowdfunding fintech platform in Oman and the GCC region together with the regulatory framework, which allows global cross-border fundraisings and investments. He also leads the national development of the virtual assets industry in Oman, establishing its regulatory framework. Prior to joining the Oman FSA, he established initiatives for the development of the Malaysian and ASEAN+3 (together with China, Japan and Korea) capital markets (including Islamic capital markets), through various senior positions at SC Malaysia. He has also advised the Board of Directors of public listed companies in various industries on corporate transactions (both conventional and Islamic), while working as a senior corporate and investment banker at the largest banking group in Malaysia – Maybank and another investment bank previously owned by the Minister of Finance (Incorporated) Malaysia. Additionally, he was Board Member of an asset management company previously owned by the Johor Corporation, Malaysia involved in Islamic fund management.

Khalid Al Kayed, CEO of Bank Nizwa, is a financial industry veteran with over 30 years under his belt. Khalid was the Chief Finance Officer of the bank before taking on his current role. As the CEO, he is responsible for spearheading the bank’s overall business growth and strategies.

Khalid holds a Master’s in International Accounting and Finance from Liverpool University. He is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified in Strategy and Competitive Analysis (CSCA) from Institute of Management Accountants as well as a Certified Financial Manager (CFM) alumni of Columbia Business School Associate. He also holds the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (ACMA) and Certified Global Managerial Accountant (CGMA) designations.

Prior to joining Bank Nizwa, Khalid held various posts in a host of well-respected financial institutions including Deputy CEO and Chief Financial Officer at Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank, Chief Financial Officer at Standard Chartered Bank Jordan and Financial Controller at the offshore banking unit of Jordan National Bank Cyprus.

Max Freeman is a seasoned entrepreneur with expertise in Web1 and Web3 technologies. He founded Toner.com Group in 1999, scaling it from a dorm room start-up into a multinational business generating over $100 million in revenue without external funding.

As the creator of the EPIC Blockchain Protocol (2017-2023), Max developed a pioneering Layer 1 blockchain to drive mass adoption. He later founded Epic Economy Amplifier (2022) and Epicenter Labs (2024) to expand and commercialize the EPIC Blockchain ecosystem.

A Stanford University alumnus with a background in Computer Science and Business, Max is now based in Dubai, UAE, focused on building transformative, accessible technologies for global impact.

Mohamad Noranuar Sajari (Anuar) is currently the Head of Shariah Structuring at Bank Nizwa, the first fully-fledged listed Islamic bank in the Sultanate of Oman. His main task is managing the product engineering and Shariah affairs of the bank mainly to supervise the structuring and bespoke transactional corporate advisory activities. He previously held an additional role as Lead of the Product Development Task Force.

Anuar has close to 20 years of Islamic finance experience and possesses practical experience, a solid understanding in Shariah and experience in a diverse range of business management applications including transaction structuring, implementation of holistic product development cycle and product management as well as Shariah governance vis-à-vis corporate governance. The recent 11 years of his work experience were within the GCC (Oman and UAE) and before that in ASEAN (Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Brunei) as well as a stint in the UK.

Anuar is credited as the first Malaysian Islamic Banker to join Oman’s Islamic finance industry from ground zero back in 2012. He is also the International Industry Adviser for Universiti Malaya and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman where he provides his industrial insight on a pro-bono basis.

Mohamad Safri Shahul Hamid joined IILM after spending 13 years at CIMB, where he had served the bank in various capacities including as a Deputy CEO at CIMB Islamic and as a Senior Managing Director at the bank’s public sector, group wholesale banking. Safri brings with him almost 30 years of experience in the banking and financial sector including over 20 years of meaningful experience as a pioneer, structurer, transactor and renowned leader in Islamic finance locally and internationally. Safri has played an instrumental role in bringing some of the world’s first, groundbreaking and award-winning Islamic transactions to the market and is well regarded as one of the pioneers of the Islamic capital market globally. Safri has a strong credit background having served as a group credit committee member at CIMB between 2012 and 2020 as well as well as a senior analyst at Malaysian Rating Corporation Berhad from 2000 to 2003. Safri holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the International Islamic University Malaysia and an MBA (Globalisation) from Maastricht School, the Netherlands. He is a Chartered Accountant with the Malaysian Institute of Accounts. Safri is a speaker at many local and international Islamic conferences and events.

Mohamed is a distinguished investment professional with over 18 years of global experience in managing and optimizing financial portfolios across various sectors. Currently, he serves as Head of Investments, Private Markets at Oman National Investments Development Company (TANMIA), where he oversees private markets investments and drives value creation and growth in diverse portfolio sectors.

Throughout his career, Mohamed has developed a deep expertise in private equity, public equity, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, organizational transformation, restructuring, business development and strategic planning.

Prior to his current position, Mohamed served as Chief Executive Officer of Uzbek Oman Investment Company. His career trajectory also includes pivotal roles at Oman Oil Company, United Securities and Capital One Financial Corporation in the UK and the US. Throughout his career, Mohamed has been actively involved in governance, serving on the Board of Directors for companies across Oman, Uzbekistan, Spain and South Korea.

Mohamed holds a Master’s degree in International Business with Distinction from the University of Leeds in the UK and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Pennsylvania State University in the US. He also completed Level 2 of the CFA program and pursued executive education programs at IMD, INSEAD and the Royal Academy of Management.

Dr Mohamed Eskandar Shah Mohd Rasid, the CEO of ISRA International Consulting, brings with him a wealth of academic and industry experience, having previously served as Associate Professor of Islamic Finance at the College of Islamic Studies, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, under the Qatar Foundation. Prior to that, he held several key leadership positions at INCEIF University, including Associate Dean (Student & Internationalization), Dean and Deputy Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.

Dr Eskandar has served as a consultant to numerous government bodies and financial institutions, including Malaysia’s Ministry of Energy, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Finance, CIMB Islamic Bank, the Responsible Finance Institute and ZICO Shariah Advisory. He is currently a Financial Sector Specialist Consultant for the World Bank and an Adviser to the Brunei Institute of Leadership and Islamic Finance. His consulting portfolio covers strategic and regulatory assignments such as Sukuk documentation review for the Maldives Ministry of Finance, Islamic finance master plan development for Kazakhstan’s AIFC, SME empowerment strategies for CIMB and impact monitoring of social finance initiatives for the World Bank. He also advises fintech and sustainability-focused projects, including engagements with GFI Fintech, Alfie Tech Asia, Qatar Gas and Heritage Amanah Indonesia. He has served as a subject matter expert in Islamic finance and capital markets for various institutions, including Bank Negara Malaysia, the Securities Commission Malaysia, PNB, OCBC Al-Amin, as well as academic institutions in Pakistan, China and Bangladesh.

Dr Eskandar holds a PhD in Finance from Nottingham University Business School (UK), a Master’s in International Economics and Finance from the University of Queensland (Australia) and a Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons) from the International Islamic University Malaysia.

Mohammed Al Hashmi, Chief Compliance Officer at Bank Nizwa is currently leading regulatory compliance, corporate governance, anti-money laundering & counter terrorism financing and fraud risk management. Mohammed’s professional career spans over 16 years, including handful experience as an External Bank Examiner at Central Bank of Oman. Mohammed holds a Master’s degree in Financial Management from the University of Manchester and a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Sultan Qaboos University. Mr. Mohammed is certified in Governance, Risk and Compliance by International Compliance Association, UK. Mohammed is currently perusing his doctorate degree in Business Administration with the University of Liverpool, UK. Moreover, he has obtained specialized international trainings and certifications, including many professional certifications from Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) from the United States on Banks Examination and Financial Analysis and certification in Islamic Banking by Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB). He is currently chairing Oman Banks’ AML Taskforce and led the preparation course of Banks for the FATF mutual evaluation on Oman in 2024.

Mohammed Said Al Abri is the Chief Executive Officer of Muscat Clearing and Depository. He serves on several key international and national committees, including the International Organization of Securities Commissions, the Africa/Middle East Regional Committee, the Accountants and Auditors Registration Committee under the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, and the Ministry of Finance’s Sovereign Debt Management Committee, among others. With over 25 years of professional experience across both the public and private sectors, particularly within financial services industry, Mohammed has established a strong record of driving strategic reforms, promoting organizational excellence, and spearheading innovative initiatives. He is recognized for his ability to balance commercial growth with long-term stakeholder value. Mohammed holds an LLM in Banking and Finance Law from Queen Mary University of London, UK. He has also completed executive education programs in Advanced Management at Harvard Business School and Advanced Strategic Management at the Institute for Management Development (IMD), Switzerland. He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Yarmouk University, Jordan (1993–1997).

Mohsin Shaik Bin Sehu Mohamed is an experienced Islamic finance practitioner with nearly two decades of work in investment banking, capital markets, and investments. As Head of Investment Banking & Capital Markets at Dhofar Islamic – Bank Dhofar, he is responsible for Sukuk structuring, private equity, corporate finance, asset management, and advisory services. Mohsin has contributed to the growth of Islamic finance in Oman, including the country’s first Sukuk issuance in 2013 and the government’s first sovereign retail Sukuk in 2020.

He holds professional designations as a Fellow Chartered Professional in Islamic Finance from Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance (CIIF), Chartered Islamic Finance Professional from INCEIF, and serves as a Grand Councilor/Board Member with the Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance in Malaysia. Mohsin earned his Master of Business (Applied Finance) from Queensland University of Technology, Australia, and a Bachelor of Accounting (Hons) from University Tenaga Nasional, Malaysia.

Oliver Agha is Managing Partner of Agha & Co and a Professional Associate at Outer Temple Chambers. U.S.-qualified, he formerly led Islamic finance at the world’s largest law firm and headed the Projects practice at Clifford Chance’s Saudi affiliate. He began his legal career at Fulbright & Jaworski in the U.S. Agha was the first Western-trained lawyer appointed to an AAOIFI board and is widely regarded as a foremost authority on Islamic finance enforcement and reform. His incisive writing has made The Islamic Legal Opinion column in IFN essential reading for regulators, investors, and scholars navigating a field clouded by form-over-substance mimicry.

Rafiza Ghazali is the CEO of KAF Digital Bank, the Islamic digital banking entity of the consortium led by KAF Investment Bank. Prior to joining KAF Investment Bank, Rafiza was group CEO of Cradle Fund, where she collaborated closely with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Ministry of Finance, tasked with supporting and developing Malaysian start-ups and tech entrepreneurs. Rafiza’s wealth of experience in innovation and the digital economy makes her uniquely positioned to drive the digital bank’s value proposition of providing a conducive open-banking platform-based ecosystem to customers and partners. Rafiza’s academic career includes a Bachelor of Science Economics in Accounting and Finance degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment, majoring in Corporate Finance, from the Securities Institute of Australia. She is a fellow member of the Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand, and holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Strategy and Innovation from the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.

Raja Amir is the CEO of HSBC Amanah and Chief Sustainability Officer of HSBC Bank Malaysia. Raja Amir serves as counsel member of the Association of Islamic Banks Malaysia and Chairman of SC4, Joint Committee on Climate Change. Raja Amir is also a member of the Joint Sustainable Finance Working Group Industry Advisory (ASEAN Working Committee on Capital Market Development and ASEAN Capital Markets Forum), member of the Board of Trustees for the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance and appointed to the Policy, Assumptions, Calculators, Education working group chaired by the SC Chairman under the Advisory Committee on Sustainability Reporting.

Sami Bait Rashid is a seasoned banker with over two decades of experience spanning personal banking, digital banking, credit and product management. He holds an MBA from the University of Bedfordshire and has completed prestigious management and leadership development programs at INSEAD and Harvard.

In addition to his core banking expertise, Sami holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Banking and Insurance from the Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance as well as the Islamic Finance Qualification from the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment. His career reflects a strong blend of strategic vision, operational excellence and a commitment to innovation in the banking sector.

Shahariah Shaharudin is the President of Saturna, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saturna
Capital Corporation. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Studies from Knox College, Illinois and a Master of Arts degree in Economics from University of Illinois, Springfield.

Shahariah has more than 30 years of experience in the areas of fund management, stockbroking and commercial banking. She started her career in a commercial bank with extensive experience in retail banking, trade finance and corporate banking and later joined a stockbroking company, overseeing both the stockbroking and futures broking business. She also worked for a fund management house under the Strategic Business and Market Development Division where her core responsibility was sourcing business and servicing both retail and wholesale clients. She was CEO and an Executive Director of Kenanga Islamic Investors before joining Saturna in October 2018.

Shahariah speaks at Islamic finance and ESG conferences. She is passionate about Islamic investment and has participated in the Brunei Roundtable; presented in events in Shenzen, China; and was nominated in the ‘Top 10 List for Women in Malaysian Financial Institutions’ by a local magazine.

Shahariah is currently a holder of the Capital Market Services Representatives License for fund management.

Sherif is a Special Counsel at SASLO with over 15 years of experience as a corporate M&A lawyer. He is also an experienced banking and finance lawyer, with a strong focus on Islamic finance and has previously been seconded to Kuwait Finance House. As a corporate lawyer, Sherif has experience in the sectors of M&A, general corporate, joint ventures, fintech, tech, e-commerce, PE/VC buyouts and corporate advisory/governance. He handles a broad range of commercial matters across various industry sectors and greatly enjoys working with new start-ups. He deals with various matters across the GCC as well as the UK and EU. Additionally, he undertakes general banking and finance/investment work and is particularly drawn to Islamic finance matters. He has advised on a range of project and real estate finance matters, various Sukuk (including an African micro-Sukuk), conventional and Islamic private equity transactions (both controlling and non-controlling) and has been involved in structuring Islamic financing transactions according to Islamic principles. Sherif has worked for the UK silver circle and leading US law firms in London, Dubai, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. He is fluent in English and Arabic.

Thamer Al Shahry is Partner and Head of the Dispute Resolution Department at SASLO. He is also a leading member of the firm’s corporate practice, where he specialises in capital markets, banking and finance, corporate finance and Islamic finance. He is an Omani qualified lawyer with over 10 years of experience in advising and representing clients in various transactions and disputes in Oman.

Thamer has extensive knowledge and experience in dealing with the regulatory and compliance aspects of capital markets, banking and finance and Islamic finance transactions. He has advised on a range of equity and debt offerings including IPOs, rights issues, private placements, bonds, Sukuk and hybrid instruments involving issuers, arrangers, trustees, investors and regulators. He has also advised on various conventional and Islamic financing structures and products such as Murabahah, Musharakah, Ijarah and Wakalah involving banks, financial institutions, borrowers and sponsors.

Some of Thamer’s notable recent projects include the establishment and IPO of a new Omani Shariah compliant open-ended fund and the establishment of another Shariah compliant fund registered with the CMA.

Thamer holds an LLB from the University of Sharjah, an LLM in International Corporate Finance from the University of Reading and a Legal Project Practitioner certification from the IILPM. He is fluent in Arabic and English.

Asad Qayyum is a highly skilled dual-qualified corporate and commercial lawyer with extensive multi-jurisdiction experience in a number of sectors of the law including capital markets, funds, conventional and Islamic finance, mergers and acquisitions, natural resources (oil, gas and mining) and project finance transactions.

Asad is qualified as a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales, a barrister of England and Wales and an advocate of the High Courts of Pakistan. He has over 22 years of experience advising on a broad range of transactions during his time in the UK, Sultanate of Oman and Pakistan. Asad’s expertise is in advising sovereign and sovereign-owned companies and listed and private companies with respect to their debt and equity capital market financings (conventional and Islamic), registration of funds (including real estate investment funds, acquisitions and disposals of hydrocarbon assets – onshore and offshore) and negotiating clients’ commercial (oil and gas) contracts across the globe (including in the UK, Oman, Canada, the Middle East, Pakistan, Cameroon, Tanzania, Namibia, Burundi, Benin, Cameroon, Nigeria and Kazakhstan).

Debopam has extensive experience in finance in the international as well as the Indian domestic markets, having previously worked in India, Singapore, London and Tokyo.

He leads the firm’s India Desk. With in-depth knowledge of the Indian market and regulatory climate, he advises clients on how to successfully implement their Indian-focused transactions.

He advises banks, financial institutions, agents, real estate investment trusts, sponsors, funds and multinational companies across the GCC, South Asia and South East Asia spanning a broad range of industries and asset classes on a wide range of domestic and cross-border transactions with particular focus on corporate finance, real estate finance, project & infrastructure finance, acquisition finance, trade finance, Islamic finance, debt capital markets & structured finance, debt restructuring and regulatory issues. In addition, Debopam regularly assists clients with credit agreement compliance concerns, amendments, waivers and consents on financing documents as well as routine regulatory compliance issues. Besides acting as a counsel for lenders or investors, Debopam has substantial experience in representing borrowers and issuers. He is increasingly sought out for his expertise in the space of ESG and green financing in the GCC and is a regular speaker at conferences and events in this area.

Debopam has been listed in the ALB Super 50 MENA Lawyers 2023 list as one of the most highly recommended private practice lawyers in the region and was mentioned in the IFN Lawyers Directory as a leading Islamic finance practitioner in Oman.

With over 23 years of professional experience, Faisal Islam is a recognized leader in digital finance, product innovation, and financial inclusion. He currently serves as the CEO – ZOOD Pakistan & TEZ Financial Services.

Faisal’s work focuses on closing the financing gap for MSMEs through a range of Shariah-compliant digital products, including Islamic consumer financing, Islamic BNPL, invoice financing, agricultural finance, and Islamic card solutions. He has also pioneered the design of AI-driven, Shariah-compliant alternative credit scoring models, aimed at expanding financial access to underserved segments. In addition, he has successfully established regulatory-aligned Islamic financing operations in emerging markets. His expertise spans the full spectrum of product development from Shariah structuring and partner bank enablement to building embedded finance ecosystems, always ensuring alignment with Islamic ethical standards. His initiatives have been instrumental in advancing cashless economies and promoting financial inclusion through innovative loyalty programs, digital onboarding solutions, and incentive-based payment ecosystems. Beyond Islamic finance, Faisal brings a strong background in technology leadership, with extensive experience across banking, fintech, retail, and asset management sectors.

Hassan Ali Ansari is CFO of Takaful Oman. Takaful Oman is one of the two Islamic insurance companies in the Sultanate of Oman. He started his career with PwC in 2001 and later on in 2007 he moved to AIG, where he served until 2019. He held multiple positions in AIG such as CFO of Pakistan, financial controller for MENA, country finance manager for Oman and Qatar, etc. In addition to core finance, in his current role, he oversees Shariah compliance, risk management and the information technology department. Hassan is a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan.

Dr. Marjan Muhammad is the Deputy President Research at ISRA Institute, INCEIF University. In her current capacity, she oversees different portfolios including research and innovation, research management, assessment and publication, research commercialization, and Islamic finance online database (I-FIKR) developed by ISRA. She was previously the Director of Research Affairs Department at ISRA from 2013-2017. She is currently a member of the Shariah Advisory Council of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) effective from 1 November 2019 and a member of the Shariah Advisory Council of Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) effective from 1 July 2023. Prior to that, she was a member of Shariah Committee at a few local Islamic banks. At the international level, she sits on the Advisory Committee of Experts of Lotus Bank Limited and Shariah Supervisory Board of Lotus Capital Limited, both are based in Nigeria. Marjan obtained her bachelor’s degree in Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Heritage (Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh) from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and graduated from her master’s and PhD degrees at the same university.

Saleh Al Tamami is a seasoned entrepreneur with a remarkable track record of success in various industries. As a co-founder of Mamun, he brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his role as CEO.

Saleh’s entrepreneurial journey began with the establishment of TAMNET, an information technology and business consulting firm, where he demonstrated his visionary leadership by effectively managing operations and driving growth. Recognizing opportunities beyond the realm of technology, Saleh ventured into the car detailing industry with the launch of KOST, successfully positioning the brand as a prominent player in the market.

Prior to embarking on his entrepreneurial endeavors, Saleh honed his legal acumen as a senior commercial and litigation paralegal at SALegal, a prestigious law firm in Oman. This experience equipped him with a deep understanding of legal intricacies, providing invaluable insights into business operations and strategic decision-making.

At Mamun, Saleh’s role as co-founder and CEO allows him to pursue his passion at the convergence of finance, people and technology. He is a visionary leader committed to developing multi-stakeholder products that foster win-win-win outcomes for all parties involved. With an unwavering dedication to excellence, Saleh is instrumental in driving Mamun’s growth, innovation and success in the finance industry.

Shahariah Shaharudin is the President of Saturna, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saturna
Capital Corporation. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Studies from Knox College, Illinois and a Master of Arts degree in Economics from University of Illinois, Springfield.

Shahariah has more than 30 years of experience in the areas of fund management, stockbroking and commercial banking. She started her career in a commercial bank with extensive experience in retail banking, trade finance and corporate banking and later joined a stockbroking company, overseeing both the stockbroking and futures broking business. She also worked for a fund management house under the Strategic Business and Market Development Division where her core responsibility was sourcing business and servicing both retail and wholesale clients. She was CEO and an Executive Director of Kenanga Islamic Investors before joining Saturna in October 2018.

Shahariah speaks at Islamic finance and ESG conferences. She is passionate about Islamic investment and has participated in the Brunei Roundtable; presented in events in Shenzen, China; and was nominated in the ‘Top 10 List for Women in Malaysian Financial Institutions’ by a local magazine.

Shahariah is currently a holder of the Capital Market Services Representatives License for fund management.