IFN Middle East Forum 2027

#IFNEVENTS2027

#IFNEVENTS2027
Dubai continues to serve as a leading global center for Islamic finance, connecting regional and international markets across banking, capital markets and investment. Home to one of the world’s most advanced Islamic finance ecosystems, the UAE plays a pivotal role in facilitating cross-border capital flows, structuring Sukuk transactions and driving innovation across the industry.
As governments, financial institutions and investors navigate an increasingly complex global environment, the Middle East remains a key source of liquidity, investment activity and financial innovation. At the same time, the industry continues to evolve through the adoption of digital technologies, sustainable finance initiatives and the development of increasingly sophisticated Shariah compliant products and solutions. These trends are creating new opportunities for market participants while reinforcing the region’s importance within the global Islamic finance landscape.
Against this backdrop, the IFN Middle East Forum returns to Dubai in 2027, bringing together regulators, financial institutions, corporates, investors and advisers from across the region and beyond. Through high-level discussions and expert insights, participants will explore the opportunities, challenges and developments shaping the future of Islamic banking, capital markets and investment in one of the industry’s most influential markets.
In 2027 we continue to uphold our commitment to organize and deliver bespoke IFN Forums globally in targeted key markets that require interaction and discussion among the industry’s leaders.
Our IFN Forums are evolving to provide a more engaging and marketspecific experience. Each event will begin with a shared plenary session focused on the industry’s most important themes before delegates move into parallel streams dedicated to specialist topics and sectors. The program will also include targeted networking opportunities, private meeting rooms and bespoke small-group discussions designed to encourage deeper engagement and more meaningful connections.
IFN Forums allow you to engage with these markets by ensuring a captive audience and outreach to both local and international participants.
All IFN Forums will be recorded and posted online within a week of the event.
Bringing together leading figures from across the global Islamic finance and investment community, this event is intended for senior executives, institutional investors, regulators, market practitioners and other key stakeholders shaping the industry's future.
Complimentary attendance is reserved for approved qualifying delegates. Applications from service providers, vendors and other commercial participants will be assessed separately and may be subject to delegate fees.
The ONLY regional event focused on the GROWTH and DEVELOPMENT of the Islamic Investment Industry.
The main conference programme will be announced soon.
Room One — Afternoon Programme
Sessions for this room will be announced soon.
Room Two — Afternoon Programme
Sessions for this room will be announced soon.
Room Three — Afternoon Programme
Sessions for this room will be announced soon.
Last week I had the opportunity to speak at the IFN Middle East Issuers & Investors Forum in Dubai. The question for the panel was: how do you build a trusted Shariah compliant AI enabled digital asset ecosystem?
I argued that once AI is part of the system, governance has to sit at the center. AI models don’t always give the same answer twice, whereas, stablecoin payments cannot be reversed. If agentic AI is doing the checking on a rail like that, someone has to be checking the AI.
Thank you Andrew Tebbutt and the REDmoney Group team for having me, and Fahad Siddiqui for asking the hard questions. Great to share the stage with Bhaskar Dasgupta, Eslam Anbar and Omar Bouhafs.
I had the pleasure of moderating a great session on Islamic capital markets entitled ‘Issuance, Innovation and Integration in Islamic Capital Markets’ at the IFN Middle East Issuers & Investors Forum 2026.
My thanks to panelists Husain Alkhaja, James Sadler, Maya Marissa Malek and Sabir Ahmed Shakir for an engaging discussion!
And I’m proud of my colleagues Debopam Dutta and Elias Moubarak for flying the flag too. Elias chaired an insightful session on Islamic asset management.
Trowers & Hamlins picked up an award for Islamic finance at the event too, which wasn’t a bad way to conclude the evening!
Great seeing so many friends and colleagues in attendance – looking forward to catching up with everyone soon!

The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) is a multilateral development financial institution and is part of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group.
The ICD was established in November 1999 to support the economic development of its member countries through the provision of finance for private sector projects, promoting competition and entrepreneurship, providing advisory services to governments and private companies and encouraging cross-border investments.
The ICD has an authorized capital of US$4 billion. Currently, the shareholders of the ICD are the IDB (50%), 53 Islamic countries (30%) and five public financial institutions (20%).
ICD mandate and objectives
The ICD fosters sustainable economic growth in its 53 member countries by:
The ICD selects the financing projects based on their contribution to economic development considering factors such as job creation, Islamic finance development, contribution to exports, etc. The ICD also provides advisory services to governments and private sector groups on policies designed to encourage the establishment, expansion and modernization of private enterprises, the development of capital markets, best management practices and to enhance the role of the market economy. The ICD operates to complement the activities of the IDB in member countries.
The ICD is rated ‘AA/FQ’ by Fitch Ratings, ‘Aa3/P-1’ by Moody’s Investors Service and ‘A+’ by Standard & Poor’s.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Tel: (966-12) 6361400; (966-12) 6441644
Fax: (966-12) 644 4427
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.icd-ps.org

Established 26 years ago in 1994 as a multilateral institution and a member of the Islamic Development Bank Group, the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) was tasked to promote cross-border trade and foreign direct investments in its member countries.
The ICIEC’s mission is to make trade and investment between member countries and the world more secure through the Shariah compliant risk mitigation tool. Its vision is to be recognized as the preferred enabler of trade and investment for sustainable economic development in member countries.
The ICIEC is the only multilateral export credit and investment insurance corporation in the world that provides Shariah-compliant insurance and reinsurance solutions.
Today, the ICIEC supports trade and investment flows in 47 member countries spanning across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Its target clients are corporates (both exporters and investors), banks and financial institutions as well as export credit agencies and insurers.

The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) is a member of the IDB Group. It was established with the purpose of advancing trade among OIC member countries, which would ultimately contribute to the overarching goal of improving the socioeconomic conditions of the people across the world. The ITFC commenced operations in January 2008 and has since consolidated all trade finance businesses that used to be handled by various windows within the IDB Group. Earning an ‘A1’ rating from Moody’s Investors Service reflects the ITFC’s efficiency in service delivery by responding swiftly to customer needs in a market-driven business environment.
Since 2008, the ITFC has provided more than US$40.2 billion of trade financing to OIC member countries, making it the leading provider of trade solutions for the needs of OIC member countries. With a mission of being a catalyst for trade development among OIC member countries and beyond, the ITFC helps entities in member countries gain better access to trade finance and provides them with the necessary trade-related capacity-building tools, which would enable them to successfully compete in the global market.
Contact us at:
Twitter: @ITFCCORP
Facebook: @ITFCCORP
Linkedin: International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC)
Tel: +966 12 646 8337
Fax: +966 12 637 1064
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.itfc-idb.org/en

The Islamic Development Bank Group Business Forum (THIQAH) is the window of the IsDB Group that facilitates contact and coordination between entities concerned of the IsDB Group and private sector firms and related institutions in IsDB Group member countries. The main objective of THIQAH is to establish a unique platform for effective dialogue, cooperation and inclusive partnership for business leaders committed to partnering in promising investment opportunities. Through facilitation and catalyst roles, THIQAH will be leveraging the IsDB Group’s resources to offer necessary services and confidence to investors and to establish strategic partnerships with the leaders of the private sector. The primary focus will be on maximizing cross-border investment among member countries to be supported by IsDB Group’s financial products and services. (www.idbgbf.org)

Islamic Finance news (IFN) is the company’s principal publication. IFN is a digital, subscription-based publication available online and through smartphone and tablet applications. Published weekly, the journal provides exclusive and comprehensive coverage of the global Islamic financial markets through in-house analysis and expert external contributions; in addition to a daily news service, additional quarterly supplements and a variety of special annual issues.
Differentiated by trusted relationships across the industry since 2004, IFN is able to leverage an unrivalled network of contacts and connections to provide unparalleled insight into the issues affecting global Shariah compliant markets: along with in-house analysis, news, interviews, reports, industry and sector data, and much more.
With an archived website containing over 80,000 exclusive reports, the IFN portfolio also hosts a suite of proprietary tools including the industry’s largest interactive terminology glossary, a directory of over 9,000 global Islamic financial institutions and a portal to Islamic Banking Intelligence, the most comprehensive source of segmented Islamic banking financial data.

Fintech is one of the most exciting sectors of the global financial industry, breaking boundaries and challenging preconceptions in one of the shake-ups of the century. A new class of financial players is disrupting the status quo – and financial institutions must embrace this change or face being left behind as the financial landscape transforms beyond recognition.
But although fintech as a whole has been well-served by the media, the Islamic segment has so far made limited penetration on public consciousness – despite the enormous potential it represents for the industry. There is a clear chasm between the multitude of pioneering entrepreneurs, start-ups and fintech firms making waves in the Islamic space; and the interested investors, institutions and stakeholders keen to explore these opportunities.
Recognizing this information gap, IFN is delighted to introduce to you a bespoke multi-channel platform – IFN FinTech.
Comprised of four tranches, IFN FinTech is a one-stop-shop for industry knowledge, networking and communication – supported by our unrivaled global network, our strong social media platform and our trusted multimedia Islamic finance offering.

IFN Sustainable, comprises a dedicated portal, weekly news alert, audio and video podcasts, interviews, data, exclusive reports, case studies, research, virtual roundtables, and hybrid forums. With a focus on the latest news and developments, IFN Sustainable is also be a pivotal platform for thought leadership and the launch of new products and services within the industry. IFN Sustainable also partners with some of the leading organizations associated with the Islamic and sustainable finance industry, providing holistic coverage.

The Islamic investment industry is a fastgrowing and dynamic sector within the Islamic finance space, with a ballooning pool of assets under management, reflecting a rapidly increasing demand for Islamic investment products.
Yet this increased demand has not been matched by increased activity in the media space.
And, although IFN has been reporting on the Islamic investment market for almost 20-years, we noticed we could do more and decided to rectify this imbalance.
After extensive research and surveying of the global Islamic investor industry on what they would like to see, we have designed and built a one stop portal for all those involved or interested in the local, regional, and global Shariah compliant investment market.
Registration for this event will open shortly. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
We are excited to return to one of the most attractive global hubs for Islamic investments and dealmaking, with the IFN Middle East Issuers & Investors Forum. Boasting one of the most mature Islamic finance ecosystems in the world, the UAE is an international powerhouse commanding about 10% of global Shariah compliant assets and is at the forefront of facilitating global Sukuk deals.
This year, we are expanding our focus beyond investments to also include banking and capital markets under the ambit of the highly acclaimed IFN Issuers & Investors Forum.
Leveraging Dubai’s repertoire as an international financial center, the IFN Middle East Issuers & Investor Forum will host leading global experts, industry professionals and dealmakers to engage in high-level discussions on the opportunities, challenges and the future of global Islamic banking, capital-raising and Shariah investments against the backdrop of ongoing macroeconomic and geopolitical developments, and new trends including responsible finance and digitalization.
October saw several developments in the global Islamic finance industry, with Sudan accelerating plans for new Sukuk issuances to support...

The UAE’s Islamic finance sector is being reshaped by a stronger legal framework, diversification in Islamic bank funding and…

Following the launch of a 2026-28 capital markets development plan, a US$800 million sovereign Sukuk issuance and continued…

In a move to diversify its funding sources, DIB has entered the syndicated financing space, attracting US$1.2 billion for its US$750 million…
REDmoney events designs, organizes and hosts industry-leading conferences, forums, roadshows, seminars and dialogues focusing on the Islamic financial markets across a global, regional and national level. Leveraging an exceptional network of the industry’s elite and supported by the expertise of the REDmoney publishing and seminars divisions, REDmoney Events are able to provide access to a unique array of influential speakers, panelists and participants from a cross-section of the global industry to debate the most significant issues affecting the Shariah compliant financial markets.
REDmoney events are differentiated by their complimentary yet qualified attendance structure, ensuring the highest quality of both delegates and contributors. Comprehensive and cuttingedge, attendance ensures exclusive access to the leaders in their field across all sectors and markets.
The annual IFN Asia and IFN UK Forums are categorically recognized as their continent’s leading industry events since their inception in 2006 and 2007, respectively. The Dialogues series have also become an integral element of the REDmoney events series and have cemented their position as leading, must-attend, events.
In 2024, we welcome the IFN Investor Forums, which coincide with the new IFN Investor portal.
Our team will be glad to answer any questions you may have about this event.