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IFN Asia 2022

27th September 2022
EQ, Kuala Lumpur

#IFNASIA2022

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  • Session 1
  • Session 2
  • Session 3
  • Session 4
  • Session 5
Session 1
Leaders’ Question Time: The State of the Industry

We pose a series of high-level strategic questions to senior representatives of Islamic financial services industry. How can Islamic finance and investment create a genuinely competitive advantage in key areas such as retail, commercial, corporate banking and wealth management? Are there inhibitions and limitations the industry needs to acknowledge and overcome? Does Islamic finance want to become mainstream, or are we content with the plausible alternative label? What’s really working in financial technology, and who ultimately benefits: financial institutions, consumers, or both? Is the success of neo-banks inevitable, and how will they change the market? Having witnessed the remarkable growth of ESG and sustainable finance, on reflection, are there things Islamic finance could have done differently?

Moderator:

Professor Azmi Omar, President and CEO, International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF)

Panelists:

Ahmad Shahriman Mohd Shariff, CEO, CIMB Islamic
Michael Orzano, Global Head of Equity Indices, S&P Dow Jones Indices
Mohammed Paracha, Head of Middle East, Norton Rose Fulbright
Mohd Suhaimi Abdul Hamid, CEO, Standard Chartered Saadiq
Professor Dr Nurdianawati Irwani Abdullah, Department of Finance, Kuliyyah of Economics and Management Sciences (KENMS), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)

Session 2
The New Paradigm of Marketplace Financing and Alternative Funding Channels

How has the evolution of regional equity crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending platforms created opportunities for the joint ownership of Shariah compliant assets and investment projects? How is technology increasing SMEs’ access to Shariah compliant capital, while also widening the investor base? What does the growth of digital investment management (DIM) platforms and robo-advisory mean for investment managers, and what new opportunities are available for Shariah compliant savers and investors? What are the potential uses and applications of digital assets in Southeast Asia’s financial markets today? What are the key risks and issues surrounding digital assets, P2P and ECF and what is the role of regulators in the development of an efficient digital marketplace in the region? We ask an expert panel.

Moderator:

Matthew Martin, Founder and CEO of Blossom Finance, Blossom Finance

Panelists:

Dr Aznan Hasan, Professor in Shariah and Islamic Banking, Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance, International Islamic University Malaysia
Bikesh Lakhmichand, CEO, 1337 Ventures
Joann Enriquez, CEO, Investment Account Platform
Jun Jie Yoon, Founder and CEO, Capsphere SME Financing
Niclas Nilsson, Founder and CEO, Capnovum
Dr Wong Huei Ching, Executive Director, Digital Strategy & Innovation, Securities Commission Malaysia

Session 3
Contemporary Islamic Capital Markets: Fit for Purpose

What represents innovation in the contemporary Sukuk market: pioneering structures, sourcing underliers, and the transition from ESG to Impact? What options do hybrid or combination Sukuk offer issuers, particularly in asset heavy industries such as oil and gas, and aviation, and why have such structures been so successful in the Gulf? How do Tier-1 and Tier-2 Sukuk offer financial institutions a flexible, efficient and user-friendly way of satisfying regulatory capital requirements, and what do perpetual Sukuk structures offer such issuers? How has innovation been incorporated into project and infrastructure finance, particularly regarding concession agreements, cash contributions and investor protection? With ESG and sustainability continuing to grow in the Islamic capital markets issuance, when will we see the measurement of impact? Are sufficient issuers engaging with independent, third parties to measure green, sustainable and social credentials? With the demise of LIBOR, is SOFR a good alternative for the Islamic Capital Market? We seek the views of an expert panel.

Moderator:

Elias Moubarak, Partner, Trowers & Hamlins

Panelists:

Dr Ayaz Ismail, Director – Wholesale Banking, CIMB Islamic
Faridah Bakar Ali, CFO, Khazanah Nasional
Dr Mohamad Zabidi Ahmad, Regional Chief Representative, DDCAP Group
Nitish Bhojnagarwala, Vice President – Senior Credit Officer, Financial Institutions Group, Moody’s Investors Service
Ritesh Agarwal, Director, Debt Capital Markets, Emirates NBD Capital

Session 4
Technology Roundtable: Digitalization and the Evolution of Southeast Asian Islamic Financial Services

The digitalization of Islamic financial services: what is working, what is viable, and what is not? What do the answers to these questions mean for the evolution of Islamic financial services in Southeast Asia? With new neo-banking licenses in Malaysia, how will the development, provision and distribution of digital Islamic financial services evolve in the near-term, and what models will be deemed successful? What further measures would assist domestic Islamic financial institutions in the modernization and digital transformation of Islamic retail, commercial, Takaful and pension offerings? What are notable milestones and achievements in the development of systems and software for Islamic banks and financial institutions? What technology is available to help Islamic financial institutions drive scale, integrity, efficiency and ultimately profitability? Finally, is technology being fully utilized to address key customer concerns surrounding authenticity and the minimization of uncertainty? We ask an expert panel.

Moderator:

Vineeta Tan, Managing Editor, Islamic Finance news

Panelists:

Dean Gillespie, CEO, Islamic Bank of Australia
Ikram Khaliq, Head of Digital Bank, Al-Rajhi Bank Malaysia
Rafiza Ghazali, Director, Digital Banking, KAF Investment Bank
Saify Akhtar, Director of Strategy, Pertama Digital
William Dale, Regional Vice President, Mambu APAC
Zahrain Zulkifli, Head of Commercial, CDX, Bank Islam Malaysia

Session 5
Islamic Social Finance: Offering Relief, Creating Opportunities and Improving Lives

What is social finance, why is it important and how can Islamic financial institutions play a significant role in its growth and development? In a post-pandemic world, what does social finance offer in terms of relief and renewal, and what real-life examples are there of this in practice? How can social Sukuk be used to support enterprise, entrepreneurship, home ownership and job creation, as well as healthcare and education? What has worked towards these goals in other countries and what can be learnt from these achievements? How can Islamic social finance be deployed to assist with liquidity and funding for the vital SME sector? Can Islamic social finance play a role in the evermore consequential issue of food security, simultaneously helping the underprivileged and micro-enterprises? With such goals in mind, how do we design effective models and strategies, offer innovative products and measure the impact of these important initiatives?

Moderator:

Raja Shahriman Raja Harun Al Rashid, Senior Vice-President, Risk Management and Compliance, Cagamas

Panelists:

Dr Abideen Adeyemi Adewale, Head of Research, Publications, and Statistics, Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB)
Dr Mohamed Eskandar Shah, Associate Dean Academic, Associate Professor, Islamic Finance, College of Islamic Studies, HBKU, Qatar Foundation
Mohamed Hamza Ghaouri, Consultant, Fineopolis Al Maali Consulting
Rozani Osman, Senior Financial Sector Specialist, The World Bank
Ruslena Ramli, Director, Islamic Digital Economy, MDEC

IFN Asia Forum Review

IFN Asia Forum 2022 Review

New engines of growth to drive Islamic finance in Malaysia
It is often easy to use broad brush strokes to paint the Asian Islamic finance landscape, without accounting for the uniqueness of each market as they develop at varying maturity rates. In two weeks, we traveled to Malaysia and Indonesia for our Southeast Asian leg of events to hear from industry leaders about the most pressing issues they face as an industry and how we can chart a path for further Islamic finance success in the region. We are kicking off our event coverage series with IFN Asia Forum 2022, with an emphasis on the Malaysian market where market experts are pushing for new avenues of growth....Read More

About the IFN Asia Forum

The IFN Asia Forum remains the region’s largest Islamic finance gathering. An annual ‘must attend’ business event for Islamic finance professionals from around the world, IFN Asia is a confluence of the brightest and most influential personalities of the industry, bringing quality and relevant discussions to the stage and invaluable networking opportunities.

Asia is recognized by the world as the bastion of Islamic finance housing the world’s most populous Muslim nation and largest Islamic finance market. With the support of regulators and multilateral Islamic finance organizations, the 17th IFN Asia Forum took place at the heart of Islamic finance in the region, Kuala Lumpur.

As the center of Islamic capital-raising activities by volume and its diversity of instruments and issuers, the Forum embodied themes exploring Shariah financing through the banking and capital markets from both the perspectives of issuers and facilitators.

Download Post Event Report

Forum Speakers

Dr Abideen Adeyemi Adewale

Dr Abideen Adeyemi Adewale

Head of Research, Publications, and Statistics, Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB)
Dr Abideen Adeyemi Adewale
Dr Abideen Adeyemi Adewale
Head of Research, Publications, and Statistics, Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB)

Dr Abideen Adeyemi Adewale joined the IFSB in April 2018 as a lead specialist. He is presently the head of research, publications and statistics in the Technical and Research Department at the IFSB, where he also oversees the research activities as well as the coordination and publication of research papers and the flagship IFSB Islamic Financial Services Industry Stability Report. Dr Abideen also complements activities relating to the facilitation of workshops on the implementation of IFSB standards, and other technical matters at the IFSB.

Prior to joining the IFSB, Dr Abideen worked at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) as an associate professor of finance, the head of the PhD in Islamic Banking and Finance program and editor of the Journal of Islamic Finance. He had previously worked in Nigeria with a brief stint in a stockbroking firm, and later as a lecturer at the Department of Accounting and Finance at the University of Ilorin in Nigeria. Dr Abideen obtained his PhD in business administration from IIUM where he also did a postdoctoral fellowship. He obtained his Master of Science degree in finance and Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the University of Lagos in Nigeria and the University of Ilorin in Nigeria respectively.

Ahmad Shahriman Mohd Shariff

Ahmad Shahriman Mohd Shariff

CEO, CIMB Islamic
Ahmad Shahriman Mohd Shariff
Ahmad Shahriman Mohd Shariff
CEO, CIMB Islamic

Ahmad Shahriman Mohd Shariff was appointed CEO of CIMB Islamic Bank on the 1st October 2019. In this role, he heads the Group Islamic Banking business of CIMB Group including Islamic wholesale banking, Islamic consumer banking, Islamic commercial banking and Islamic asset management and investment across key markets such as Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Ahmad Shahriman is also a board member of CIMB Islamic Bank; the secretary of the Association of Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions Malaysia; a member of the Standing Committee on Islamic Financial Reporting at the Malaysian Accounting Standards Board; and an honorary senior fellow at the Centre for Islamic Economics of International Islamic University Malaysia.

Ahmad Shahriman has over two decades of experience in the corporate sector, of which 16 years were in Islamic banking and finance-related leadership roles at HSBC Amanah Malaysia as a director of wholesale banking, and at Citigroup where he served as the head of Islamic banking at Citibank, among others.

Dr Ayaz Ismail

Dr Ayaz Ismail

Director – Wholesale Banking, CIMB Islamic
Dr Ayaz Ismail
Dr Ayaz Ismail
Director – Wholesale Banking, CIMB Islamic

Ayaz Ismail is the director of wholesale banking at CIMB Islamic in Malaysia, where he covers Islamic investment banking transactions. He has been involved in various groundbreaking and award-winning ringgit and non-ringgit Sukuk offerings. Prior to joining CIMB Islamic, he was with Malaysian multinational conglomerate Sime Darby, carrying out various roles in the CEO’s Office, including legal, strategy and communications functions of the group.

Ayaz graduated with an MBA in financial studies from the University of Nottingham in the UK as a Chevening Scholar. He also holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) degree from the same university, a diploma in Shariah law and practice from the International Islamic University Malaysia and a Chartered Professional in Islamic Finance charter. Recently, he completed his PhD in Islamic finance at the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance or INCEIF in Malaysia and was appointed as a Grand Councillor of the Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals.

Professor Azmi Omar

Professor Azmi Omar

President and CEO, International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF)
Professor Azmi Omar
Professor Azmi Omar
President and CEO, International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF)

Professor Dr Mohd Azmi Omar is the president and CEO of the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) – The Global University of Islamic Finance. Prior to his current position, he served as the director-general at Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI), IsDB Group, Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. At IRTI, Dr Azmi pioneered and introduced an innovative policy research which culminated in flagship reports such as the IRTI Islamic Social Finance Report and the IsDB-World Bank Global Report on Islamic Finance. Dr Azmi has also provided advice and technical assistance in Islamic finance to several IsDB member countries.

Dr Azmi was a member of the board of trustees of Responsible Finance Institute Foundation and External Advisory Group for the IMF Interdepartmental Working Committee on Islamic Finance. He was awarded ‘The Most Outstanding Individual Contribution to Islamic Finance’ accolade at the KLIFF Islamic Finance Awards 2015.

Dr Azmi has held numerous positions at International Islamic University Malaysia, including deputy rector (academic and research), dean of Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance and dean of Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences. He serves as a member of the Shariah committees of Bank Rakyat Malaysia and Etiqa Takaful Malaysia, and as an Islamic finance expert to Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam. Recently, he led a team that developed the Indonesia Shari’ah (Islamic) Economy Masterplan 2019–2024 for the government of Indonesia.

Dr Azmi holds a Bachelor of Science (Finance) degree and an MBA from Northern Illinois University in the US and a PhD in finance from Bangor University, Wales in the UK. He is also a holder of the Chartered Professional in Islamic Finance qualification.

Dr Aznan Hasan

Dr Aznan Hasan

Professor in Shariah and Islamic Banking, Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance, International Islamic University Malaysia
Dr Aznan Hasan
Dr Aznan Hasan
Professor in Shariah and Islamic Banking, Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance, International Islamic University Malaysia

Dr Aznan Hasan is a professor in Shariah and Islamic banking at the Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance, IIUM. He was the founding president of the Association of Shariah Advisors in Islamic Finance. He is also the deputy chairman of the Shariah Advisory Council of the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) and the deputy chairman of the Shariah Advisory Committee of the Employees Provident Fund.

Currently, Dr Aznan is the chairman of the Shariah committee of Maybank Islamic, Bank Pembangunan Malaysia, Etiqa General Takaful and Etiqa Family Takaful. He also serves as the chairman of the Shariah advisory board of FNB Bank (South Africa) and as a member of the Shariah Advisory Council of HSBC Amanah (Dubai), among others.

Dr Aznan is a registered Shariah advisor for the Islamic unit trust schemes and Islamic securities (Sukuk) at the SC and a member of the Shariah supervisory board of the Malaysian Waqaf Foundation.

Dr Aznan received his first degree in Shariah from the University of al-Azhar (1994). He then successfully completed his Master’s degree in Shariah from Cairo University with distinction (Mumtaz) (1998). He then obtained his PhD from the University of Wales, Lampeter, in the UK (2003).

Bikesh Lakhmichand

Bikesh Lakhmichand

CEO, 1337 Ventures
Bikesh Lakhmichand
Bikesh Lakhmichand
CEO, 1337 Ventures

Bikesh Lakhmichand is no stranger to the world of digital disruption in Southeast Asia. He is the founding partner of 1337 Ventures, Malaysia’s first accelerator program that has invested in over 60 innovative digital start-ups across diverse areas spanning gaming, social networking, education, big data, proximity marketing, wearable technology, fintech and recently, social enterprises. 1337 Ventures is the mastermind behind Alpha Startups, an intensive five-day design sprint-based pre-accelerator boot camp that has helped numerous start-ups the likes of ParkEasy and Gigfairy that went from idea to exit in just 12 months.

Beyond helping to discover, validate and scale high-potential start-ups from ideas to businesses of the future, Bikesh utilizes his experience in the start-up scene to help corporates such as Khazanah, Maybank and CIMB transform and compete in the digital age. Bikesh helps corporates via consultation to create new business units or services, design thinking to equip them with relevant skill sets and knowledge and organize accelerator programs to identify start-ups to solve their problem statements.

Dean Gillespie

Dean Gillespie

CEO, Islamic Bank of Australia
Dean Gillespie
Dean Gillespie
CEO, Islamic Bank of Australia

Dean Gillespie is CEO of Islamic Bank Australia and has extensive banking and start-up experience across both Australia and Asia. He has led the creation of Australia’s first Islamic bank since 2018. He was previously in charge of home loan sales at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and the head of mortgages at Bankwest where he doubled the business’s size within three years. He also ran the retail bank at Vietnam International Bank in Hanoi across 160 branches nationwide, where he built the bank’s first mobile banking app.

Dean has a history of founding start-ups including SparkleVote, an innovative online election company. Outside of work, Dean is the chair of the UK’s aeroplane ambulance service, flies aircraft and studies astrophysics part-time. He holds a Master of Finance degree and a Bachelor of Economics degree. Dean joined Islamic Bank Australia largely as a volunteer in 2018 before transitioning to full-time CEO in 2020. He is passionate about the need to support Muslim Australians in building the first Islamic bank. His knowledge of Australian retail banking and his commitment to ethical banking are key drivers in delivering the Islamic Bank Australia Vision to reality.

Elias Moubarak

Elias Moubarak

Partner, Trowers & Hamlins
Elias Moubarak
Elias Moubarak
Partner, Trowers & Hamlins

Elias trained and worked with Mayer Brown in London before moving to Dubai, and joined Trowers & Hamlins in 2014 from Clifford Chance. Elias has a broad range of experience both in the conventional and Islamic finance spheres. He has significant experience in representing the full spectrum of stakeholders on a range of banking and finance transactions including project financings and real estate financings as well as capital market issuances.

Faridah Bakar Ali

Faridah Bakar Ali

CFO, Khazanah Nasional
Faridah Bakar Ali
Faridah Bakar Ali
CFO, Khazanah Nasional

Faridah Bakar Ali is CFO of Khazanah Nasional. She joined Khazanah after building a career in accountancy and finance with PwC Malaysia and BP Malaysia.

At Khazanah, Faridah delivered several notable Islamic finance transactions including the world’s first exchangeable Sukuk and the largest Singapore dollar Sukuk. She was also involved in the financing of mixed development projects by M+S, where Khazanah was a joint venture party.

Faridah oversaw the inaugural retail offering of Sukuk Ihsan, Khazanah’s sustainable and responsible investment Sukuk, to fund Yayasan AMIR’s Trust Schools Programme, a public–private partnership with the Ministry of Education to improve accessibility of quality education in Malaysian public schools.

Faridah graduated from Lancaster University in accounting and finance. She is a member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants and a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. She currently sits in various boards and audit committees.

Ikram Khaliq

Ikram Khaliq

Head of Digital Bank, Al-Rajhi Bank Malaysia
Ikram Khaliq
Ikram Khaliq
Head of Digital Bank, Al-Rajhi Bank Malaysia

A thought leader in data and technology, with the ability to design and implement a future vision
and strategy around people, process and technology, Ikram Khaliq has a passion for always making a difference, and understanding the ‘why’, while seeing the bigger picture and including people on the journey.

In 2022, Ikram joined Al Rajhi Bank Malaysia as the head of digital bank to lead the digital bank
effort. No stranger to the fintech world, Ikram has over 16 years of international experience
mentoring and building tech firms in the fintech and insuretech industries. Specializing in fintech
consultancy, he successfully implemented innovative solutions across banking, wealth and asset
management, insurance and financial services. Ikram holds a degree in financial mathematics from Brunel University in the UK with Agile and Prince 2 certifications.

Joann Enriquez

Joann Enriquez

CEO, Investment Account Platform
Joann Enriquez
Joann Enriquez
CEO, Investment Account Platform

“Build a mechanism that churns good over and over again, circulates good and thrive” —
this is the mantra of Joann Enriquez, CEO of Raeed Holdings and its subsidiary, IAP Integrated, the owner of the Investment Account Platform, the first Islamic multibank investment platform in the world (www.iaplatform.com). Her team is working toward unlocking the flow of capital into SMEs in Malaysia with the use of crowdfunding into Investment Account Platform, a Malaysian central bank product. This landmark initiative is a testimony of its leadership in the Islamic financial landscape by incubating new innovative products that promote financial responsibility and risk-sharing.

Joann has over 20 years of experience in financial technology from various S&P 500 companies in the Silicon Valley in California where she led cross-functional teams in the US and in the global community.

Joann obtained a double Bachelor’s degree in business administration and international studies from De La Salle University, Manila; and an MBA and DBA (candidate) from the University of Phoenix, Arizona. She also obtained a second Master’s degree in Islamic finance practice at the International Center for Education in Islamic Finance, Malaysia and a Certificate of Leadership from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania.

Jun Jie Yoon

Jun Jie Yoon

Founder and CEO, Capsphere SME Financing
Jun Jie Yoon
Jun Jie Yoon
Founder and CEO, Capsphere SME Financing

Yoon Jun Jie is CEO and founder of Capsphere, Malaysia’s first asset-based peer-to-peer financing and investment platform registered with Securities Commission Malaysia. He started Capsphere to support local SMEs and to enable communities to take part in their growth. Previously, he was the vice-president in the Southeast Asia Global Corporate Banking team at Bank of America. He has gained experience in facilitating debt financing and advising on cash management and treasury solutions for global corporations and financial institutions.

Yoon has completed the Professional Credit Certification from Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers. His education background includes a Master of Philosophy degree in economics from the University of Cambridge and Bachelor of Science degree in statistics, economics and finance from University College London.

Matthew Martin

Matthew Martin

Founder and CEO of Blossom Finance, Blossom Finance
Matthew Martin
Matthew Martin
Founder and CEO of Blossom Finance, Blossom Finance

Matthew Martin is the founder and CEO of Blossom Finance, a blockchain-based Sukuk platform for social impact investing. Matthew has been an early pioneer in the application of fintech for Islamic finance with a background including both engineering and product management experience in the digital wallet, payment card, money remittance, mobile payments and mobile banking sectors at venture capital funded tech start-ups Xoom, Boku and Monitise. Matthew has advised policymakers at central banks and financial services regulators on blockchain technology and has spoken as an educator to international audiences in Bahrain, Indonesia, Malaysia, Qatar, Russia, Singapore, the UAE and the US.

Prior to Blossom, Matthew started his first blockchain-related venture in 2013 — back when Bitcoin was less than US$100 — which allowed the instant purchase of Bitcoin in 27 countries using just a mobile phone. At Monitise, Matthew led the team that pioneered one of the world’s first in-mobile NFC [near-field communication] payment product for banks, and fully owned the entire delivery of that solution from technology through to commercial agreements.

Prior to that, Matthew was the product architect and team lead for Monitise’s flagship iOS and Android white-label mobile banking platform, which grew to be the market-leading solution for the US consumer banking market. Under Matthew’s leadership, the team delivered a new platform and architecture that dramatically reduced the overall delivery time of client solutions and reduced the ongoing cost of ownership while maintaining a broad range of features and customization capabilities. At Boku, Matthew was product owner of Boku Accounts: in-person payments using the world’s first Visa PayWave™ NFC sticker. Previously, as the engineering manager of the accounts team, Matthew led a team of 10 engineers to build a white-label payments and merchant loyalty product that resulted in a strategic investment by Visa. Before leading the accounts team, Matthew delivered various proof-of-concepts instrumental in landing key clients such as Disney and Facebook. At Xoom, Matthew evangelized user experience and user-centered design, and championed the first push into mobile; he helped design and run Xoom’s first-ever user study.

Prior to financial tech, Matthew worked in consumer electronics as a software engineer at Logitech as part of their Streaming Media Business Unit and at Benchmark Media Systems as a software engineer. Matthew has studied eight languages and speaks Indonesian, Farsi and French at an intermediate level in addition to his native English. Matthew embraced Islam in 2010 and currently lives in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Michael Orzano

Michael Orzano

Global Head of Equity Indices, S&P Dow Jones Indices
Michael Orzano
Michael Orzano
Global Head of Equity Indices, S&P Dow Jones Indices

Michael Orzano (Mike) is the senior director of global equity indices at S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI). He is responsible for the product management of S&P DJI’s global equity, real estate and Islamic indices including the S&P/ASX and S&P/TSX series. In this role, Mike leads S&P DJI’s efforts developing new benchmarks for international equity markets and promotes their use among global clients. He also regularly publishes research, analytical reports and market commentary on a variety of international investment topics.

Prior to joining S&P DJI, Mike was a research analyst at Endurance Capital, a New York-based private equity firm, where he was responsible for evaluating investments in banks and other financial institutions. He has also worked as an investment performance analyst at Cambridge Associates.

Mike holds a Bachelor’s degree in economics from Georgetown University. He is also a CFA charterholder and a member of the New York CFA Society.

Dr Mohamad Zabidi Ahmad

Dr Mohamad Zabidi Ahmad

Regional Chief Representative, DDCAP Group
Dr Mohamad Zabidi Ahmad
Dr Mohamad Zabidi Ahmad
Regional Chief Representative, DDCAP Group

Dr Mohamad Zabidi Ahmad has worked in the banking industry for 38 years. He has amassed 19 years of experience in group treasury products and functions (conventional and Islamic) including corporate (deposits, investments, client solutions), interbank, fixed income and derivatives, product development, structuring and marketing. He previously served as the senior managing director and regional head of Islamic treasury, treasury and markets in group wholesale banking for CIMB Group. During that time, he was responsible for the development of CIMB Group’s regional Islamic treasury franchises, managing over RM100 billion (US$23.88 billion) of Islamic assets for CIMB Group Islamic Banking. His country-focused treasury remits included Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and Thailand and for five years, he was based in London as a chief dealer. His innovations included the introduction of CIMB’s Islamic repo contract.

Dr Mohamad Zabidi has held various additional executive management positions within the CIMB Group, including the chairman of the Investment Account Oversight Committee and a member of the Group Islamic Management Committee, the Treasury and Market Committee and the Group Islamic Wholesale Banking Committee. He has been widely recognized for his leadership, with CIMB announced as ‘Best Islamic Bank for Treasury Management’ at the IFN Awards in 2019. He previously participated in the Bursa Malaysia/Bank Negara Malaysia Working Group resulting in the formation of the Bursa Suq Al-Sila’ Commodity House and the Working Group resulting in the establishment of the International Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation.

Dr Mohamad Zabidi served as a proactive chairman of AIBIM Treasury & Markets, leading the CMTC Sukuk Index Task Force in the successful launch of the Sovereign & Corporate Bloomberg-AIBIM-Bursa Sukuk Index in September 2012. In 2018, under his leadership, AIBIM also published the practice notes for Qard Hasan and commodity Murabahah for adoption by AIBIM members. He has presented papers on Islamic treasury products to various central banks, including the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Bank Indonesia and Bank Negara Malaysia.

Among his academic and professional achievements, Dr Mohamad Zabidi holds a doctorate in business administration from Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business, Universiti Utara Malaysia and has a Bachelor in Accountancy degree with honors from Universiti Teknologi MARA.

A qualified chartered accountant, Dr Mohamad Zabidi is a practicing member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants, a certified senior financial market practitioner by ACI-Financial Market of Malaysia and the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers and holds an Associate Qualification in Islamic Finance from the Islamic Banking & Finance Institute Malaysia and that of senior associate from the Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance.

Dr Mohamed Eskandar Shah

Dr Mohamed Eskandar Shah

Associate Dean Academic, Associate Professor, Islamic Finance, College of Islamic Studies, HBKU, Qatar Foundation
Dr Mohamed Eskandar Shah
Dr Mohamed Eskandar Shah
Associate Dean Academic, Associate Professor, Islamic Finance, College of Islamic Studies, HBKU, Qatar Foundation

Assoc Prof Dr Mohamed Eskandar Shah Mohd Rasid is currently an associate professor at the College of Islamic Studies, HBKU Qatar Foundation. He holds a PhD in finance from the University of Nottingham in the UK. He also has a Master in International Economics and Finance degree from the University of Queensland, Australia and a Bachelor in Business Administration (Finance) degree from International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).

Before joining HBKU, Dr Eskandar was an associate professor and associate dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies at the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance or INCEIF, a postgraduate university specializing in Islamic finance, established by Bank Negara Malaysia.

Dr Eskandar’s primary teaching and research interests are in corporate finance, portfolio management and the Islamic capital market. He has published articles in several top-tier journals and participated in conferences as an invited speaker, panelist and paper presenter.

Dr Eskandar was a financial sector specialist consultant for the World Bank and advisor for the Brunei Institute of Leadership and Islamic Finance in Brunei. He was involved in several consultancy projects with government agencies and financial institutions such as the Ministry of Energy, Malaysia; Afghanistan Ministry of Finance; CIMB Islamic Bank; Responsible Finance Institute; and ZICO Shariah Advisory.

Mohamed Hamza Ghaouri

Mohamed Hamza Ghaouri

Consultant, Fineopolis Al Maali Consulting
Mohamed Hamza Ghaouri
Mohamed Hamza Ghaouri
Consultant, Fineopolis Al Maali Consulting

Mohamed Hamza Ghaouri is currently a PhD candidate at IUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance, Malaysia. Having moderate experience in Malaysian and Moroccan research centers and consultancy agencies, his research area is Islamic social finance. As a certified blockchain associate, he is passionate about the deployment of financial technologies to solve social issues. He has headed the French training program at IBF Net where he prepared several modules in different areas of Islamic finance. He had delivered some seminars and presented academic papers in many international conferences. He is currently a consultant for Fineopolis working on delivering projects in different areas of Islamic finance.

Besides consultancy, and with his moderate experience in Malaysia, Mohamed Hamza is representing the company and conducting business development activities in Southeast Asia. Before joining Fineopolis, he worked closely with a few Islamic fintech companies specializing in Islamic social finance. His job was to assist the management team to conduct research and advisory for the company as well as to represent it at various conferences and seminars. In 2019, he was part of a team that won the second prize in the Islamic Fintech Pitch Competition organized in parallel with the Islamic Fintech Dialogue conference in Kuala Lumpur.

Mohammed Paracha

Mohammed Paracha

Head of Middle East, Norton Rose Fulbright
Mohammed Paracha
Mohammed Paracha
Head of Middle East, Norton Rose Fulbright

Mohammed Paracha is a banking and finance lawyer based in Dubai. He is the head of the Middle East, as well as the head of Norton Rose Fulbright’s Islamic finance practice for the Middle East and Africa.

Mohammed has been active in the Middle East for nearly 20 years, having worked in Norton Rose Fulbright’s London and Bahrain offices before moving to Dubai in 2011. He became the head of Norton Rose Fulbright’s Middle East practice in January 2021.

Mohammed’s practice focuses on all types of Islamic finance covering a wide range of asset types, investment classes and industrial sectors. With a background in asset and project finance, Mohammed advises on Shariah compliant asset finance, trade finance, real estate finance and project financings. He also advises on the structuring of Islamically acceptable investment funds and has advised on the establishment of new Islamic financial institutions in various countries. Mohammed has strong relationships with many of the internationally renowned Shariah scholars and is a regular speaker at conferences and seminars on Islamic finance topics.

Mohammed is recommended as a leader in his field by Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, Acritas and IFLR.

Mohd Suhaimi Abdul Hamid

Mohd Suhaimi Abdul Hamid

CEO, Standard Chartered Saadiq
Mohd Suhaimi Abdul Hamid
Mohd Suhaimi Abdul Hamid
CEO, Standard Chartered Saadiq

Mohd Suhaimi Abdul Hamid was appointed as CEO of Standard Chartered Saadiq in March 2019. Suhaimi has experience in Islamic banking across retail, commercial and corporate banking and has garnered domestic and regional exposure throughout his career in local and multinational financial institutions. He joined Standard Chartered Bank in 2009 and had multiple functions across retail and commercial banking.

Suhaimi has traveled extensively throughout his 20-odd years in the financial industry, working and living in countries such as Singapore, Indonesia and Kenya.

Suhaimi holds an economics degree from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and he is a qualified chartered professional in Islamic finance. He also holds a certificate in Islamic law recognized by IIUM and attended the Global leaders Programme at Cass Business School in December 2019 held in London in the UK.

Niclas Nilsson

Niclas Nilsson

Founder and CEO, Capnovum
Niclas Nilsson
Niclas Nilsson
Founder and CEO, Capnovum

Niclas Nilsson is the founder and CEO of Capnovum, a pioneer in horizon scanning and regulatory change management and consistently recognized as one of the world’s most innovative regtech companies.

Niclas is a passionate entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in financial services, and is a frequent speaker, panelist and lecturer on artificial intelligence, innovation, regulatory compliance, conventional and Islamic regtech, fintech and insurtech. Niclas co-authored the chapter on Islamic regtech for ‘The RegTech Book’ (2019), and advises boards of financial institutions on strategy, governance, data, technology and change.

Nitish Bhojnagarwala

Nitish Bhojnagarwala

Vice-President – Senior Credit Officer, Financial Institutions Group, Moody’s Investors Service
Nitish Bhojnagarwala
Nitish Bhojnagarwala
Vice-President – Senior Credit Officer, Financial Institutions Group, Moody’s Investors Service

Nitish Bhojnagarwala is a vice-president–senior credit officer with Moody’s Financial Institutions Group. Based in Dubai, Nitish covers a portfolio of large conventional as well as Islamic financial institutions in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey.

Nitish joined Moody’s in 2011, and has led Sukuk roundtables and conducted workshops on banking and Islamic finance at various conferences in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. Nitish has also authored several research pieces, with a focus on regional banking, credit issues and issuer-in-depths for conventional as well as Islamic banks.

Prior to joining Moody’s, Nitish spent five years at Tamweel in the Treasury. He has also worked for KPMG in the UAE, where he covered financial institutions. Nitish holds an MBA from S P Jain Institute of Management & Research, with a major in finance (investment banking).

Professor Dr Nurdianawati Irwani Abdullah

Professor Dr Nurdianawati Irwani Abdullah

Department of Finance, Kuliyyah of Economics and Management Sciences (KENMS), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)
Professor Dr Nurdianawati Irwani Abdullah
Professor Dr Nurdianawati Irwani Abdullah
Department of Finance, Kuliyyah of Economics and Management Sciences (KENMS), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)

Professor Dr Nurdianawati Irwani Abdullah is a professor in laws and Shariah at the Department of Finance, Kuliyyah of Economics and Management Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). She is also the deputy chairman of the Shariah Advisory Board of AmMetlife Family Takaful, a member of the Shariah Advisory Board of Affin Islamic Bank Malaysia and a Finance Accreditation Agency-certified assessor and trainer. Previously, she was the chairman of the Shariah Advisory Board of Standard Chartered Saadiq Bank Malaysia (2008–17), a research fellow at the International Shari’ah Research Academy in Islamic Finance focusing on Takaful research, a visiting professor at the Malaysia University Kelantan and a Shariah consultant for ARSA Shariah Advisory Services and AFTAAS Shariah Advisory Services. She had served the Association of Shariah Advisors in Islamic Finance Malaysia and IIUM Institute of Islamic banking and Finance as a board member since establishment.

Professor Dr Nurdianawati holds a Bachelor of Laws degree, a Bachelor of Laws degree in Shariah and a Master of Comparative Laws degree from the International Islamic University Malaysia, and a PhD in Islamic banking and finance from Loughborough University-Markfield Institute of Higher Education in the UK. She has been committed in conducting training in areas related to legal and Shariah issues in Islamic financial products, Shariah governance, regulatory framework of Islamic finance and Takaful. Apart from that, she is directly involved in the legal working committee for the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism together with the Association of Islamic Banks of Malaysia in respect to the legal reforms. Given her involvement and contribution to the Islamic finance education, research and consultancy, she was listed as among the ‘World’s 50 Most Influential Women in Islamic Business and Finance’ in 2017 and 2018 by the Islamic Finance Review Special Report. In 2019, she was awarded as one of the ‘Top 50 Most Influential Women in Islamic Finance’ and ranked at 34 recently in 2020 by the Cambridge International Financial Advisory.

Rafiza Ghazali

Rafiza Ghazali

Director, Digital Banking, KAF Investment Bank
Rafiza Ghazali
Rafiza Ghazali
Director, Digital Banking, KAF Investment Bank

Rafiza Ghazali is with KAF Investment Bank as the director of digital banking. She joined KAF Investment Bank to spearhead the project team for the incorporation and operational readiness process of the Islamic digital bank entity of the consortium being 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 value proposition at 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 also a fellow member of the Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand. She also graduated from the Said Business School at the University of Oxford with a postgraduate diploma in strategy and innovation.

Raja Shahriman Raja Harun Al Rashid

Raja Shahriman Raja Harun Al Rashid

Senior Vice-President, Risk Management and Compliance, Cagamas
Raja Shahriman Raja Harun Al Rashid
Raja Shahriman Raja Harun Al Rashid
Senior Vice-President, Risk Management and Compliance, Cagamas

For over 20 years, Raja Shahriman Raja Harun Al Rashid has been overseeing a wide variety of banking operations particularly on the governance, risk management and compliance pillars. Currently, he is heading the risk management and compliance function of Cagamas.

Raja Shahriman began his career with RHB Bank before joining Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) where he gained extensive exposure in micro supervision and macro surveillance in ensuring the safety and soundness of several financial institutions under his purview. After a decade with BNM, he joined Deloitte Malaysia as the enterprise risk services director, then Hong Leong Bank heading its compliance function and thereafter SME Bank serving several positions as chief risk officer, chief internal audit and COO.

Ritesh Agarwal, Director

Ritesh Agarwal, Director

Director, Debt Capital Markets, Emirates NBD Capital
Ritesh Agarwal, Director
Ritesh Agarwal, Director
Director, Debt Capital Markets, Emirates NBD Capital

Ritesh joined the DCM team at Emirates NBD Capital in September 2014. Previously, he worked at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Mumbai office in the Capital Markets team where he helped numerous issuers raise both equity and debt.

He is currently responsible for origination, structuring and execution of Debt Capital Markets solutions (conventional and Islamic) for clients across sovereigns, supranationals, financial institutions and corporates. He has helped clients across GCC, Asia and Africa raise over USD 50bn across senior secured, unsecured and hybrid instruments in public/ private format.

Ritesh holds an MBA from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (India).

Rozani Osman

Rozani Osman

Senior Financial Sector Specialist, The World Bank
Rozani Osman
Rozani Osman
Senior Financial Sector Specialist, The World Bank

Rozani Osman is presently a senior financial sector specialist with the Finance and Markets Global Practice of the World Bank, Kuala Lumpur. He works on several areas including climate finance, capital markets, financial sector development and financial stability monitoring in the East Asia Pacific region. Prior to working with World Bank, he was the head of treasury and liquidity management at Khazanah Nasional for 10 years. He is experienced in climate finance, treasury, capital markets and asset and investment management. He has an MBA from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Virginia.

Ruslena Ramli

Ruslena Ramli

Director, Islamic Digital Economy, MDEC
Ruslena Ramli
Ruslena Ramli
Director, Islamic Digital Economy, MDEC

Ruslena Ramli is an Islamic finance advocate with 20-plus years of experience. Her banking repertoire includes corporate strategy and advising on Sukuk/bond issuances, as well as the development of Islamic banking products. She is an avid speaker in local and international Islamic finance conferences.

Ruslena brings to MDEC her expertise in Shariah compliant structures and established relationships with Islamic finance communities locally and abroad. Ruslena holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) degree in accounting and finance from Middlesex University of London and a Master’s degree in Islamic finance from the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance.

Saify Akhtar

Saify Akhtar

Director of Strategy, Pertama Digital
Saify Akhtar
Saify Akhtar
Director of Strategy, Pertama Digital

Saify Akhtar is an executive with extensive entrepreneurial experience at all stages of building technology businesses. Specifically, he has expertise in identifying impending trends in the technology landscape and preparing these compelling solutions for entry into emerging markets like Southeast Asia.

Saify’s experience also includes attracting investments, both locally and internationally, toward high-growth technology opportunities in these same markets where 85% of the global population resides. Beyond capital, Saify is adept at facilitating international technology companies, including unicorn start-ups, to land and deploy their offerings in Southeast Asia. Saify was a strategic partner to both Uber (2014) and GrabCar (2015) to launch and grow their gig economy offerings in Malaysia.

Additionally, Saify’s alternative data for credit assessments business was handpicked by the UK Department of International Trade for relocation to London, where it expanded in collaboration with financial inclusion organizations in London, MENA and South Asia. While in London, Saify was a member of the select committee chaired by Baroness Sandip Verma (ex-minister of international development in the UK and chair of UN Women UK) to attract Middle Eastern investment into the UK, specifically for tech start-up ecosystems.

Prior to joining Pertama Digital as the director of strategy in 2021, Saify consulted for
established businesses in London, Nigeria and Singapore on their digitalization strategies.

Vineeta Tan

Vineeta Tan

Managing Editor and Director, Islamic Finance news
Vineeta Tan
Vineeta Tan
Managing Editor and Director, Islamic Finance news

Vineeta Tan is the managing editor and a director at REDmoney Group, one of the world’s longest-running Islamic finance media houses. Vineeta oversees REDmoney Group’s stable of products including Islamic Finance news, IFN Fintech and Islamic Sustainable Finance & Investment.

A multimedia journalist with over a decade of experience in the journalism and publishing industry working independently and leading a team, Vineeta specializes in ethical and Islamic finance as well as fintech reporting and analysis, covering regions including the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe.

As managing editor of IFN, Vineeta is responsible for the editorial direction and business development of IFN and its sister publications in addition to authoring reports, producing podcasts and conducting video interviews. She has interviewed senior industry players, key stakeholders and senior dignitaries including the finance/economic ministers of the Ivory Coast, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, among others.

Vineeta is a regular on the international conference circuit as both a moderator and speaker. She has an MBA and is trained in journalism and sociology. Vineeta also holds the Islamic Finance Qualification awarded by the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investments in the UK.

William Dale

William Dale

Regional Vice President, Mambu APAC
William Dale
William Dale
Regional Vice President, Mambu APAC

William Dale (Will) is the commercial director for Mambu APAC, and is responsible for driving the growth of the business across the APAC region. During his time at Mambu, Will has worked with a broad range of businesses, including neobanks, established Tier 1 banks and other fintechs and financial services institutions which now rely on the Mambu platform to provide banking, lending and BPaaS services for their customers.

Will brings 20 years of financial services expertise. During his career, he has managed large enterprise transformation projects and now leverages this experience to advise businesses on technology architecture design, business models and consumer product strategy.

Originally from Sydney, Australia, Will has spent the past 15 years in Asia and now resides in Singapore.

Dr Wong Huei Ching

Dr Wong Huei Ching

Executive Director, Digital Strategy & Innovation, Securities Commission Malaysia
Dr Wong Huei Ching
Dr Wong Huei Ching
Executive Director, Digital Strategy & Innovation, Securities Commission Malaysia

Dr Wong Huei Ching is an executive director at Securities Commission Malaysia (SC). She leads the Digital Strategy and Innovation Division, overseeing the Innovation, Digital Strategy, Analytics, Cyber Security and Technology Departments. Her appointment serves to further the potential of digital and innovation in the area of alternative fundraising and investments, toward shaping a capital market that is more inclusive and sustainable for businesses and investors. Dr Wong joined the SC in 2017 and has been involved in various market development initiatives ranging from facilitation of market vibrancy to greater industry digitization efforts. She was also instrumental in the development of the recently launched Capital Market Masterplan 3. Dr Wong is currently a member of the Labuan Financial Services Authority as appointed by the Minister of Finance. Prior to joining the SC, she was with a global management consulting firm as part of its strategy practice, and one of Malaysia’s largest banks. Her experience in the financial services sector spans across consumer, wholesale and international banking, particularly in strategy development and transformation. Dr Wong holds a Bachelor in Electronic and Communications Engineering degree and a PhD in electrical and electronic engineering from the University of Bristol in the UK.

Zahrain Zulkifli

Zahrain Zulkifli

Head of Commercial, CDX, Bank Islam Malaysia
Zahrain Zulkifli
Zahrain Zulkifli
Head of Commercial, CDX, Bank Islam Malaysia

Zahrain Zulkifli is a digital transformation leader with nearly 20 years of experience in the technology arena. He has led the Digital Transformation Plan in Bank Islam and co-founded the Centre of Digital Experience, the division responsible for building Be U, Malaysia’s first Islamic digital bank. Prior to heading CDX’s commercial unit, Zahrain held various positions leading both business and product development teams in various tech companies such as Mesiniaga and Cognizant Technology Solutions. He is a certified design thinking practitioner and is very excited about innovation and customer centricity. CDX is designed as a customer-centric organization.

Zahrain’s passion for championing up-and-coming industry players further cements his position as a thought leader with heavy involvement in mentoring programs with several fintech start-ups. He is driven to steer the youth of tomorrow toward financial literacy and stability through technology and banking.

Advisory Board

Dr Aishath Muneeza

Dr Aishath Muneeza

Chairman, Ayady Takaful Shariah Board and Chairman, Shariah Board of Allied Investment
Dr Aishath Muneeza
Dr Aishath Muneeza
Chairman, Ayady Takaful Shariah Board and Chairman, Shariah Board of Allied Investment

Associate Professor Dr Aishath Muneeza of the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance is one of the key founders of Islamic finance in the Maldives. She is the first female deputy minister of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and the first chairperson of the Hajj Pilgrimage Fund of the Maldives. She was also the former deputy minister for the Ministry of Finance & Treasury of the Republic of Maldives. Currently, she is the chairperson of the Maldives Centre for Islamic Finance.

Dr Aishath has published books and numerous articles on Islamic finance and her research areas include legal studies and corporate governance applicable to Islamic finance. She was instrumental in the structuring of various pioneering offerings in the Maldives including the first corporate Sukuk, sovereign private Sukuk, Islamic treasury instruments and the country’s first Islamic microfinance scheme, among others.

Dr Aishath also holds the position of chairperson in three different in-house Shariah committees. She is the chairperson of the Shariah Advisory Council of the Capital Market Regulatory Authority of the Maldives since 2011. She is a registered Shariah advisor at Securities Commission Malaysia.

Muhammad Ikram Thowfeek

Muhammad Ikram Thowfeek

Founder and Managing Director, MIT Global Group
Muhammad Ikram Thowfeek
Muhammad Ikram Thowfeek
Founder and Managing Director, MIT Global Group

Muhammad Ikram Thowfeek is one of the very rare and unique Islamic finance personalities in the industry. Teaching Islamic finance on various topics is his passion and he has taught more than 5,000 Islamic finance students globally over the last three decades. He is a chartered accountant by profession and an Islamic banker and ethical entrepreneur by practice. He is equipped with more than 30 years of practical experience and exposure in a 40-plus-year-old Islamic finance industry.

Muhammad Ikram is also a setting-up strategist, having set up six prominent Islamic banks and Islamic financial institutions in the world from scratch. He is also an author, a career coach, a prominent speaker in international Islamic finance forums and most importantly, a humble and a simple human being.

Forum Partners

LEAD PARTNERS

CIMB Islamic

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CIMB Islamic Bank, licensed under Malaysia’s Islamic Financial Services Act 2013, is the main operating entity of the CIMB Group’s global Islamic banking and finance franchise. It operates in parallel with the group’s universal banking platform where it offers Shariah compliant products and services to the group’s wholesale banking, consumer banking, commercial banking and asset management businesses.

CIMB Islamic’s products and operations are managed in strict compliance with Shariah principles under the guidance of the CIMB Islamic Board Shariah Committee, which comprises some of the world’s leading Shariah experts or scholars. CIMB Islamic provides comprehensive and innovative Shariah compliant financial products and services to meet the needs of individuals, small and medium-scale enterprises as well as large institutional customers.

CIMB Group’s Islamic banking and finance business is supported by the group’s network of over 39,000 staff in 16 countries comprising an experienced senior management team and a global team of Islamic banking and financial services professionals in all core components of the Islamic banking and financial services market. CIMB Group also has the most extensive retail branch network in ASEAN, with more than 900 branches as at the 31st December 2016. Outside of Malaysia, CIMB Islamic operates a universal offering in Indonesia and Singapore with a focus in wholesale banking in the other 14 countries.

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MULTILATERAL STRATEGIC PARTNERS

The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD)

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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:

  • Financing private sector investment
  • Mobilizing capital in the international financial markets, and
  • Providing advisory services to business and governments.

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

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The Islamic Corporation for The Insurance Of Investment And Export Credit (ICIEC)

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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.

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International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation

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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

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IsDB Group Business Forum (THIQAH)

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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)

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PARTNERS

Al-Rajhi Banking & Investment Corporation (Malaysia) (ARBM)

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Al-Rajhi Banking & Investment Corporation (Malaysia) (ARBM), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the world’s largest Islamic bank, Al Rajhi Bank, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was locally incorporated in October 2006. Following its official launch in 2007, ARBM became the first Arab bank to start its operation in Southeast Asia, as part of a Shariah compliant banking group that is instrumental in bridging the gap between modern financial demands and intrinsic values, while spearheading numerous industry standards and development.

At ARBM, we believe that the one thing that holds the world together as people of different
nationalities, races and cultures is values. Values define us, unite us and garner trust from those we
serve. Deeply rooted in Islamic banking principles and operating on the same platform as its home
bank, ARBM was established on the bedrock values of integrity and transparency, passion to serve
customers, solution-oriented, modesty, innovativeness, meritocracy and care for society.

ARBM continuously endeavors to expand its suite of products and services to meet the financial needs of its customers, delivering innovative Shariah compliant financial solutions across retail, corporate, treasury and investment segments. Today, ARBM operates through a distribution network of 13 branches nationwide.

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DDCAP Group

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Founded in 1998 and headquartered in London, with an office in Dubai and a presence in both Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, DDCAP is a leading provider of asset facilitation services and financial technology and system solutions across a diverse range of Shariah compliant products, asset classes and instruments in both the primary and secondary markets. DDCAP’s wholly-owned subsidiaries include DD&Co and DDGI. DDCAP has an extensive track record within the Islamic finance industry, employing over 35 professionals with broad and complementary skill sets drawn from diverse financial industry backgrounds, focused principally on providing service to Islamic financial market participants around the world. DDCAP has its own Shariah supervisory board comprising esteemed Shariah scholars from Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Kuwait. DDCAP’s multi-award-winning Shariah compliant ETHOS Asset Facilitation Platform is a bespoke, real-time trade and post-trade services platform providing 24-hour coverage, enabling clients worldwide to purchase from a diverse asset inventory, including commodities, via a secure, web-based portal.

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Eiger

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Eiger Trading Advisors (Eiger) is a UK-based asset-trading and technology company founded in 2008, which specializes as an intermediary in Islamic financial products.

As a leading intermediary and technology provider within the commodity Murabahah space, Eiger has the unique capabilities to deliver Shariah compliant commodity trading solutions through the Eiger Trading Platform (ETP), a web-based trading system, that we tailor to our bank clients’ exact operational requirements.

The ETP automates the structuring and execution of Islamic banking products for wholesale and retail commodity-backed transactions, including two new enhanced modules:

  • ETP Retail – A 24/7 STP platform designed to automate the end-to-end commodity Murabahah transactions underpinning retail banking products such as deposits, loans, CASA, credit cards
  • ETP Client Reach – A bespoke middle and back office module designed to streamline Islamic treasury and derivative transactions, including execution and documentation with our clients’ clients.

Eiger is authorized and regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority, and is both a member of the London Metal Exchange and an associate of the London Platinum and Palladium Market.

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Emirates NBD Capital

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Emirates NBD, the leading banking group in the region, was formed on the 19th June 1963, when the late Sheikh Rashid Saeed Al Maktoum signed the Charter of Incorporation of the National Bank of Dubai (NBD) which became the first national bank established in Dubai and the UAE. With the blessings of Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Al Maktoum, the vice-president and prime minister of the UAE and the ruler of Dubai, the NBD merged with Emirates Bank International (EBI) on the 6th March 2007 to form Emirates NBD, the largest banking group in the region by assets.

On the 16th October 2007, the shares of Emirates NBD were officially listed on the Dubai Financial Market. The merger between EBI and the NBD to create Emirates NBD became a regional consolidation blueprint for the banking and finance sector as it combined the second and fourth-largest banks in the UAE to form a banking champion capable of delivering enhanced value across corporate, retail, private, Islamic and investment banking throughout the region.

In 2013, Emirates NBD celebrated its 50th anniversary, marking the group’s outstanding achievements while highlighting the bank’s solid historical and financial foundations as well as its promising future.

As at the 31st December 2018, total assets were AED500.3 billion (US$136.19 billion). The group has a significant retail banking franchise in the UAE and is a key participant in the global digital banking industry, with over 90% of all financial transactions and requests conducted outside of its branches. The bank was declared the ‘Most Innovative Financial Services Organization of the Year’ at the 2017 BAI Global Innovation Awards. The bank currently has 230 branches and 1,069 ATMs and SDMs [smart deposit machines] in the UAE and overseas and a large social media following, being the only bank in the Middle East ranked among the top 20 in the ‘Power 100 Social Media Rankings’, compiled by The Financial Brand.

The group has operations in the UAE, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, India, Singapore, the UK and representative offices in China and Indonesia. On the 8th November 2017, it opened operations in Mumbai, India. The Mumbai branch marks Emirates NBD’s fifth international branch outside of its UAE network.

The group is an active participant and supporter of the UAE’s main development and community initiatives, in close alignment with the UAE government’s strategies, including financial literacy and advocacy for inclusion of people with disabilities under its #TogetherLimitless platform. The Emirates NBD Group is an official premier partner of Expo 2020 Dubai.

Preservation of the UAE culture and heritage is at the heart of the group and in addition to supporting various initiatives that aim to preserve the UAE culture, Emirates NBD launched in 2003 the first pearl museum in the region containing the largest collection of natural pearls in the GCC. The Emirates NBD Pearl Museum is a gift from the late Sultan Al Owais, the founder of the NBD, to the people of the UAE to remind them of their culture and heritage before the discovery of oil.

Currently, more than 9,000 people, representing 70 nationalities, are employed by Emirates NBD, making it one of the largest and most culturally diversified employers in the UAE. As a national banking champion, Emirates NBD is an ambassador of economic and social progress for the entire UAE to the world.

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IdealRatings

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IdealRatings was incorporated in 2006 in San Francisco with a corporate objective to provide SRI/ESG and Shariah compliant solutions to ethical investors and enable them to identify such instruments across different asset classes in the global market. IdealRatings serves clients in over 30 countries with a range of capital market solutions including:

  • Equities – A web-based platform covering over 40,000 stocks, where fund managers can screen equities using different, custom-built ESG/SRI/Responsible Investments and Shariah rulebooks or guidelines. This solution caters to different purification calculation methodologies with a comprehensive set of reports for fund managers to manage their portfolio.
  • REITs – Global coverage of all listed REITs that could be screened in accordance with different standard Shariah rulebooks or guidelines.
  • Indexes – Co-branded and jointly marketed by FTSE-Russell Indexes and a separate series with Thomson Reuters for the global markets, designed for fund management and investment benchmarking. In addition, IdealRatings is able to provide custom-built indexes for the fund management industry.
  • Sukuk – A unique solution which includes the global Sukuk and a pioneering Sukuk-screening solution that enables fund managers to customize their Sukuk selection in accordance to their Shariah rulebook, guidelines or investment preference, and
  • Brokerage – The solution provides broking houses the ability to screen global equity markets, a technical analysis of the markets and equities, buy/sell/hold recommendations and purification amounts.
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Mambu

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Mambu launched in 2011 with the aim of enabling free access to modern financial services for all. The only true SaaS cloud banking platform, Mambu’s unique composable approach allows for the flexible assembly of independent components and systems to fit the exact needs of your business and customers. The Mambu team of 900 is spread across the globe and supports over 200 customers in 65 countries.

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Moody’s Investors Service

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Moody’s is a global risk assessment firm that empowers organizations to make better decisions. Its data, analytical solutions and insights help decision-makers identify opportunities and manage the risks of doing business with others. We believe that greater transparency, more informed decisions and fair access to information open the door to shared progress.

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Norton Rose Fulbright

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Norton Rose Fulbright is a global law firm. Our Islamic finance lawyers have long-standing experience in delivering pioneering legal advice on Islamic finance transactions for Islamic financial institutions, conventional banks and corporates worldwide.

With more than 30 years of experience in Islamic finance law, our lawyers have a wealth of knowledge across a range of Shariah compliant structures, including market-leading experience in Sukuk transactions, Murabahah, Istisnah, Ijarah and Musharakah financings and Takaful deals.

As well as having significant transactional experience, our lawyers regularly advise clients on Shariah governance matters, including advising the government of Dubai on the creation of the first standard code of practice for Islamic finance law, marking the first Islamic law code of practice to be standardized in a legislative framework.

Based in the world’s economic hubs and key Islamic finance centers across the Middle East, Europe, the US, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Australia and Africa, our lawyers provide legal advice to governments worldwide on legislation concerning Islamic finance products.

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S&P Dow Jones Indices

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S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI) is the largest global resource for essential index-based concepts, data and research, and home to iconic financial market indicators such as the S&P 500® and the Dow Jones Industrial Average®. More assets are invested in products based on our indices than products based on indices from any other provider in the world. Since Charles Dow invented the first index in 1884, S&P DJI has become home to over one million indices across the spectrum of asset classes that have helped define the way investors measure and trade the markets.

S&P DJI has the longest history of providing Islamic market indices since the launch of DJIM World Index, the world’s first Shariah compliant benchmark in 1999. In 2006, the Dow Jones Sukuk Index was launched, which became the first index to track the performance of global Islamic fixed income securities.

Nowadays, S&P DJI offers two highly visible and widely used index families for Shariah compliant investors: The DJ Islamic Market (DJIM) Indices and S&P Shariah Indices. The two index families include thousands of broad-market, blue-chip, fixed-income and strategy and thematic indices that have passed rules-based screens for Shariah compliance and are the most visible and widely-used set of Shariah compliant benchmarks in the world. A majority of the largest asset managers in the Middle East, Southeast Asia as well as major banks/asset managers in Europe and the US that serve a Shariah clientele utilize S&P DJI to construct Shariah compliant investment strategies.

S&P DJI is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com/spdji/.

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Trowers & Hamlins

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Trowers & Hamlins is an international law firm with over 150 partners and more than 900 people located across the UK, the Middle East and the Far East providing a full-service integrated offering to clients with local knowledge and expertise at its core.

Our distinguishing feature is that with 25 years of experience in the UK and the Middle East, we have a depth of knowledge of the Islamic finance industry that covers the entire spectrum from regulatory and corporate governance to capital market issuances and real estate investment. Our international team of multidisciplinary specialists will guide you on structuring your Shariah compliant activities to help you achieve a successful outcome.

With our growing office in Kuala Lumpur, our team now advises on Islamic investments, financings and products across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

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LUNCHEON SPONSOR

CONSULTANCY PARTNER

Redmoney Consulting

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Launched in April 2021, Redmoney Consulting is a new and highly focused advisory firm focusing on global Islamic, Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Finance. Redmoney Consulting is a logical extension of REDmoney Group, the Islamic finance industry’s leading media house with a truly global audience. In addition to Islamic finance, the Group has steadily increased its coverage of the green and sustainable finance sector as the two markets continue to converge. Redmoney Consulting provides an expansive service allowing its consultants to provide advisory and consulting services at the highest level for the most discerning of clients.

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LUNCHEON SPONSOR

CONSULTANCY PARTNER

Redmoney Consulting

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Launched in April 2021, Redmoney Consulting is a new and highly focused advisory firm focusing on global Islamic, Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Finance. Redmoney Consulting is a logical extension of REDmoney Group, the Islamic finance industry’s leading media house with a truly global audience. In addition to Islamic finance, the Group has steadily increased its coverage of the green and sustainable finance sector as the two markets continue to converge. Redmoney Consulting provides an expansive service allowing its consultants to provide advisory and consulting services at the highest level for the most discerning of clients.

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MEDIA PARTNERS

Oxford Business Group

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Oxford Business Group (OBG) is a global research and consultancy company with a presence in over 30 countries, from the Middle East, Africa and Asia to the Americas. A distinctive and respected provider of on-the-ground intelligence on many of the world’s fastest growing markets, OBG has offices in London, Berlin, Dubai and Istanbul, and a network of local bureaus across the countries in which we operate.

Through its range of products, OBG offers comprehensive and accurate analysis of macroeconomic and sectoral developments, including banking, capital markets, tourism, energy, transport, industry and ICT. OBG provides business intelligence to its subscribers through multiple platforms: Economic News and Views, OBG Business Barometer – CEO Survey, Roundtables and conferences, Global Platform – exclusive video interviews, The Report publications and its Consultancy division.

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IFN Monthly Review: February — Egypt’s Sukuk success

Egypt's long-awaited Sukuk have finally been issued and received overwhelming demand; Russia started implementing an Islamic finance experimental pilot project...

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Malaysia: Driven by strong infrastructure

Malaysia’s robust Islamic banking and finance industry is largely a result of the government, the regulators and the market players working closely…

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Singapore: A strong potential for Islamic finance growth

Known for having a resilient economy and strong financial fundamentals with ample government backing, the Republic of Singapore, whose multicultural…

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Indonesia: A strong growth outlook

Indonesia is one of the top Islamic finance jurisdictions in the world, with strong governmental support and a thriving Halal ecosystem. NESSREEN TAMANO writes an overview of Shariah…

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About REDmoney Events

REDmoney Events

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, panellists 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 cutting-edge, attendance ensures exclusive access to the leaders in their field across all sectors and markets.

The annual IFN Asia Forum has been the biggest event in the industry since its inception in 2006, attracting over 1,000 delegates annually. An annual line-up of Forums are also conducted across emerging markets and key jurisdictions. Included under REDmoney Events are the IFN Awards Ceremonies, which take place annually in Dubai and Kuala Lumpur, and attract more than 800 industry leaders.

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REDmoney Events designs, organizes and hosts industry-leading conferences, forums, roadshows and seminars focusing on the Islamic financial markets across a global, regional and national level.

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The private sector has a crucial role to play in a The private sector has a crucial role to play in addressing the funding gap for infrastructure development. Join IFN Infrastructure & Project Finance Dialogues in Riyadh to explore the opportunities, challenges and strategies of using Islamic finance to meet infrastructure needs. 
 
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Join us for IFN Qatar Dialogues 2023, where we wil Join us for IFN Qatar Dialogues 2023, where we will be discussing the latest trends and opportunities in the finance industry. 
 
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Iraqi Islamic Bank for Investment & Development pa Iraqi Islamic Bank for Investment & Development partners with MSA Novo to support start-ups and develop the digital landscape in Iraq. Their new tech fund focuses on core logistics, payments infrastructure layers, consumer tech platforms and enterprise enablers.

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CBDCs may have adverse macroeconomic consequences, CBDCs may have adverse macroeconomic consequences, particularly for Islamic banking systems. The IMF warns of deposit disintermediation and liquidity risk in its latest working paper. Central banks need a multifaceted approach to manage these risks.

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Andrew Sheng, Chief Advisor to the China Banking a Andrew Sheng, Chief Advisor to the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, shares insights on the need to explore equity-based Shariah compliant mechanisms for a sustainable financial ecosystem.

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The private sector has a crucial role to play in a The private sector has a crucial role to play in addressing the funding gap for infrastructure development. Join IFN Infrastructure & Project Finance Dialogues in Riyadh to explore the opportunities, challenges and strategies of using Islamic finance to meet infrastructure needs. 

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