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IFN Asia Forum 2023

2nd October 2023
EQ Kuala Lumpur

#IFNASIA2023

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  • Keynote Address
  • Session 1
  • Session 2
  • Session 3
  • Session 4
  • Session 5

Keynote Address

Keynote Address

Adnan Zaylani Mohamad Zahid, Deputy Governor, Bank Negara Malaysia

Session 1

Key Strategic Economic Drivers in Southeast Asia: The Islamic Economy and the Islamic Financial Services Industry

Malaysia’s top-down and ‘Islamic first’ strategy has been highly successful as Islamic financial services continue to flourish. What strategies at a governmental, regulatory and institutional level will maintain this success? Does the Islamic financial services sector face a structural imbalance, and how does this impact Islamic financial institutions? What do digital transformation strategies mean for the sector, and what is the ongoing influence of value-based intermediation? Where does Islamic finance play a role in the development of the Halal economy, and are Islamic financial institutions well positioned to serve the corporate and SME sectors? Does Islamic finance need to build appeal and maintain competitiveness in this segment? We ask an expert panel.

Moderator:

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

Panelists:

Ahmad Shahriman Mohd Shariff, CEO, CIMB Islamic Bank
Dr Bello Lawal Danbatta, Secretary-General, IFSB
Dr Hurriyah El Islamy, CEO and Founder, HGC Firm
Dr Rusni Hassan, Professor and Dean, IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance (IIiBF)

Session 2

Blueprint for the Future: An Ecosystem for the Successful Development and Distribution of Islamic Financial Services

How will the design, development and distribution of digital Islamic financial services continue to evolve in the near term? How significant is continued transformation among the traditional providers of Islamic financial products? How important are financial regulators in creating an environment for the enhancement of the financial services sector’s digital infrastructure? How is the development of systems and software for Islamic financial institutions driving scale, integrity and efficiency? What are regional, scalable opportunities for digital Islamic financial offerings? How is technology helping provide banking products for underserved and untapped segments such as the young, SMEs and B2B markets? Is a banking model based on simpler, customer-centric services a reality?

Moderator:

Saujatya Guin, Country Director, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, Temenos

Panelists:

Dima Djani, Group CEO, Hijra
Jamaludin Bujang, Managing Partner (Malaysia), Gobi Partners
Mohammad Hafiz Jamaluddin, Head of Halal Integrated Platform, Halal Development Corporation (HDC)
Rafiza Ghazali, Director, Digital Banking, KAF Investment Bank

Session 3

Center of Excellence: Malaysia as a Center for Innovative Islamic Financial Markets and Structured Finance Products

How does Malaysia fully leverage on its reputation as an international center for innovative Shariah compliant transactions and structured finance products? What is the potential for Islamic syndicated finance — distribution and the development of regional secondary markets? Do additional Tier 1 Sukuk still offer Islamic financial institutions the most flexible and efficient way of satisfying regulatory capital requirements? How do we ensure issuances continue to feature Islamic tranches, and that Islamic finance is a mainstream way of funding large projects? How do we capitalize on the rising significance of the Islamic pre-IPO, IPO, ECM and corporate finance markets? Finally, what is the continued importance of Waqf and Tawarruq within Islamic financial market structures, and how influential are alternatives such as Wakalah?

Moderator:

Elias Moubarak, Partner, Trowers & Hamlins

Panelists:

Basheer Ahmad, Listing Authority, Markets, Dubai Financial Services Authority
Dr Mohamad Zabidi Ahmad, Regional Chief Representative, DDCAP Group
Mohd Ekmal Mohd Zazi, Regional Head, Wholesale Banking, CIMB Islamic Bank
Mushtaq Kapasi, Managing Director, Chief Representative, Asia Pacific, International Capital Market Association

Session 4

Positioning Malaysia as a Leader in Ethical and Shariah Compliant Asset and Investment Management

Does Malaysia still enjoy a competitive advantage in the facilitation of ethically and socially responsible investment management? What strategic steps should be taken to grow Shariah compliant assets under management domestically? How do we assess the growing influence and potential offered by Waqf-featured funds such as REITs and ETFs? What is the continuing role of technology in the development of Shariah compliant investment management solutions, and is the sector successfully democratizing access for retail investors? How do systematic tilts in portfolio allocation from Shariah screening affect how ESG integration is approached, and how significant are initiatives such as the S&P ESG Shariah Indices? Lastly, how do fund and asset managers ensure effective liquidity risk management processes, and do managers require clarity on Shariah governance guidelines?

Moderator:

Vineeta Tan, Managing Editor and Director, Islamic Finance news

Panelists:

Ahmad Fuad Alhabshi, Executive Director, Halogen Capital
Dr Aishath Muneeza, Member, Board Shariah Committee, CIMB Islamic Bank
Amit Pathak, Director, Head of ESG Index Products for Asia Pacific, S&P Dow Jones Indices
Kaleon Leong, CEO, Federation of Investment Managers Malaysia

Session 5

Alternative Funding, Digital Marketplace Financing and the Development of Digital Assets

With significant growth being seen in new and alternative funding activities, Malaysia has an opportunity to create a competitive advantage. What does enhanced access for new Shariah compliant P2P and ECF operators and solutions mean for the digital finance marketplace, and what opportunities are available to retail investors? What sectors are prime beneficiaries for such investment and how do we ensure new sources of financing flow to the vital SME sector? What is on offer from private equity and venture capital, and how effective will new regulatory guidelines designed to increase access to private capital prove to be? Finally, what does the development and evolution of digital assets such as digital currencies, tokens and new forms of crowdfunding mean for the Islamic financial services sector in Southeast Asia?

Moderator:

Shabnam Mokhtar, Managing Director, SHAPE Knowledge Services

Panelists:

Elain Lockman, CEO and Co-Founder, Ata Plus
Hakan Ozyon, CEO, Hejaz Financial Services
Dr Wong Huei Ching, Executive Director, Digital Strategy and Innovation, Securities Commission Malaysia

IFN Asia Forum Review

IFN Asia Forum 2023 Review

Southeast Asian Islamic finance players: Agile and committed
A global Islamic finance powerhouse it may be, but Southeast Asia finds itself in a fast-moving environment with new asset classes and investing trends emerging. Market experts at IFN Asia Forum 2023, which welcomed almost 380 industry professionals across the region, Europe and the GCC, shared their insights on how the industry is changing and how it should ...Read More

About The IFN Asia Forum

Now in its 18th year, the IFN Asia Forum is IFN’s flagship event which has become a ‘must attend’ business event for Islamic finance professionals from around the world. It 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, IFN Asia Forum 2023 will take 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 will embody themes exploring Shariah financing through the banking and capital markets from both the perspectives of issuers and facilitators.

Download Post Event Report

Forum Keynote

Adnan Zaylani Mohamad Zahid

Adnan Zaylani Mohamad Zahid

Deputy Governor, Bank Negara Malaysia
Adnan Zaylani Mohamad Zahid
Adnan Zaylani Mohamad Zahid
Deputy Governor, Bank Negara Malaysia

Adnan Zaylani is the Deputy Governor responsible for investment, financial markets and financial sector development. Adnan started his career at the Bank as a Foreign Exchange Trader and Portfolio Manager in 1994 and played key roles in managing the international reserves, the National Trust Fund and several other public sector funds.

He also oversaw financial market operations and was involved in advising the government on its cashflow management and debt strategy, participating in its international Sukuk roadshows in 2015 and 2016. He became the Assistant Governor in 2016 and has overseen various portfolios including financial markets, investment, foreign exchange administration, currency management, legal and financial sector development.

This portfolio includes the development and advancement of Islamic finance. Among key contributions during this time was the Financial Sector Blueprint that included the development chapter on Islamic finance, the digital banking framework including Islamic digital bank candidates and the formation of the MIFC Leadership Council.

He continues to be involved in various Islamic finance development initiatives, particularly for the Islamic financial markets in addition to his roles in IILM, IFSB and INCEIF University. He is a member of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee and Financial Stability Committee. Adnan holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford as well as an MSc in Global Market Economics and a BSc in Economics from the London School of Economics.

Forum Speakers

Ahmad Fuad Alhabshi

Ahmad Fuad Alhabshi

Executive Director, Halogen Capital
Ahmad Fuad Alhabshi
Ahmad Fuad Alhabshi
Executive Director, Halogen Capital

Ahmad Fuad Alhabshi is an executive director of Halogen Capital, the first licensed digital asset fund manager in Malaysia. He leads the growth and development of the company, with the goal to provide institutional and individual investors with regulated crypto asset opportunities and innovative investment solutions.

Prior to taking this role, Ahmad was CEO of Abbas Investment Management (now known as Opus Islamic Asset Management).

Throughout his 15-year career in asset management, Ahmad has successfully managed over RM2 billion (US$426.48 million)-worth of assets for a diverse clientele, from government-affiliated organizations to family offices, SMEs, private banking clients and high-net-worth individuals. His experience spans across US dollar, Singapore dollar and Malaysian ringgit bond markets.

Ahmad holds a Master of Science degree in analogue and digital integrated circuit design from Imperial College London, UK and a Bachelor of Science degree in electronic engineering from the University of Warwick, UK. He has been a holder of a Capital Markets Services Representative’s License since 2010.

Ahmad Shahriman Mohd Shariff

Ahmad Shahriman Mohd Shariff

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

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 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, Malaysian Accounting Standards Board; and an honorary senior fellow of the Centre for Islamic Economics, International Islamic University Malaysia.

Ahmad 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 the director of wholesale banking, and Citigroup where he served as the head of Islamic banking at Citibank, among others.

Dr Aishath Muneeza

Dr Aishath Muneeza

Member, Board Shariah Committee, CIMB Islamic Bank
Dr Aishath Muneeza
Dr Aishath Muneeza
Member, Board Shariah Committee, CIMB Islamic Bank

With a notable career in the field of Islamic finance, Prof Dr Aishath Muneeza currently holds the position of professor and associate dean for students and internationalization at INCEIF University in Malaysia. Throughout her professional journey, she has gained extensive experience and received recognition from esteemed institutions in the realm of Islamic finance.

Notably, Prof Dr Aishath made history as the first female deputy minister of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs in the Maldives, and later as the deputy minister of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury in the same country. She has also served as the head of Islamic finance at the Capital Market Development Authority of the Maldives.

Prof Dr Aishath’s contributions extend beyond governmental positions. She has served as the chairman of the board of directors of the National Hajj Pilgrimage Fund, Maldives Hajj Corporation and the Maldives Center for Islamic Finance and she is also a registered Shariah advisor with the Securities Commission Malaysia.

For over a decade, Prof Dr Aishath has held the chairmanship of the apex Shariah Advisory Council of the Capital Market Development Authority of the Maldives. Her involvement extends to AAOIFI, where she serves as a member of the Public Interest Monitoring Consultative Committee.

Amit Pathak

Amit Pathak

Director, Head of ESG Index Products for Asia Pacific, S&P Dow Jones Indices
Amit Pathak
Amit Pathak
Director, Head of ESG Index Products for Asia Pacific, S&P Dow Jones Indices

Amit Pathak is the director and head of ESG Index Products for the Asia Pacific region at S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI). Amit is involved in the design, methodology and strategic direction of S&P DJI Sustainability Indices across Asia Pacific, as well as working closely with the Research & Design, Sales and Marketing Departments to bring new indices to market. Amit has more than 10 years of experience in various senior level-product and business roles in financial services across the region. Prior to joining S&P DJI, he worked at the Singapore Exchange and Bloomberg, focusing on thematic, smart beta and ESG product offerings. He started his career in investment banking working in a global markets role at Barclays Investment Bank and the Royal Bank of Scotland Group. Amit holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta and an engineering degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.

Basheer Ahmad

Basheer Ahmad

Listing Authority, Markets, Dubai Financial Services Authority
Basheer Ahmad
Basheer Ahmad
Listing Authority, Markets, Dubai Financial Services Authority

An experienced capital market regulator, Basheer Ahmad joined the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) in 2008 and is responsible for primary market regulations and for managing the DFSA Listing Authority. He is the Islamic finance subject-matter expert at the DFSA and is also responsible for the development of ESG securities requirements.

Basheer has spent over 20 years working for international regulators, working across securities rules and regulations, policy formulation, listing rules, operating listing regimes and market disclosures. He holds a Barrister-at-Law degree from the Lincoln’s Inn, UK and a Chartered Islamic Finance professional qualification.

Dr Bello Lawal Danbatta

Dr Bello Lawal Danbatta

Secretary-General, IFSB
Dr Bello Lawal Danbatta
Dr Bello Lawal Danbatta
Secretary-General, IFSB

Dr Bello Lawal Danbatta was appointed the secretary-general of the IFSB effective the 29th January 2018.

Dr Bello was previously the director of the Centre of Consultancy and Executive Programs at the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance and has over 25 years of combined experience in the private, academia as well as financial services regulation and supervision sectors across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He is a member of AAOIFI, and has chaired various working groups for the issuance of financial accounting standards for Islamic financial institutions. He has also been involved in the development and drafting of standards, guidelines and frameworks for capital adequacy, accounting as well as supervision and regulation of Islamic finance for various countries.

Dr Bello holds a PhD. in Islamic banking and finance from the International Islamic University Malaysia and an MBA in corporate finance. He is a chartered accountant with the Association of Certified Chartered Accountant (ACCA-UK), a member of the Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals, Nigerian Institute of Management and International Council for Islamic Finance Educators. He has worked with the Securities and Exchange Commission Nigeria and other multinational corporations.

Dima Djani

Dima Djani

Group CEO, Hijra
Dima Djani
Dima Djani
Group CEO, Hijra

Dima A Djani is the founder and CEO of Hijra Group, formerly known as ALAMI, a prominent Islamic financial technology ecosystem. Within this role, he has steered Hijra’s transformation from a Shariah compliant SME lending platform into a pioneering Islamic challenger bank. Under his leadership, Hijra has cultivated a robust network of over 144,000 funders, facilitating support for 15,800 projects spanning multiple nations and disbursing in excess of US$333 million in financing. In a significant milestone in 2021, the company acquired Jakarta’s sole Islamic rural bank and digitally transformed it into Hijra Bank, targeting over 230 million underserved Muslims with a suite of dedicated digital banking solutions. Since the launch of the banking app in December 2022, Hijra has onboarded more than 245,000 bank accounts and retail lenders. Prior to his current role, Dima gained valuable experience at prominent financial institutions such as Citi Corporate Investment Banking Division and Societe Generale Corporate Investment Bank. He holds an MBA from INSEAD (GEMBA), where he led ALAMI to victory in the 35th INSEAD Global Venture Competition. Dima earned his Bachelor of Business Management degree from RMIT University in Singapore.

Elain Lockman

Elain Lockman

CEO & Co-Founder, Ata Plus
Elain Lockman
Elain Lockman
CEO & Co-Founder, Ata Plus

Elain Lockman holds a Bachelor of science degree in actuarial science and a Master of Science degree in operational research from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She began her career in PETRONAS and further at Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, Malaysia Debt Ventures, Digi Telecommunications and Packet One Networks until she co-founded Ata Plus in 2015. She is currently a council member for the Malaysian Business Angel Network, the president of the Registered Digital Markets Association Malaysia, an advisor to Women in Tech Malaysia Chapter and an independent board member of Reservoir Link (Main Board KLSE), Propel Global (Main Board KLSE), Leet Technology (NASDAQ-listed) and Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia. Elain is also on the board of trustees for Khazanah Foundation, Prosperity Development Foundation and KRU Foundation. She was awarded the BERG 2019 Women Icons Malaysia award and also the 2020/2021 Batch of Digerati50 award for her exceptional contributions to Malaysia’s digital economy.

Elias Moubarak

Elias Moubarak

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

Elias is a Partner in Trowers & Hamlins’ International Banking and Finance Department.

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 financing and real estate financing as well as capital market issuances.

Hakan Ozyon

Hakan Ozyon

CEO, Hejaz Financial Services
Hakan Ozyon
Hakan Ozyon
CEO, Hejaz Financial Services

Hakan Ozyon is a seasoned business expert known for leading innovative strategies and nurturing talent. His dedication to excellence has enabled him to optimize all aspects of business management. He is adept at unlocking potential, promoting growth and increasing revenue. Hakan has deep ties in both the Islamic and broader Australian communities, enhancing business operations and setting corporate goals. With over 30 years of experience in business, he is a strategic visionary with a knack for building relationships, particularly in competitive areas. His role as CEO involves setting strategic paths and forming financial alliances. Notably, he has spent a decade transforming visions into pioneering Islamic financial services. Respected globally for his business acumen, Hakan is also a director at Islamic Bank Australia.

Dr Hurriyah El Islamy

Dr Hurriyah El Islamy

CEO and Founder, HGC Firm
Dr Hurriyah El Islamy
Dr Hurriyah El Islamy
CEO and Founder, HGC Firm

Dr Hurriyah El Islamy is the CEO and founder of the company HGC Firm. She previously served as an Executive Board Member of Badan Pengelola Keuangan Haji, an independent sovereign agency empowered by law to manage the Indonesian Hajj pilgrim funds. She was named as one of the most active Islamic finance activists by Bank Indonesia and has global experience in Islamic finance, having served as the director for CIMB Group, responsible for all its Islamic businesses.

After serving Kuwait Finance House Bahrain as the Head of its Compliance and Anti-Money Laundering Department and as its legal counsel, Dr Hurriyah assumed the role as the Director of Capinnova Investment Bank, an Islamic investment arm of the Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait.

Dr Hurriyah remains active in the Islamic finance industry; she is the Islamic finance adviser to the Astana International Finance Centre, a board member and strategic adviser to Islamic Fintech Alliance and is also listed as an International Monetary Fund expert in Islamic finance and capital markets. She has a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) degree, a Master’s degree in Corporate Law and a PhD.

Jamaludin Bujang

Jamaludin Bujang

Managing Partner (Malaysia), Gobi Partners
Jamaludin Bujang
Jamaludin Bujang
Managing Partner (Malaysia), Gobi Partners

A supporter of Gobi’s efforts to expand in ASEAN since 2014, Jamaludin Bujang joined the firm in 2019 and is overseeing operations and investment activities at Gobi’s Kuala Lumpur office. He has 15 years of experience in equity research, investment evaluation, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and an additional 14 years of experience in venture capital (VC).

Prior to Gobi, Jamaludin was CEO of MAVCAP, Malaysia’s largest VC firm, which has directly and indirectly invested in over 1,100 start-ups since 2001. While at MAVCAP, Jamaludin shifted the company’s strategic direction to focus on raising funds from the private sector and managing funds with local and international VC partners, including 500 Startups, Elixir Capital, Gobi Partners, Vynn Capital and Intres Capital. He also attracted a number of local corporates and sovereign funds to invest in VC funds, including Axiata, Johor Corporation and Khazanah Nasional. In total, Jamal helped MAVCAP to create, manage and participate in nine funds, with a combined size of over US$500 million.

At Gobi, Jamaludin successfully created and launched a US$20 million venture fund in Pakistan, in collaboration with the Fatima Group, one of the country’s largest conglomerates.

Kaleon Leong

Kaleon Leong

CEO, Federation of Investment Managers Malaysia
Kaleon Leong
Kaleon Leong
CEO, Federation of Investment Managers Malaysia

Kaleon Leong Rahan has been CEO of the Federation of Investment Managers Malaysia (FIMM) since the 1st October 2018. He comes with over 20 years of experience in various senior management roles in the Malaysian investment management industry, specializing in the fields of unit trust and asset management, regulations and auditing.

Prior to his appointment at FIMM, Kaleon was CEO and a director of HSBC (Malaysia) Trustee. He had also served at the Securities Commission Malaysia, AmInvestment Services and PwC.

In addition to the above, Kaleon has participated as a speaker and resource person on fund management in events organized by the Asian Development Bank, Securities Industry Development Corporation, etc. He is also a board member of the International Investment Funds Association.

Kaleon is a chartered accountant (Malaysian Institute of Accountants) and holds a Bachelor of Accounting degree from the International Islamic University Malaysia, as well as a Master’s degree in information technology management from Universiti Tun Abdul Razak.

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 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’s in Accounting 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.

Mohammad Hafiz Jamaluddin

Mohammad Hafiz Jamaluddin

Head of Halal Integrated Platform, Halal Development Corporation
Mohammad Hafiz Jamaluddin
Mohammad Hafiz Jamaluddin
Head of Halal Integrated Platform, Halal Development Corporation

Mohammad Hafiz Jamaluddin is currently Head of the Halal Integrated Platform (HIP) which is part of Halal Development Corporation that focuses on the development and facilitation of the Halal industry ecosystem. HIP is the first digital platform in the world that provides a networking platform for Halal industry players, empowering stakeholders in the Halal industry and in the Halal supply chain.

Mohammad Hafiz has over 18 years of experience in management consulting, digital transformation and implementation of large-scale digital projects. He has extensive experience in the development of digital ecosystems for industry and business-specific solutions for large organizations for both government ministries as well as multinational companies.

Mohd Ekmal Mohd Zazi

Mohd Ekmal Mohd Zazi

Regional Head, Wholesale Banking, CIMB Islamic Bank
Mohd Ekmal Mohd Zazi
Mohd Ekmal Mohd Zazi
Regional Head, Wholesale Banking, CIMB Islamic Bank

Mohd Ekmal Mohd Zazi is the Regional Head of Wholesale Banking at CIMB Islamic and is responsible for developing and growing the Islamic wholesale banking business of CIMB Group. Prior to joining CIMB Islamic in April 2020, he was with CIMB Bank, carrying out capital and balance sheet management roles of the group. He was a key person in the liquidity and interest rate management of the group, ensuring sustainable assets growth through a lean and optimized balance sheet. He started his career as a Management Trainee with CIMB Investment Bank back in July 2007.

Mohd Ekmal graduated with a Master of Science degree in Risk Management and Financial Engineering from Imperial College London in 2012. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Actuarial Science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a Chartered Professional in the Islamic Finance Charter.

Mushtaq Kapasi

Mushtaq Kapasi

Managing Director, Chief Representative, Asia Pacific, International Capital Market Association
Mushtaq Kapasi
Mushtaq Kapasi
Managing Director, Chief Representative, Asia Pacific, International Capital Market Association

Mushtaq Kapasi leads the International Capital Market Association (ICMA)’s work in the Asia Pacific region. He has been based in Hong Kong since 2002, engaged in senior strategy, capital market and legal roles covering the region at international banks active in Asia. He has worked as a lawyer in debt capital markets and derivatives, a structurer in equities and fixed income, a manager of complex trades with regulatory and accounting considerations and an advisor to top executives on emerging market strategy. He has also designed financial structures of renewable energy projects in frontier markets. He studied Mathematics at the University of Texas and Law at Yale University.

Nitish Bhojnagarwala

Nitish Bhojnagarwala

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

Nitish Bhojnagarwala is a senior vice-president 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 Turkiye. 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 Department. He has also worked for KPMG in the UAE, where he covered financial institutions. Nitish holds an MBA from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, with a major in finance (investment banking).

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.

Dr Rusni Hassan

Dr Rusni Hassan

Professor and Dean, IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance
Dr Rusni Hassan
Dr Rusni Hassan
Professor and Dean, IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance

Professor Dr Rusni Hassan is an esteemed leader in Islamic finance, notably serving as Dean at the IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance. Her distinguished career is marked by a profound influence on academic, regulatory and practical aspects of Islamic finance globally. Her leadership extends beyond finance to influential positions in Shariah advisory councils and boards of directors for various organizations, reflecting her versatile expertise and commitment to integrating Islamic principles in broader economic practices.

A prolific author, she has contributed over a hundred scholarly articles and numerous seminal books that have significantly shaped the legal and regulatory landscape of Islamic finance worldwide.

A passionate academician, she has mentored countless students and young professionals, emphasizing the importance of ethical practices and the integration of Islamic values in business and finance and nurturing the next generation of Islamic finance professionals and fostering a well-rounded and principled financial leadership.

Her works and contribution to Islamic Finance has been internationally recognized by the Government of Maldives when she was awarded the National-Recognition for Outstanding Contribution of Females to Develop and Sustain Islamic Finance Industry in Maldives in 2018.

Her career is a testament to unwavering dedication as murabbi to excellence in Islamic finance. Her achievements span academic contributions, regulatory enhancements and influential leadership, making her invaluable to the global Islamic finance community and an inspiring leader whose work continues to impact the academia and industry profoundly.

Saujatya Guin

Saujatya Guin

Country Director, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, Temenos
Saujatya Guin
Saujatya Guin
Country Director, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, Temenos

Saujatya Guin is the country director for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei at Temenos. Saujatya is a business development leader with a strong background in information technology, excelling in executing high-value contracts in the telecoms, technology and banking sectors. Saujatya is adept at expanding businesses in new markets with innovative products and keeps up with industry trends, creating compelling business cases aligned with company goals. Bridging the gap between commercial and technical teams, Saujatya ensures a clear understanding of the technology roadmap. Saujatya is passionate about sustainable solutions in digital and fintech, embracing challenges with creative collaboration and precision.

In his more than 20 years in enterprise/B2B tech sales, Saujatya has led digital transformations in Asia, catering to banking, communication and broadcasting, manufacturing, and digital government and public services. Saujatya has contributed to digital banking and financial innovation in ASEAN since 2017 and has initiated and successfully sold transformative initiatives such as greenfield implementations, digital core systems, open banking with API and SOA, digital and omni-channel revolutions, automation and regulatory-driven technology refresh. He has been actively involved in the rise of MVNOs, embedded finance, fintechs and challenger banks.

Shabnam Mokhtar

Shabnam Mokhtar

Managing Director, SHAPE Knowledge Services
Shabnam Mokhtar
Shabnam Mokhtar
Managing Director, SHAPE Knowledge Services

Shabnam Mokhtar has over 18 years of experience in the finance space. Currently, she spearheads research and development activities at SHAPE including sustainability analysis. With a global clientele experience, Shabnam brings implementation knowledge, considering the business context, regulation and best practices in different markets. Shabnam was appointed as the Securities Commission – Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, Islamic Finance Visiting Fellow for 2021/2022. She is interested in multi-disciplinary research especially in the areas of impact investing, sustainability, innovation and technology.

At Oxford, Shabnam focused on the blue economy, impact investing and lessons for Islamic finance. Formerly, she headed the capital market research for the International Shari’ah Research Academy. Her focus area was case study-based research projects in the Sukuk market. Her prior positions include Adjunct Professor of Finance at both DePaul University (Chicago) and IE Business School (Madrid) as well as Lecturer in Accounting, Finance and Bank Management at Universiti Putra Malaysia. She is also a member of the AAOIFI Examination Review Committee. Shabnam serves as a Shariah Committee Member for RHB Islamic Bank, AIA Public Takaful and London-based Islamic fintech Algbra.

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 Managing Editor and Director of 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. With over a decade of experience in the journalism and publishing industry, 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 leads 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. 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, UK.

Dr Wong Huei Ching

Dr Wong Huei Ching

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

Dr Wong Huei Ching is an executive director at the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC). She leads the Digital Strategy and Innovation Division, overseeing the Innovation, Digital Strategy, Analytics, Cybersecurity and Technology Departments.

Dr Wong’s 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 business 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. She is currently a member of the Labuan Financial Services Authority as appointed by the minister of finance.

Prior to joining the SC, Dr Wong 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 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.

Advisory Board

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.

Joanne Rodrigues

Joanne Rodrigues

Group Chief Financial Officer, Affin Bank
Joanne Rodrigues
Joanne Rodrigues
Group Chief Financial Officer, Affin Bank
Leong See Meng

Leong See Meng

Senior Vice President, Strategy & Business, Cagamas
Leong See Meng
Leong See Meng
Senior Vice President, Strategy & Business, Cagamas

Leong See Meng is the senior vice-president of strategy and business at Cagamas where he is responsible for developing the corporate strategy and driving the business and sustainability initiatives. He is an accountant by training and a banker by profession with 30 years of industry experience in banking and finance. He read accounting at RMIT University, Melbourne and graduated with distinction in 1992 after which he completed the CPA program with CPA Australia. He commenced his banking career with Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation and has since worked for leading financial institutions such as Citibank and Deutsche Bank amongst others, and his last remit in banking was with the National Bank of Abu Dhabi.

Leong has extensive experience in fiduciary management, advisory, Islamic finance and wholesale banking. During his career, he was instrumental in setting up Al Rajhi International Islamic Bank and National Bank of Abu Dhabi in Malaysia. In recent times, he was leading the product team for the development and launch of Malaysia’s first reverse mortgage scheme through Cagamas. Aside from banking and finance, he is passionate about sustainability, in particular, green financing for energy-efficient homes and retrofits.

Marcel Omar Papp

Marcel Omar Papp

Head of Retakaful, Swiss Re
Marcel Omar Papp
Marcel Omar Papp
Head of Retakaful, Swiss Re

Marcel Omar Papp is the principal officer of Swiss Re Kuala Lumpur Branch since August 2018, overseeing both the conventional and re-Takaful operations of Swiss Re in Malaysia. He came to Swiss Re Kuala Lumpur Branch in February 2009 with the responsibility to set up and head the re-Takaful operations, and it has since since become the global center for Swiss Re’s Family and General re-Takaful business leading the development of the firm’s Islamic reinsurance business, products and processes worldwide. Under his leadership, Swiss Re Retakaful has become a market leader in Southeast Asia and has won several ‘Best Retakaful operation’ awards.

Prior to moving to Malaysia, Marcel Omar was based in Hong Kong and Singapore for 10 years in various underwriting roles, including head of the Casualty Treaty Desk and product manager of casualty for Asia.

Marcel Omar started his career in insurance more than 25 years ago as a claims broker in the London market working for Willis. He then moved to Union Re (Zurich) working in client market and underwriting functions before joining Swiss Re in 1998.

Marcel Omar holds a Masters of Arts degree in business administration from the University of Zurich (Switzerland) and is an associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute of London.

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.

Mohamed Shehzad Mohamed Islam

Mohamed Shehzad Mohamed Islam

CEO, Ethis Investment - EthisX
Mohamed Shehzad Mohamed Islam
Mohamed Shehzad Mohamed Islam
CEO, Ethis Investment - EthisX

Mohamed Shehzad Mohamed Islam (Zad) has close to 25 years of experience and has assumed roles in corporate planning, management consulting, business development, marketing and sales and investments. He started as a corporate executive, was part of a family office and is still a corporate entrepreneur. His engagements have spanned multi-sectors including the emerging field of fintech.

Zad graduated in mechanical engineering from Imperial College London in 1997. A career within aviation until 2004 saw him in engineering and marketing and sales positions. Continuing his education at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Zad completed a Master of Engineering degree in mechatronics engineering in 2008 focused on drone technology.

Returning to Singapore, Zad joined a boutique consultancy as a management consultant and he participated in a number of projects, working on scopes ranging from business planning and market development to project planning, project financing and project implementation.

Between 2012 and 2017, Zad was part of a Qatari multi-business holding and family office and eventually held the position of strategic business development director. While there, Zad initiated a number of business verticals including hospitality and real estate, education, manufacturing and consulting. Zad left Qatar in mid-2017 when his family relocated home and focused on sell-side mergers and acquisitions as well select advisory assignments. He also made investments into start-ups.

In late 2019, Zad became the founding CEO (designate) of the first Shariah compliant equity crowdfunding platform, Ethis Malaysia, which is regulated by Securities Commission Malaysia.

Zad is currently COO of Ethis Global and concurrently CEO of Ethis Investment comprising EthisX, a global ethical alternative investment platform regulated by Oman’s Capital Market Authority; Ethis Fund, a fund management company licensed under Labuan Financial Services Authority; and EthisX Advisory.

Mohammed Alim

Mohammed Alim

CEO and Cofounder, IBF Net Group
Mohammed Alim
Mohammed Alim
CEO and Cofounder, IBF Net Group
Mustafa Aydemir

Mustafa Aydemir

Senior Investment Analyst, Saturna Malaysia
Mustafa Aydemir
Mustafa Aydemir
Senior Investment Analyst, Saturna Malaysia

Mustafa Aydemir is currently working as a senior investment analyst with Saturna, a subsidiary of Bellingham, Washington-based investment firm Saturna Capital. He is an investment advisor for high-net-worth clients and head of retail strategy in the ASEAN region. His research work covers ESG and the banking sector. Mustafa is a PhD candidate at the IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance. Mustafa studied at the Investment Banking Institute in New York City in 2009, has a Master’s degree in Islamic finance from INCEIF in 2013 and is a CFA Level 2 candidate. He is also a registered Shariah financial planner.

Mustafa is a subject matter expert on sustainability, ESG and the SDGs. He is a regular speaker and panelist on the topics in Malaysia.
Mustafa’s illustrious career started with Arthur Andersen in Stuttgart as a business consultant in 1999. He then worked for the world’s leading business software house, SAP AG, in Walldorf, Germany.

Mustafa has lived, studied and worked in Europe, the US and Asia. He was instrumental in starting and heading the consulting practice of Al-Othman Group, Saudi Arabia, in 2006. During that period, he was the program manager for major projects, including for Aramco, Sabic and Amiantit. He has been working and living in Malaysia since 2011.

Nicholas Edmondes

Nicholas Edmondes

Partner, Trowers & Hamlins
Nicholas Edmondes
Nicholas Edmondes
Partner, Trowers & Hamlins

Nick Edmondes has been the resident managing partner of Trowers’s Kuala Lumpur office since 2015 when the firm became the first foreign law firm to be granted a qualified foreign law firm license in Malaysia. Nick’s 36 years of experience includes major infrastructure project development and finance, privatization, corporate structuring, restructuring and cross-border investment, particularly in real estate.

Nick has worked in London and Trowers’s overseas offices, and in the 1990s, Nick established the firm’s Islamic Finance Group, which has grown to be recognized as a First Tier practice in the Legal 500 directory of law firms. He remains a key client partner for a number of international Islamic financial institutions.

Nick has been recognized as a ‘Notable Practitioner in Islamic Finance’ in the Chambers & Partners Legal Directory 2014, and as a ‘Legal Expert in the field of Project Energy and Natural Resources (including PFI)’ in the Legal Business: Legal Experts directory 2010. Nick has written many articles and has spoken regularly on a variety of topics in the UK, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, among many other countries, on diverse subjects from inward investment to the UK to private sector financing for the public sector and Islamic finance.

Raja Teh Maimunah

Raja Teh Maimunah

CEO, Aeon Digital Bank
Raja Teh Maimunah
Raja Teh Maimunah
CEO, Aeon Digital Bank
Suhazi Reza Selamat

Suhazi Reza Selamat

CEO, UOB Islamic Asset Management
Suhazi Reza Selamat
Suhazi Reza Selamat
CEO, UOB Islamic Asset Management

Suhazi Reza Selamat has more than 20 years of investment-related experience in the financial services industry. Starting his career in the Treasury Division of a Malaysian bank, Reza dealt in multiple financial instruments, including foreign exchange and derivatives for both proprietary trading and corporate desks. He moved into asset management in 2002, covering sales, marketing, distribution, training and product development.

Suhazi was based in the Middle East in 2008 and 2009 to develop the Middle Eastern market for a Malaysian asset management outfit and has specialized in Islamic asset management since 2010.

Suhazi obtained his MBA, specializing in Islamic finance, from Universiti Malaya and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from La Trobe University, Melbourne. He is a holder of the Security Commission Malaysia’s Capital Markets and Services Representative’s License for fund management obtained in 2011 and is a Shariah registered financial planner of Malaysia Financial Planning Council since 2019.

Tan Pheng Leong

Tan Pheng Leong

CFO, Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam
Tan Pheng Leong
Tan Pheng Leong
CFO, Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam

Forum Partners

LEAD PARTNER

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

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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Hejaz

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Hejaz is a leading financial institution that delivers a broad range of Islamic financial services across investment management, superannuation services, financial advice and lending to a large and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions and individuals.

Founded in 2014, the firm is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and maintains a presence all around 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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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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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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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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LEAD MEDIA PARTNERS

MEDIA PARTNER

In The News

IFN Monthly Review: April – Regulatory updates support Islamic finance

India introduced an amendment to its Waqf bill to modernize property management in the sector. Kazakhstan began the process of...

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Malaysia: Driven by strong infrastructure

Malaysia, one of the top Islamic finance jurisdictions in the world, boasts a well-established regulatory…

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Bursa Malaysia to bolster Waqf segment with proposed amendments to listed trusts and funds

In line with the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC)’s Waqf-related initiatives that support Islamic capital market…

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No initiatives for Islamic finance in Malaysia’s Budget 2023?

In a surprising twist, the largest Sukuk issuer in the world, Malaysia, did not announce any specific initiatives for the…

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The Previous IFN Asia Forum

IFN Asia Forum 2022

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.

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

TThe 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 has also become an integral element of the REDmoney events series and have cemented their position as leading, must-attend, events. In 2022, we introduced the Islamic Sustainable Finance & Investment Forum, which was an enormous success, and will become a mainstay.

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Our team will be glad to answer any questions you may have about this event.

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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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Islamic Finance News @ifn_news ·
17 Feb

We are pleased to welcome Mehdi Popotte, Portfolio Manager, Arqaam Capital, to the speaker line-up for the IFN Investor Middle East Forum 2025, taking place in Address Sky View, Dubai on 17th February 2025.

FREE registrations now open:
https://redmoneyevents.com/event/ifninvestorme2025/

Islamic Finance News @ifn_news ·
17 Feb

We are pleased to welcome Dr Imran Lum, Head of Islamic Finance, Business & Private Bank, NAB, to the speaker line-up for the IFN Investor Middle East Forum 2025, taking place in Address Sky View, Dubai on 17th February 2025.

FREE registrations now open:
https://redmoneyevents.com/event/ifninvestorme2025/

Islamic Finance News @ifn_news ·
17 Feb

We are pleased to welcome Gareth Lewis, Vice President, Partnerships and Enterprise, Fasset, to the speaker line-up for the IFN Investor Middle East Forum 2025, taking place in Address Sky View, Dubai on 17th February 2025.

FREE registrations now open:
https://redmoneyevents.com/event/ifninvestorme2025/

Islamic Finance News @ifn_news ·
14 Feb

We are pleased to welcome Ruslan Akhmedzyanov, Head of Transaction Advisory, Ypsilon Capital DIFC, to the speaker line-up for the IFN Investor Middle East Forum 2025, taking place in Address Sky View, Dubai on 17th February 2025.

FREE registrations:
https://redmoneyevents.com/event/ifninvestorme2025/

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Join Baker McKenzie and the largest names in the i Join Baker McKenzie and the largest names in the industry and receive daily news and updates on the global Islamic finance industry.

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Join Azentio and the largest names in the industry Join Azentio and the largest names in the industry and receive daily news and updates on the global Islamic finance industry.

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Join ATEL Capital Group and the largest names in t Join ATEL Capital Group and the largest names in the industry and receive daily news and updates on the global Islamic finance industry.

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#REDmoney #IFN #IslamicFinance #Finance #IFNSubscribenow #ATELCapitalGroup
Join Asia Alliance Bank and the largest names in t Join Asia Alliance Bank and the largest names in the industry and receive daily news and updates on the global Islamic finance industry.

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#REDmoney #IFN #IslamicFinance #Finance #IFNSubscribenow #AsiaAllianceBank
Presenting the 3rd Annual Global Shari'ah Majlis: Presenting the 3rd Annual Global Shari'ah Majlis: Transforming for a Better Tomorrow.

Explore pivotal topics with our esteemed speakers on 23rd October 2024, at Movenpick Hotel, Karachi - Pakistan.

Get ready for enlightening discussions at the intersection of faith and progress.

Register now to attend physically or to watch virtually at: https://redmoneyevents.com/event/global-shariah-majlis-2024/

Let's make a difference together. Don't miss out!

#StanChart #SaadiqIslamic #SCGlobalShariahMajlis2024
Tamweel Aloula, a digital financing company in Sau Tamweel Aloula, a digital financing company in Saudi Arabia, has completed its issuance of an Additional Tier 1 Capital Sukuk under its inaugural Sukuk program worth SAR500 million (US$133.05 million).

The issuance marks the first time such a program has been implemented by a non-banking financial institution in the Kingdom. Facilitating the transaction was Impact46, a Saudi investment and advisory firm which acted as the financial adviser and arranger, while legal counsel was provided by Norton Rose Fulbright.

https://www.islamicfinancenews.com/daily-cover-story-financing-company-issues-landmark-sukuk-for-non-banking-finance-sector-in-saudi-arabia.html

#REDmoney #IFN #IslamicFinance #Finance #SukukIssuance #ShariahCompliant #DigitalFinance #DebtCapitalMarkets #SMEFinancing #Tier1Capital #SaudiEconomy #HalalFinance #TamweelAloula #Impact46 #NortonRoseFulbright #SaudiExchange #SaudiCentralBank #SaudiArabia
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