08:00 – 09:15
Registration
09:15 – 09:30
Keynote Address
Sheikh Dr Mohamed Ali Elgari, Professor of Islamic Economics, King Abdul Aziz University, Saudi Arabia & Jury Member of the Royal Award for Islamic Finance
09:30 – 10:30
Opening Panel Session: Advancing Saudi Arabia’s Progress in the Islamic Investment Landscape: A Global View
- Reviewing recent regulatory updates and central bank guidelines affecting Islamic finance transactions in Saudi Arabia
- Discussing an industry-wide strategy required to encourage cross border participation in the kingdom’s Islamic capital market
- What role will Saudi Arabia play in the global Islamic finance landscape and what needs to be done to advance this vision?
- What growth is expected in the Takaful industry and how will the industry continue to develop in Saudi Arabia?
- How will other leading Islamic finance markets impact further growth of Islamic finance activities in the kingdom?
Mahmud Abu Bakar – Acting Chief Executive Officer, Alkhair International Islamic Bank
Panelists:Professor Azmi Omar – Director General, Islamic Research and Training Institute, Islamic Development Bank Group
Badlisyah Abdul Ghani – Chief Executive Officer, CIMB Islamic
Dawood Y Taylor – Senior Regional Executive-Takaful, Middle East, Prudential Corporation Asia
Sheikh Dr Mohamed Ali Elgari – Professor of Islamic Economics, King Abdul Aziz University, Saudi Arabia & Jury Member of the Royal Award for Islamic Finance
10:30 – 10:45
Signing Ceremony: Memorandum of Understanding between CIMB Islamic Bank and IRTI on the Islamic Finance Country Report for Malaysia
10:45 – 11:15
Coffee and Networking
11:15 – 12:00
Global Real Estate Roundtable: Opportunities for Saudi Investors
Real estate projects currently underway in the GCC have been estimated to exceed US$1 trillion with Gulf nations accounting for approximately 87% of the investments. Investors in the Middle East are expected to spend a further US$180 billion in commercial real estate markets outside the Middle East over the next 10 years. As real estate continues to be a key driver for economies in the Middle East, Europe and other parts of the world, what trends are expected to unfold in Shariah compliant financing to capitalize on and support this growth?
- Innovation in real estate financing structures and products
- Which real estate markets are expected to outperform and why?
- Investment trends, strategies and risks for the global real estate market
Jawad Ali – Managing Partner, Middle East Offices, King & Spalding, United Arab Emirates
Panelists:Jamil Ghaznawi – Director & Country Head, Jones Lang LaSalle, Saudi Arabia
Jean Philippe Besse – Founder, Parisian Real Estate Advisor
Paul McViety – Legal Director, DLA Piper
Robin Williamson – Managing Director and Real Estate Industry Leader, Deloitte Middle East
Samer Shaaban – Head of International Real Estate, Sedco Capital
12:00 – 12:45
Breakout Session: KSA and Malaysia - Cross Border Business Opportunities
12:00 – 13:00
Sukuk, Infrastructure and Project Finance In the GCC
The drive by many Gulf countries to improve on infrastructure is set create opportunities for market players to fund infrastructure and power projects through Shariah compliant project financing. This session will cover the trends, structures and opportunities available
- Infrastructure and project Sukuk in the Saudi Arabia and the rest of the GCC: What’s in the pipeline?
- Opportunities in cross border Sukuk through project and infrastructure financing
- Utilizing Islamic infrastructure financing in public private partnership ventures
- Trends and outlook for syndicated financing of infrastructure projects
- Assessing the potential of alternative assets and its suitability to Shariah compliant financing: key considerations for issuers
- Outlook for tradability of Sukuk
Qasim Aslam – Partner & Head of Islamic Finance – Middle East, Dentons
Panelists:Hani Ibrahim – Managing Director, Investment Banking, QInvest, Qatar
Muhammad Farhan – Director & Head of Islamic Banking, HSBC Saudi Arabia
Rizwan Kanji – Partner, King & Spalding, UAE
Tayeb Al Rais – Secretary General, Awqaf & Minors Affairs Foundation
Tom Guest – Associate Director, Eiger Trading
13:00 – 14:30
Luncheon
14:30 – 15:00
Shariah Compliant CMA Funds and Financing
James Stull – Senior Associate, King & Spalding
Nabil Issa – Partner, King & Spalding
Salman Al-Asmari – Chief Executive Officer, Adeem Capital
15:00 – 16:00
The Investment Landscape for Islamic Investors in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf: Trends and Strategies for 2015
- What will 2015 hold for Islamic investors and fund managers
- Assessing key investment markets in Europe, Africa and the Gulf: What do emerging markets have to offer Islamic investors?
- Which asset classes and markets are expected to outperform and why
- Risk vs. opportunity: Understanding the risks and impact on the Islamic asset management industry
- The changing face of the institutional investment market: Discussing investment strategies and product trends for 2015
- Outlook for i-ETFs, Shariah compliant mutual funds
Lawrence Oliver – Deputy Chief Executive Officer, DDCAP Group, United Kingdom
Panelists:Alain Verbeken – Director, Cross-Border Tax, Deloitte Tax & Consulting, Luxembourg
Asim Khan – Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Khalij Islamic
Faizal Bhana – Senior Associate, Trowers & Hamlins
Monem Salam – President, Saturna Malaysia
Omar Bassal – Head of Asset Management, MASIC
16:00 – 16:30
Coffee and Networking
16:30
End of Forum
