In June 2017, Ali Hassan Moosa joined the Oman Banks Association as the first full-time employee of the association, with 24 years of experience in various fields of banking such as technology, retail, marketing, operations, credit and recoveries, as well as in the private commercial sector, specifically residential and commercial real estate, and tourism development. Ali also lectured at the College of Banking and Financial Studies and was the first author of the section ‘Banking & Finance’ in monthly publication Oman Economic Review. Ali holds a Bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Reading, and an MBA from Webster University.

Anand Raghavendran is currently the head of asset management at BankDhofar. He has over 17 years of experience in asset management, private equity, real estate investing, fixed income, private credit, listed equities and technology consulting. During his investing career, he has gained immense experience across asset classes, generating attractive returns to investors.

Prior to his current role, Anand was the senior vice-president with Shariah compliant global investment company Gulf Islamic Investments. Prior to that, he was the fund manager of private markets at Bank Muscat, a leading bank and asset manager based in Oman. Earlier, he was the senior vice-president with Creador, a private equity firm focused on South Asia and Southeast Asia. During his investing career, Anand has led multiple conventional and Shariah compliant portfolios.

Anand holds a PGDM from XLRI School of Business (India) and graduated in mechanical engineering from PSG College of Technology (India).

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

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

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

Kemal Rizadi Arbi has 30 years of global experience in the banking and financial industry (both government and private sectors), being involved in Islamic finance, corporate and investment banking, fund management and ESG sustainable finance, to name a few.

Kemal is currently an expert/advisor with the government of Oman and, for the last 10 years, has been with the Executive President/Vice-President’s Office at the Capital Market Authority (Oman CMA) which regulates and develops the financial industry in Oman relating to the capital market and insurance sectors (both conventional and Islamic).

Prior to joining the Oman CMA, Kemal had established strategic initiatives for the development of the Malaysian and ASEAN+3 (10 ASEAN nations with China, Japan and Korea) capital markets and evaluated corporate finance/Islamic finance transactions as the head of department at the Securities Commission Malaysia.

Kemal was awarded the Malaysian government (JPA) full scholarship for top scholars at the University of Iowa in the US and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in actuarial science. He also holds an MBA (Finance) from the International Islamic University Malaysia and a Chartered Islamic Finance Professional Master’s degree from INCEIF University in Malaysia.

Khalid Al Kayed is responsible for spearheading Bank Nizwa’s overall business growth and 2020 strategies. He is responsible for driving the execution of the bank’s business targets to meet the bank’s aspirations and vision for leading the Islamic banking industry in the country. He oversees and ensures a good balance between driving operational excellence and strong governance to deliver sustainable long-term value for shareholders, customers, employees and all other stakeholders.

Aside from establishing strategic policies and providing the overall direction for the banking operations and financial performance, his core responsibilities include strengthening Bank Nizwa’s distribution footprint, growing its profitability via organic growth and domestic expansion, strengthening its leadership position in Islamic finance and making Bank Nizwa a preferred banking partner in the marketplace.

A financial industry veteran with over 25 years under his belt, Khalid served as acting CEO and CFO in Bank Nizwa and has been associated with the bank since inception. Prior to joining the bank, Khalid held various posts in a host of well-respected financial institutions including deputy CEO and CFO at Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank, CFO at Standard Chartered Bank Jordan and financial controller at the offshore banking unit of Jordan National Bank Cyprus. His expertise ranges from general banking management, financial control, accounting, global markets, credit, investments, risk management and asset liability, among other fields.

Khalid holds a Master’s degree in international accounting and finance from Liverpool University. He is also a certified management accountant and certified financial manager from the Institute of Management Accountants. He is currently completing his executive management program from Columbia Business School.

Khalid Howladar is the chairman of MRHB DeFi, the world’s first ethical and faith-based decentralized finance platform. In addition, Khalid is an active innovation angel, advisor and board member for a diverse mix of fintech, crypto, edtech and Islamic economy start-ups through his firm Acreditus Partners. Lastly, he is the senior managing director and head of credit and Sukuk for RJ Fleming & Co, the boutique merchant banking advisory of the Fleming family.
With a rare confluence of financial, tech, social and faith-driven perspectives, Khalid is a recognized authority in his fields and has addressed investors worldwide and audiences at the World Bank, IMF, European Central Bank and Institute of International Finance.

Khalid gained industry prominence from his 15 years at Moody’s Investors Service in London and Dubai culminating as both the global head of Islamic finance and the head of the GCC banking team.

Khalid’s most prominent start-up role was as angel and later chairman of Small Pharma, a pioneering psychedelic UK biotech that successfully made the transition from start-up to a public 2021 listing on the TSXV Canada during his board leadership.

Dr Khalid MW Tahhan is a co founder of Oman’s first cryptocurrency brokerage service launched under the Jadara Program of the Ministry of Transport Communication and Information Technology (MTCIT) and is currently the first registered virtual assets service provider with the Capital Market Authority of Oman. Also under MTCIT’s Jadara Program, Dr Khalid and his co-founders are launching Oman’s first stable coin and wallet called Hasalah.

Kumail Ali Moosa has over nine years of experience in investment banking, marketing and valuing global investment products including mutual funds, bonds, life insurance products, REITS and local and GCC equities. Prior to Sohar International, Kumail worked at Ubhar Capital as a fund manager, in Standard Chartered Bank’s wealth management division and the US equity market division of Vision Investment Services. He is currently working as a real estate investment manager and assisted in the launch of one of Oman’s first Shariah compliant real estate funds. Kumail has a Bachelor’s degree from Anglia Ruskin University in business administration, specializing in marketing. In addition, Kumail has held the CFA charter since 2019.

Luma Saqqaf is a recognized sustainable finance consultant in the MENA region and is called upon by corporates, financial institutions, funds and asset managers to advise on aspects of sustainable value creation, sustainable and ESG strategy and its integration into their business. She also counsels regulators and financial markets in MENA on sustainable finance regulations and the development of the capital markets in MENA.

Luma has been at the forefront of finance, Islamic finance, sustainability and entrepreneurship in MENA and Europe for three decades. A former partner and global head of Islamic finance at ‘Magic Circle’ law firm Linklaters, she has more than 20 years of experience in legal practice. She led teams across Europe, the Middle East and Asia on groundbreaking transactions covering finance and capital markets including Shariah compliant Sukuk, loans and securitization, among others.

Luma is now CEO of Ajyal Sustainability Consulting and is also a regular speaker at conferences and a contributor to articles on the topics of sustainable finance in MENA. She holds a Master’s in Law degree from the University of Bristol, UK, and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Jordan.

Mayan Al Asfoor is the Oman country manager for Beehive Oman, where she is responsible for overseeing overall strategic direction and managing day-to-day operations. Prior to working at Beehive, Mayan had 17 years of corporate banking experience within local banks such as National Bank of Oman and HSBC. Mayan is also an entrepreneur and owner of an SME.

Mike Tirman is a partner in Ice Miller’s Real Estate Group and advises and represents clients in all areas of real estate law, including acquisitions and dispositions, financing (including various forms of Shariah compliant financing), ground leasing, development, land use and zoning, entity structuring and joint ventures.

Some of Mike’s representative transactions include, among others, r
epresenting a buyer in a US$195 million Shariah compliant acquisition and CMBS financing of a portfolio of 30 industrial properties, representing a landlord in a US$104 million refinance of a portfolio of four industrial properties in New Jersey encumbered by ground leases and representing a REIT in a US$30 million acquisition of a parking garage and execution of a reverse 1031 exchange.

Mike is licensed to practice law in Illinois and Indiana.

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

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

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

Dr Suhail Rizwan has a PhD with a specialization in finance. His areas of interest relate to risk management, Islamic banking and finance, regulatory frameworks of financial institutions, ESG and fintech. Dr Suhail has more than 10 years of teaching, research and consultancy experience in the banking and finance area. He has worked on consultancy projects with the Islamic Development Bank Institute, Central Bank of Iran, Central Bank of Indonesia and Insignia Consultancy. Dr Suhail is a committed and organized researcher with proven leadership qualities for working with diverse ethnic teams and delivering high-quality, impactful, policy-oriented research. His research work has been published in journals in finance. Dr Suhail is currently serving as an assistant professor at the College of Banking and Financial Studies, under the umbrella of the Central Bank of Oman, and leading the Fintech Professional Certificate Program, a pioneer fintech certification in the Sultanate of Oman.

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

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

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

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

Salman Kabani’s professional banking career spans over 18 years in the GCC/Middle East and domestic markets, having worked in the entire spectrum of commercial and investment banking, culminating in core competency as a subject matter expert in enterprise risk and portfolio management, digital transformation, and setting and devising strategies for all the areas of Islamic banking and finance. He specializes in transforming organizations by identifying the right strategic levers to drive the business while minimizing risk. Currently, he is heading operational risk, market risk and strategy at Bank Nizwa, Oman. He holds a Master’s degree in economics and an MBA in finance, and is a certified Shariah advisor and auditor from AAOIFI. He is also a postgraduate diploma holder from MIT Sloan in the US and has taken a certificate course in fintech from the University of Oxford.

Shahariah Shaharudin is the president of Saturna, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saturna
Capital Corporation. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in business studies from Knox College, Illinois and a Master of Arts degree in economics from University of Illinois, Springfield.

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

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

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

Sharifatul Hanizah is the executive director of Islamic capital market development of the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC). She leads a team that facilitates the developmental and operational initiatives for Malaysia’s Islamic capital market (ICM). This encompasses initiatives through the deepening and broadening of ICM products and services to further strengthen Malaysia’s position as a global hub for ICM as well reviews of industry proposals and Shariah status for listed/pre-IPO securities.

Sharifatul has extensive and diverse experience of over 30 years in the fields of investment analysis, portfolio management, equity trading and unit trust while serving in various organizations such as Permodalan Nasional (PNB), RHB Investment Management and Muamalat Invest. During her tenure in PNB and RHB, Sharifatul’s board experience was vast, spanning consumer goods, technology and manufacturing companies. She served on the boards of exchange-listed and private companies as a nominee director for PNB and RHB.

Prior to joining the SC in August 2019, Sharifatul was CEO of SIDC, the learning and development arm of the SC. She is a fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia, a certified financial planner, an Islamic financial planner and a fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia.

Suad Al Balushi has over 17 years of successful experience in the banking sector, with strategic and operations leadership. Suad is a dynamic, result-oriented leader with a strong track record of performance, utilizing keen analysis, insights and team approach to derive organizational improvements and implementation of best practices. She has superior interpersonal skills, capable of resolving multiple and complex issues (sales, human resources, investment, financial and operational) and mentoring and coaching staff to optimize performance. Suad was the first Omani to achieve the ACI Diploma Certificate, which is the top certificate for treasury professionals and was the first Omani female treasurer in the banking sector. Suad was the winner of the NTI BizPro award 2016 and the winner of the AlMaraa award of Excellence in Corporate Leadership in 2021. She was also the winner of the Cambridge IFA Womani20 award for 2021 and 2022. Suad is a financial risk manager certified by the Global Association of Risk Professionals. She has been featured multiple times in Al Maraa magazine and in ISFIRE (Islamic Finance Review Magazine) in the WOMANI of April 2022 issue.

Talha Ahmed Khan is a profound investment banker and trainer with more than 12 years of experience in various regions. Currently, he is the head of the Global Investment Unit and the country manager of Oman of Pak Oman Investment Company, an investment banking/development finance institution joint venture between the Sultanate of Oman and the government of Pakistan. He has in-depth knowledge and experience of project finance, syndications, debt capital markets, merger and acquisition structures and transactions revolving around various sectors including renewable energy, technology, telcos, pharmaceuticals, etc, in Islamic and conventional modes. Academically, he has a Master of Science degree from UCL with a distinction in investment management, and certifications such as ACA (ICAEW), FCCA and the CFAESG Investment Certificate, as well as an MBA from IBA. He is an associate chartered banker from the Chartered Institute of Bankers Scotland.

Thamer Al Shahry is a partner and heads SASLO’s litigation and dispute resolution departments and is a leading member in the firm’s corporate team.
Thamer is an experienced Omani lawyer with over 14 years of experience in law and practice in arbitration, banking and finance, capital markets, restructuring, corporate governance, employment, mergers and acquisitions, real estate and public–private partnerships.

In the dispute resolution practice, Thamer has the right of audience before the Primary and Appeal Courts of Oman and continuously appears before local and international arbitral tribunals in both institutional and ad-hoc proceedings. His experience includes acting as an Omani law expert before international arbitral tribunals in various commercial and infrastructure disputes, and advises and represents a range of international, regional and Omani clients in many legal aspects including Islamic finance-related disputes, among others.

In the non-contentious practice, Thamer has significant experience in advising on regulatory, corporate, real estate and banking and finance in complex projects and public–private partnerships in the power, oil and gas, water, wastewater and infrastructure sectors in Oman from the clients’, sponsors’ and lenders’ end. He has extensive experience in dealing with Omani government agencies and other regulatory authorities.

Vinod Sadhwani is a seasoned finance professional who possesses over 30 years of experience in diverse industries such as utilities, oil and gas, manufacturing, real estate, trading, advisory, audit and accounting in various positions across organizations in India and Oman. He is currently the general manager of treasury at MB Holding Company, a diverse conglomerate in oil and gas and other businesses and has led multiple transactions of fundraising, restructuring, etc. Earlier, he was heading the corporate finance function at Nama Holding (formerly known as Electricity Holding Company), and he assisted the group in successfully raising funds in excess of US$7 billion across multiple sources/markets/tenors including the first and the largest Omani corporate bond under Rule 144A/Reg S and International Sukuk. He was also deputed to the Debt Management Office under the Ministry of Finance, Oman. Vinod is a chartered accountant from India, holds the CPA qualification from the US, is a certified treasury professional from the Association of Finance Professionals in the US and holds an MBA from the University of Wales in the UK.

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

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

Hanifa has served Sohar International as the Head of Environment Social and Governance (ESG) since 2022, reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer and the Board Executive, Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

As the focal point for all of Sohar International’s ESG activities, Hanifa is responsible for developing and executing the Bank’s ESG Framework. This includes ensuring effective ESG risk management, opportunity development and supporting Sohar International’s stakeholders through sustainable financing solutions.

Hanifa brings over 25 years of experience managing ESG topics s (e.g. climate change; diversity and inclusion; resource management (energy; water; and waste); social impact; sustainable finance; and much more), and draws on such ESG experience from South East Asia, Europe, South America, North America, Australia and the MEA (Middle East and Africa) regions.

Within MENA, Hanifa has previously held similar leadership roles with Jones Lang LaSalle; Mubadala Investment Company and KPMG.
She has also held Non-Executive Director roles for the United Nations Global Compact UAE, and Football Victoria (Australia). Currently, Hanifa is a member of the Responsible Finance Investment Foundation (MENA Regional Emissary Representative), Executive Committee Member of the Australian Business Group Oman; and Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Hanifa holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Strategic Management and Marketing (Monash University – Melbourne, Australia); a Graduate Certificate in Sustainability (Swinburne University – Melbourne, Australia); as well as certificates in Sustainable Finance (Frankfurt School of Finance and Management); Climate Change and TCFD – Risks and Opportunities for the Banking Sector (UNEP FI); and Social Return on Investment Practitioner (Social Value International).

Her industry specialisations include financial services; metals and mining; oil and gas; hospitality, leisure, food and beverage; healthcare; agriculture; and transport and infrastructure.

Kemal Rizadi Arbi has 30 years of global experience in the banking and financial industry (both government and private sectors), being involved in Islamic finance, corporate and investment banking, fund management and ESG sustainable finance, to name a few.

Kemal is currently an expert/advisor with the government of Oman and, for the last 10 years, has been with the Executive President/Vice-President’s Office at the Capital Market Authority (Oman CMA) which regulates and develops the financial industry in Oman relating to the capital market and insurance sectors (both conventional and Islamic).

Prior to joining the Oman CMA, Kemal had established strategic initiatives for the development of the Malaysian and ASEAN+3 (10 ASEAN nations with China, Japan and Korea) capital markets and evaluated corporate finance/Islamic finance transactions as the head of department at the Securities Commission Malaysia.

Kemal was awarded the Malaysian government (JPA) full scholarship for top scholars at the University of Iowa in the US and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in actuarial science. He also holds an MBA (Finance) from the International Islamic University Malaysia and a Chartered Islamic Finance Professional Master’s degree from INCEIF University in Malaysia.

Lo’ai Bataineh is a seasoned and successful investment banker with over three decades of experience in commercial banking, investment banking, asset management and wealth management. He has experience in establishing, implementing and successfully managing full-service investment banking and asset management businesses. Lo’ai is dynamic and innovative with an ability to capture new market opportunities across multiple sectors and asset classes. Driven to exceed the expectations of all stakeholders, he has extensive experience in matters relating to mergers and acquisitions, restructuring and divestment, among others.

Lo’ai has served as an advisor to several regulatory and government committees in Oman. He is an active presenter in business forums, conferences and panel discussions and he contributes regular articles to business magazines and newspapers in both Arabic and English. He holds Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in money and banking.

Mohsin Shaik Sehu Mohamed is currently heading the investment banking and capital markets at Maisarah, Bank Dhofar. He is responsible on the overall business of investment banking of Maisarah covering debt capital markets, private equity, asset management, corporate finance, wealth management and direct investments.

Mohsin is a well-known figure in the Islamic finance market in Oman due to his role in the Sukuk space. He has been instrumental in executing the first-ever Sukuk in Oman back in 2013. In 2020, Mohsin advised the government of Oman on issuing the first ever sovereign retail Sukuk.

In 2022, Mohsin was appointed as the ‘Grand Councilor’ for Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance in Malaysia. Mohsin is also a chartered professional in Islamic finance and has been certified by the International Academy of Business and Financial Management as a certified private equity specialist. He is also a chartered Islamic finance professional with INCEIF, Malaysia. He graduated with a Master of Business (Applied Finance) degree from the Queensland University of Technology, Australia and holds a Bachelor of Accounting (Hons) degree from University Tenaga Nasional, Malaysia.

Suleman Muhammad Ali is an experienced Islamic banking professional having a proven track record in leading product innovation, development and Shariah compliance at Islamic financial institutions in Pakistan and the GCC. During his career, he has enabled banks and financial institutions to develop and deliver profitable Shariah compliant financial products and solutions related to retail, corporate, treasury, trade and structured finance.

Suleman specializes in providing bespoke Shariah compliant financial solutions based on the client’s financial needs and business cycle. During his tenure at Meezan Bank in Pakistan, he engaged with various corporate and SME clients to develop short-term financial solutions such as Islamic overdrafts based on Musharakah and bill discounting facilities based on Musawwamah, among others. These solutions have now been adopted as an industry standard in Pakistan.

Suleman has also advised central banks and is also a reputed Islamic banking trainer, regularly conducting various training sessions, corporate workshops and seminars on the subject and has served as a visiting faculty for Islamic finance at the National Institute of Banking and Finance (Pakistan), College of Banking and Financial Studies (Oman) and Academy of Excellence (Oman).