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IFN Thought Leadership Dialogues 2022

26th May 2022,
Conrad Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road

#IFNDIALOGUES2022

Watch Now

  • Dialogue One
  • Dialogue Two
  • Dialogue Three

Dialogue One

Dialogue One: Global Shariah Compliant Asset Management and Islamic Capital-Raising
  • Inflation, a rising interest rate environment and the implications for potential issuers of Islamic capital market products.
  • What do these factors also mean for the outlook of the global Shariah compliant investment community?
  • Evolving Shariah compliant fund and collective investment schemes; ETFs, Sukuk, leasing and trade finance funds.
  • The outlook for Shariah compliant direct real estate investment and private equity.
  • Beyond listed Sukuk: what are the opportunities presented by the private placement market?
  • What options do hybrid or combination Sukuk offer issuers, particularly in asset-heavy industries such as oil and gas, and aviation?
  • How do Tier 1 and Tier 2 Sukuk offer financial institutions a flexible, efficient and user-friendly way of satisfying regulatory capital requirements, and what do perpetual Sukuk structures offer such issuers?
  • Developing the global Sukuk market: regulation, hedging, risk and liquidity management instruments.
  • Pertinent operational issues for the Islamic capital markets: solutions surrounding the transition to risk-free rates.
  • Latest thinking on the application of the Murabahah structure to capital markets, with relevance to AAOIFI standards.
  • With the demise of LIBOR, is SOFR a good alternative for the Islamic capital market?
  • The potential for regional issuance hubs.

Moderator:

Mohammed Paracha, Head of Middle East, Norton Rose Fulbright

Panelists:

Ahsan Ali, Managing Director and Head, Islamic Origination, Standard Chartered Saadiq
Aijaz Hussain, EVP Sales and Director, UIF Corp
Basheer Ahmad, Senior Manager, Dubai Financial Services Authority
Faisal Hasan, Chief Investment Officer, Al Mal Capital
Ismail Dadabhoy, Advisor, International Islamic Financial Market
Dr John Sandwick, General Manager, Safa Investment Services
Lo’ai Bataineh, CEO, Ominvest International Holding-DIFC
Dr Mohamed Damak, Senior Director, Global Head of Islamic Finance, S&P Global Ratings
Sayf Shuqair, Senior Associate, King & Spalding
Dr Vladimir Malenko, Managing Director, FairFin OÜ

Dialogue Two

Dialogue Two: Islamic Sustainable and Responsible Investing
  • Opportunity knocks: the dazzling global prospects for Islamic sustainable finance and investment.
  • Important considerations in the development of efficacious Islamic sustainable investment products.
  • Understanding the structure and benefits of transition, sustainable and sustainability-linked investment products.
  • Managing important sustainable investment regulatory, reporting and disclosure requirements for issuers and investors.
  • Fit for purpose: measuring the long-term benefit of green and sustainable financial investments and avoiding the issue of greenwashing.
  • Stress-testing credit and investment portfolios for climate risk, and the role of regulators.
  • With ESG and sustainability continuing to grow in Islamic capital market issuance, when will we see the measurement of impact?
  • Are sufficient issuers engaging with independent, third parties to measure green, sustainable and social credentials?
  • Are tax environments in the GCC less conducive toward green issuances?

Moderator:

Cassim Docrat, Director, DDCAP

Panelists:

Aditya Shah, Head of Circular Economy Investments, Creek Capital
Anita Wieja-Caruba, Associate Director, Strategy, Policy and Risk, Dubai Financial Services Authority
Aruna Narayanan, Senior Advisor Sustainability and ESG, The Partnerships Advisory
Asal Saghari, Counsel, King & Spalding
Jessica Robinson, Senior Advisor, ESG, Deloitte
Khalid Al Kayed, CEO, Bank Nizwa
Khurram Waheed, Managing Director, Corporate Finance, Dalma Capital
Raphael Fofana, Underwriter, Structured Finance and Sovereign Investments, The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit 
Sharafudheen Razi, Environmental, Social and Governance Analyst, GSM Holdings

Dialogue Three

Dialogue Three: Digital Assets, Digitalization and the Evolution of Islamic Financial Services
  • The digitalization of Islamic financial services: what is working, what is viable and what is not? What do the answers to these questions mean for the evolution of Islamic financial services in Saudi Arabia?
  • Does digitalization allow us to better address issues such as product authenticity and the minimization of uncertainty?
  • Is the success of neobanks inevitable, and how will they change the market?
  • How will the development, provision and distribution of digital Islamic financial services evolve in the near-term?
  • How are global regulators creating an environment for the enhancement of the Islamic financial services’ sector digital infrastructure?
  • Beyond retail: developing and distributing effective and attractive suites of Shariah compliant digital wealth management, investment and insurance solutions.
  • The development of systems and software for Islamic banks: driving scale, integrity and efficiency.
  • The tangible benefits of peer-to-peer lending and equity crowdfunding: how these key technologies can be further applied to today’s banking and financial markets.
  • The evolution of robo-advisory and digital investment managers: threat to or opportunity for incumbent money managers?
  • How are Stablecoins, non-fungible tokens, utility tokens, equity tokens and other digital assets being applied to global financial markets?
  • What is the potential for new and structured products based on cryptocurrencies for the global market: ETFs and complex leverage mechanisms such as DeFi?

Moderator:

Vineeta Tan, Managing Editor, Islamic Finance news

Panelists:

Dr Farrukh Habib, Co-Founder, Alif Technologies
Khalid Howladar, Chairman, Marhaba Decentralized Finance
Nabil Issa, Managing Partner – Middle East Offices, King & Spalding
Paula Tavangar, Portfolio Manager, SwissBorg
Salam Slim, Director, Digital Core Lead, Global Banking Practice, Oracle

IFN Islamic Finance Thought Leadership Dialogues Review

IFN Islamic Finance Thought Leadership Dialogues 2022 Review

A detailed discussion followed on the ways in which Islamic finance can improve livelihoods and generate wealth across Muslim markets. The dialogue covered inflation, a rising interest rate environment and the implications for potential issuers of Islamic capital market products, the outlook for Shariah compliant direct real estate investment and private equity. It also tackled issues on developing the global Sukuk market: regulation, hedging, risk and liquidity management instruments and addressed questions such as “How do Tier 1 and Tier 2 Sukuk offer financial institutions a flexible, efficient and user-friendly way of satisfying regulatory capital requirements?” as well as many other interesting topics....Read More

About the IFN Islamic Finance Thought Leadership Dialogues

Islamic finance is deeply rooted in the Middle East, a region which continues to shape the modern Islamic finance industry globally. Commanding the lion’s share of global Islamic banking and finance assets and wielding enormous influence in the industry, the Middle East has always been an integral part of IFN.

Covering the region since 2004 and organizing industry-leading events in the Middle East since 2008, IFN returned to the region in 2022 with a new and unique event combining its globally recognized gatherings with the much sought after and acclaimed Dialogues.

The IFN Islamic Finance Thought Leadership Dialogues is a series of extended discussions amongst leading regulators and the industry’s elite, gathered from around the world, to discuss and identify the sector’s most pressing issues as well as emerging opportunities.

Seated around a round table, with selected observers behind, each 12-person Dialogue ran for approximately 2-hours.

Download Post Event Report

Dialogues Speakers

Aditya Shah

Aditya Shah

Head of Circular Economy Investments, Creek Capital
Aditya Shah
Aditya Shah
Head of Circular Economy Investments, Creek Capital

Aditya Shah is the head of circular economy investments at Creek Capital, a Dubai-based climate impact investment manager. Creek Capital invests in sustainable and decentralized infrastructure across the Middle East to help individuals, companies and communities increase value and reduce their carbon footprint. Aditya has more than 15 years of climate impact and infrastructure investment experience across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Previously, Aditya was the assistant director at IL&FS Group, where he spent 10 years raising and managing infrastructure funds, in addition to making proprietary investments for the group. Prior to IL&FS, Aditya was the assistant vice-president at Abu Dhabi Investment Company where he was part of the investment team of the ADIC–UBS Infrastructure Fund.

Aditya holds a Bachelor’s degree in commerce from Mumbai University and an MBA from SP Jain School of Global Management. Aditya is also a chartered alternative investment analyst and a chartered accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

Ahsan Ali

Ahsan Ali

Managing Director and Head, Islamic Origination, Standard Chartered Saadiq
Ahsan Ali
Ahsan Ali
Managing Director and Head, Islamic Origination, Standard Chartered Saadiq

Ahsan Ali is responsible for the global Islamic corporate and institutional banking business at Standard Chartered Bank (SCB). Since joining SCB in March 2004, he has built this business from inception and has led several award-winning and industry-defining transactions. Ahsan has over 24 years of experience in the financial services industry, of which the last 14 have been in Islamic banking.

Ahsan holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta and a degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, in addition to a CFA [chartered financial analyst] designation.

Aijaz Hussain

Aijaz Hussain

EVP Sales and Director, UIF Corp
Aijaz Hussain
Aijaz Hussain
EVP Sales and Director, UIF Corp

Aijaz Hussain has worked in the field of investments and Islamic banking for almost 25 years. For the first seven years, Aijaz worked with UBS and Morgan Stanley (formerly Smith Barney) in the area of investment management. His areas of specialty include Islamic investments, hedge funds, and managed accounts. As part of the Private Client Group, he consulted high-net-worth clients in investment and hedging strategies, charitable trusts and estate planning.

In 2003, Aijaz joined Guidance Residential, a then-start-up Islamic financing company and played a major role in its growth into a multibillion-dollar financing company.

On the 1st April 2011, Aijaz joined University Islamic Financial (UIF), a Michigan-based Islamic banking company in the capacity of vice-president of national sales. As the head of sales, his responsibilities include sales management, implementing UIF’s growth strategy and improving overall efficiency within the organization. In January 2013, Aijaz was appointed to the board of directors at UIF for his contribution to the company’s success. Aijaz has conducted over 500 seminars and written numerous articles on Islamic financing over the years.

Anita Wieja-Caruba

Anita Wieja-Caruba

Associate Director, Strategy, Policy and Risk, Dubai Financial Services Authority
Anita Wieja-Caruba
Anita Wieja-Caruba
Associate Director, Strategy, Policy and Risk, Dubai Financial Services Authority

Anita Wieja-Caruba is an associate director at the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) and has been with the company for close to eight years. During this time, as part of its Strategy, Policy and Risk Division, she has been instrumental in implementing various international standards in the Dubai International Financial Centre, including the Financial Stability Board (FSB) Recovery and Resolution Framework and the Basel III reforms. She also works on subjects such as benchmark reforms, client assets protection, equivalence with EU rules, sustainable finance, insolvency law, derivatives and netting and compliance framework.

Prior to joining the DFSA, Anita worked at the European Commission as an advisor to Commissioner Michel Barnier on a package of financial reforms following the global financial crisis.

Anita qualified as a finance lawyer in the City of London (King & Wood Mallesons, ex SJ Berwin), following which she worked at BNP Paribas CIB advising on various aspects of the bank’s structured finance transactions. She holds degrees from BPP Law School (UK), University of Cambridge (UK), College of Europe (Belgium) and University of Silesia (Poland).

Aruna Narayanan

Aruna Narayanan

Senior Advisor Sustainability and ESG, The Partnerships Advisory
Aruna Narayanan
Aruna Narayanan
Senior Advisor Sustainability and ESG, The Partnerships Advisory

Aruna Narayanan is a sustainability enthusiast and strategic thought leader with a passion for driving prosperity through people empowerment and planet protection.

She is a highly accomplished results driven professional with two decades of corporate experience. She focuses on sustainability, ESG, impact investing, innovative waste management and recycling, marketing communications and corporate social responsibility. With previous leadership positions at organisations including Purecog Holdings, Dulsco, Accenture and Ocwen Financial Corporation, she is adept at supporting companies and their clients on sustainability journeys with lasting positive impact across multiple stakeholders.

Aruna leads the ESG & Sustainability practice at The Partnerships Advisory. She is a Non-Executive Director on the board of EIGHTClouds Private Equity. She has been nominated to the Board of Sustainability Action Society (an initiative by The Capital Club, Dubai). She also serves on the advisory board for various organizations enabling them to genuinely embed sustainability and ESG into various aspects of their business. Aruna is a Tedx speaker, panelist and moderator at various discussions on authentic leadership and sustainability.

Aruna is an alumna of the Harvard Business School (USA) and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (UK). She is an advocate of Diversity & Inclusion and leads the Alumni Network of Harvard Women (UAE Chapter).

She has completed the SDG Ambition Accelerator program organized by United Nations Global Compact. Aruna has been named to the ESG Power list 50 2022 that recognizes the most influential ESG leaders in the MENA region.

Asal Saghari

Asal Saghari

Counsel, King & Spalding
Asal Saghari
Asal Saghari
Counsel, King & Spalding

Asal Saghari is the counsel of the corporate, finance and investments practice. Asal has extensive experience in banking and finance. Her areas of practice include finance, Islamic finance and secured and unsecured lending, with a particular focus on advising sponsors, lenders and borrowers in connection with their lending and investment activities in Europe and the Middle East structured on both a conventional and Shariah compliant basis. Asal joined King & Spalding’s London office in 2008 from one of London’s leading international law firms.

Basheer Ahmad

Basheer Ahmad

Senior Manager, Dubai Financial Services Authority
Basheer Ahmad
Basheer Ahmad
Senior Manager, Dubai Financial Services Authority

An experienced capital market regulator, Basheer Ahmad joined the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) in 2008. He is responsible for primary market regulations and is the Islamic finance subject matter expert at the DFSA. He is also responsible for the development of environmental, social and governance bonds and Sukuk requirements.

Basheer has spent over 20 years working for international regulators with an emphasis on securities rules and regulations, policy formulation, operating listing regimes and market disclosures. He previously worked at the Securities Commission of Malaysia and as a deputy public prosecutor with the Attorney-General’s Chambers in Malaysia.

Basheer holds a Barrister-at-Law degree from Lincoln’s Inn, UK and a Chartered Islamic Finance professional qualification from INCEIF, the Global University of Islamic Finance in Malaysia.

Cassim Docrat

Cassim Docrat

Director, DDCAP
Cassim Docrat
Cassim Docrat
Director, DDCAP

Cassim Docrat is the director of DDCAP (DIFC), the company’s representative office in the Middle East.

Cassim has over 30 years of international banking experience in Canada, the US, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Cassim started his banking career in 1981 with Citibank in South Africa before moving to Canada in 1983, where he went on to hold senior positions at Citibank, Bank of Montreal and the Bank of Nova Scotia. He has worked in the Middle East since 1991 holding senior executive positions with banks including Kuwait Finance House, Al Rajhi Bank in Saudi Arabia and recently, the National Bank of Abu Dhabi.

Cassim has built strong relationships with major institutions and government entities in the region and beyond. He has experience across commercial, investment and Islamic bank offerings focused at institutional investors particularly in the structured trade and syndication markets.

Faisal Hasan

Faisal Hasan

Chief Investment Officer, Al Mal Capital
Faisal Hasan
Faisal Hasan
Chief Investment Officer, Al Mal Capital

Faisal Hasan is a senior investment professional with a career spanning 21 years during which he managed diverse award-winning departments such as asset management, direct investments and treasury, investment research and business development.

Faisal’s previous role was in the capacity of senior executive officer at FundRock (ME), which is part of the Apex Group. He also was part of the senior leadership team in KAMCO Investment Company and Global Investment House in Kuwait.

Faisal is a financial market expert who has been a speaker at various international conferences and is well quoted in the media on economic trends and financial markets. He holds a Master’s degree in finance from Delhi University, India and is a CFA charterholder from CFA Institute in the US.

Dr Farrukh Habib

Dr Farrukh Habib

Co-Founder, Alif Technologies
Dr Farrukh Habib
Dr Farrukh Habib
Co-Founder, Alif Technologies

Dr Farrukh Habib is the co-founder of Alif Technologies (Dubai) and Shariah Experts (London). He is an expert in Shariah (Islamic law), finance and economics. He is an advisor, consultant and trainer by profession with a strong educational background. He has been involved in the Islamic fintech and Halal digital economy, focusing on crowdfunding, micro investments, microfinance, blockchain and smart contracts, among others.

Dr Farrukh is also researcher at the International Shari’ah Research Academy for Islamic Finance (ISRA), Kuala Lumpur, and a co-editor of the ISRA Journal of Islamic Finance (indexed by ESCI and SCOPUS). He has been doing research in capital markets, Sukuk, banking and social and ethical finance and is a prolific speaker at several international dialogues, conferences and seminars. He is a member of the OIC Working Group for Financial Inclusion and Economic Outlook, and a frequent speaker for the ICCIA which is an affiliated institution of the OIC, representing 57 member countries.

Dr Farrukh holds a PhD in Islamic finance from INCEIF, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and a Master of Science degree in banking and finance from Queen Mary University of London in the UK.

Ismail Dadabhoy

Ismail Dadabhoy

Advisor, International Islamic Financial Market
Ismail Dadabhoy
Ismail Dadabhoy
Advisor, International Islamic Financial Market

Ismail Ebrahim Dadabhoy has worked within capital market and investment banking spanning over 30 years, gaining knowledge across the market in Islamic finance and conventional banking, dealing in short-term money market, options, swaps, structured products as well as corporate finance

Ismail spent 10 years with Merrill Lynch, then 20 years with UBS across London, Singapore, Bahrain and Dubai.

While at Merrill Lynch, Ismail was a founding member of the international repo market back in 1987 which over the years developed into an over trillions of dollars plus market. In 1992, the repo trading team was headhunted by UBS where he quickly rose to become the head of UBS European Repo trading thereafter moving to Singapore to successfully start the Emerging Markets Repo desk for UBS.

Ismail resigned from UBS in 1999 because he felt uncomfortable dealing in interest with his Islamic belief. However, he did not leave UBS as they allowed him to set up UBS Islamic Finance back in 2000. UBS quickly developed as a major force in the Islamic finance arena and gained many industry awards with number of firsts and innovative products like range Murabahah investment, dual currency Murabahah, exchangeable Sukuk for Khazanah, real estate and structured products plus others. The exchangeable Sukuk itself earned over 12 different awards.

Ismail was part of the ISMA REPO subcommittee and later served as an ISMA Asia Regional Committee member.

Currently, Ismail is advising the International Islamic Financial Market as an independent advisor and recently set up AIMS, an Islamic advisory services company with three other managing partners to serve the financial market covering banks, corporates, Takaful and high-net-worth individuals.

Jessica Robinson

Jessica Robinson

Senior Advisor, ESG, Deloitte
Jessica Robinson
Jessica Robinson
Senior Advisor, ESG, Deloitte

Jessica Robinson is a global expert in environmental, social and governance (ESG) and sustainability, advising financial institutions, institutional investors, think tanks, governments, regulators and companies on a broad range of issues relating to green finance, ESG, sustainable and responsible investment, as well as gender, climate and carbon finance.

In previous roles among others, Jessica was the head of Asia for the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment, following a long stint as chief executive and board director of the Association for Sustainable and Responsible Investment in Asia, one of Asia’s leading think tanks working to promote sustainable finance and responsible investment across the region.

Jessica has an extensive background in professional services and business consulting, focusing on financial services, environmental finance and sustainability industries. She frequently contributes articles, authors reports and speaks at conferences on issues including green financing, financial market developments and climate finance policy, among others.

Jessica holds a Master of Science degree in applied environmental economics from the University of London, a Master of Science degree in politics from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Manchester, UK.

Dr John Sandwick

Dr John Sandwick

General Manager, Safa Investment Services
Dr John Sandwick
Dr John Sandwick
General Manager, Safa Investment Services

Dr John A Sandwick is a recognized pioneer in Islamic finance. He created the first application of the Modern Portfolio Theory in the context of global portfolio allocations with Shariah certification. He is also noted for organizing innovative domestic and international Sukuk (Islamic bonds), the world’s first global Sukuk fund, a Sukuk participation certificate and the first-ever mid-market Sukuk in Saudi Arabia.

Dr John is a visiting professor of finance at Al Yamamah University in Riyadh, and a former instructor in the Graduate School of Finance at University Paris-Dauphine. He frequently teaches Master classes on Islamic finance, including in Kuala Lumpur, Almaty, Dubai, Riyadh, Geneva and London for groups including central banks, pension funds, family offices and treasuries.

Dr John’s most recent publications include a popular article in the Journal of Asset Management, as well as a recent book from one of the world’s top-ranked academic publishers, Edward Elgar Publishing. He has a Master’s degree in development banking from American University in Washington DC and a doctorate in business administration from Grenoble Ecole de Management in France. He is currently a corporate finance and wealth management consultant for Saudi family clients.

Khalid Al Kayed

Khalid Al Kayed

CEO, Bank Nizwa
Khalid Al Kayed
Khalid Al Kayed
CEO, Bank Nizwa

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.

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. His expertise ranges from general banking management and financial control to accounting, global markets and credit, 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.

Khalid Howladar

Khalid Howladar

Chairman, MRHB DeFi
Khalid Howladar
Khalid Howladar
Chairman, MRHB DeFi

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.

Khurram Waheed

Khurram Waheed

Managing Director, Corporate Finance, Dalma Capital
Khurram Waheed
Khurram Waheed
Managing Director, Corporate Finance, Dalma Capital

Khurram Waheed is a seasoned advisor and corporate financer with over 20 years of green and conventional energy, healthcare, infrastructure and sustainability experience. Throughout his career, Khurram has been involved in or led advisory in several transactions in the Middle East, Africa, Turkey, Europe and Asia in sectors ranging from oil and gas, power and water, healthcare and life sciences, infrastructure and mobility/transportation.

Based in Dubai in the UAE, Khurram is the managing director of corporate finance at Dalma Capital which was founded in 2011, and is a firm engaged in asset management and is a boutique investment bank. He leads the green, healthcare and infrastructure advisory business for the firm.

Prior to joining Dalma, Khurram served as the executive director of international banking for First Abu Dhabi Bank and has worked with other international banks like Barclays and Emirates NBD.
Khurram has an Executive Master’s in Finance degree with distinction (top 10%) from HEC, Paris and also has an MBA with a specialization in finance and marketing from ICFAI Business School.

Lo’ai Bataineh

Lo’ai Bataineh

CEO, Ominvest International Holding-DIFC
Lo’ai Bataineh
Lo’ai Bataineh
CEO, Ominvest International Holding-DIFC

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.

Dr Mohamed Damak

Dr Mohamed Damak

Senior Director, Global Head of Islamic Finance, S&P Global Ratings
Dr Mohamed Damak
Dr Mohamed Damak
Senior Director, Global Head of Islamic Finance, S&P Global Ratings

Dr Mohamed Damak is a senior director of financial services at S&P Global Ratings. He covers financial institutions in the Middle East and Africa. Dr Mohamed is also the global head of Islamic finance at S&P Global Ratings, leading a global team of Islamic finance analysts.

Before rejoining S&P Global Ratings, Dr Mohamed worked as a principal credit risk officer for the African Development Bank in Tunis. From 2006 to 2010, he worked for S&P Global Ratings covering conventional and Islamic financial institutions in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Dr Mohamed holds a PhD in finance and a Master’s degree in money, banking and finance from University of Paris 2, Pantheon Assas and a Master’s degree in financial institutions management from Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Tunis.

Mohammed Paracha

Mohammed Paracha

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

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

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

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

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

Nabil A Issa

Nabil A Issa

Partner, King & Spalding LLP
Nabil A Issa
Nabil A Issa
Partner, King & Spalding LLP

Nabil A Issa is a partner in the Corporate, Finance and Investments Group of King & Spalding, working from the Dubai and affiliated Riyadh offices. Nabil’s experience includes work in the areas of Shariah compliant funds, joint ventures, foreign investment, private equity, privatizations, venture capital, healthcare, education, food and beverage and real estate industry transactions. He is particularly known for his development of innovative Shariah compliant CMA funds and investment structures for real estate and private equity investments in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Nabil is regularly cited by independent legal directories and client-based surveys. Chambers Global 2020 highly ranks Nabil for his corporate and investment funds work (Band 1) in the Middle East and recognizes him as an expert in Saudi corporate (Band 1 as a lawyer based outside of Saudi Arabia) and capital market matters. Nabil is listed as a ‘Leading Individual’ for his corporate work in the Middle East region by Legal 500 EMEA 2021.

Following graduation from the University of Pennsylvania, Nabil was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to UAE University to study the effects of membership in the World Trade Organization on the financial laws of the UAE.

Sharafudheen Razi

Sharafudheen Razi

Environmental, Social and Governance Analyst, GSM Holdings
Sharafudheen Razi
Sharafudheen Razi
Environmental, Social and Governance Analyst, GSM Holdings

Sharafudheen Razi is the senior environmental, social and governance (ESG) analyst and the head of ESG analysis and data driver at Global Sustainable Market Holdings Corporation. Previously, he worked at S&P Global Ratings as a sustainability analyst.

Sharafudheen is an enthusiast in management consulting, sustainability reporting, ESG, corporate social responsibility and ESG controversy analysis. He has key expertise in ESG policy and framework creation, rating of ESG controversies, ESG indexing and ESG risk analysis. He is certified in ITIL Sustainability in Digital and IT, and GRI-certified on Sustainability Reporting Standards.

Paula Tavangar

Paula Tavangar

Portfolio Manager, SwissBorg
Paula Tavangar
Paula Tavangar
Portfolio Manager, SwissBorg

Paula Tavangar is a serial entrepreneur and renowned leader within the fintech, blockchain and quantitative finance space. Recently, Paula joined forces with Swissborg Ventures, where she will occupy a senior level role utilizing her expertise in blockchain technologies and venture capital to lead the investment process and promote deal sourcing.

Paula’s previous experience is mainly sourced from a variety of thriving companies she has either improved and/or co-founded. In 2018, Paula co-founded Genesis Capital LATAM, where she was directly responsible for developing a high-frequency algorithmic trading arbitrage strategy that was crucial to the firm’s success. She also co-founded Islamic fintech start-up Wethaq, which serves industry standardization by issuing Sukuk on a distributed ledger.

Paula holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in international finance and a Master of Science diploma in financial engineering, focusing on automated trading systems.

Raphael Fofana

Raphael Fofana

Underwriter, Structured Finance and Sovereign Investments, The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit 
Raphael Fofana
Raphael Fofana
Underwriter, Structured Finance and Sovereign Investments, The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit 

Raphael Fofana is a sovereign underwriter at The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit where he is spending his fifth year working on complex structured finance transactions mainly in the African region. Before joining the IsDB Group, he used to work in capital markets in France for several large international institutions. Raphael, who is a CFA charterholder, also holds two Master’s degrees in international corporate finance and public affairs from the prestigious French political school Sciences Po. Paris.

Salam Slim

Salam Slim

Director, Digital Core Lead, Global Banking Practice, Oracle
Salam Slim
Salam Slim
Director, Digital Core Lead, Global Banking Practice, Oracle

Salam Slim is a director in Oracle’s Financial Services Global Business Unit focusing on digital core banking transformation programs. In this position, he is responsible for product marketing of the Oracle Universal Core Banking & Digital banking solutions. He has over 18 years of experience working with leading global financial services companies in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asian markets and has first-hand knowledge of banking industry practices, regulations and market dynamics. Previously, he worked for Path Solutions and Temenos in various software implementation, product management and presales roles.

Salam holds a Bachelor’s degree in banking/finance from the American University of Beirut.

Sayf Shuqair

Sayf Shuqair

Senior Associate, King & Spalding
Sayf Shuqair
Sayf Shuqair
Senior Associate, King & Spalding

Sayf Shuqair is a senior associate in the Corporate, Finance and Investments Group of King & Spalding, based in the Dubai office. Sayf mainly advises regional and global clients on various asset management and investment structuring matters. He advises clients on the structuring, formation and governance of various types of public and private, listed and unlisted investment funds, including private equity, venture capital, real estate, equity and money market investment funds and also generally advises clients on innovative corporate and investment structures in the GCC region, with a particular focus on Saudi Arabia. In addition, Sayf continues to advise global and regional asset managers and placement agents on securities laws and the corporate and regulatory aspects of structuring and establishing regulated asset management and advisory businesses in the region. Prior to joining King & Spalding, Sayf was a member of a UK international law firm, based in Riyadh.

Vineeta Tan

Vineeta Tan

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

Vineeta Tan is a global Islamic finance journalist with over five years of experience in the journalism and publishing industry working independently and leading a team. She joined REDmoney in 2013 and is responsible for the editorial direction and content of Islamic Finance news (IFN). Vineeta authors the IFN daily cover stories, produces reports, research and analytical pieces as well as interviews senior industry players and regulators. In addition to her role as the editor of IFN, Vineeta also manages, produces and oversees all editorial content of REDmoney’s sister publications: IFN Education and MY Islamic Finance.

Trained in journalism and sociology, Vineeta holds an Islamic Finance Qualification awarded by the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investments in the UK. Prior to joining REDmoney, Vineeta was attached to a research company in the US and was a freelance journalist.

Dr Vladimir Malenko

Dr Vladimir Malenko

Managing Director, FairFin OÜ
Dr Vladimir Malenko
Dr Vladimir Malenko
Managing Director, FairFin OÜ

Dr Vladimir Malenko is the managing director of FairFin OU, an Islamic finance consultancy that specializes in Sukuk and Islamic microfinance. Prior to setting up FairFin, Vladimir worked as an Islamic finance consultant at Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, where he developed several innovative Shariah compliant instruments, including microfinance Tawarruq-based shares, Sukuk Salam for grain and the Islamic stock market index. Dr Vladimir currently writes about Islamic private equity and venture capital for Islamic Finance news. He published ‘The Dubai IPO Guide’ and ‘Russia: the next investment destination’. He holds three advanced degrees: MBA and JD (from the US), and MD (from Russia). He studied private equity at the Singapore Management University and Amsterdam Institute of Finance.

Dialogues Partners

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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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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Norton Rose Fulbright

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

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

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

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

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S&P Global Ratings

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S&P Global Ratings is the world’s leading provider of independent credit ratings. Our ratings are essential to driving growth, providing transparency and helping educate market participants so they can make decisions with confidence. We have more than one million credit ratings outstanding on government, corporate, financial sector and structured finance entities and securities. We offer an independent view of the market built on a unique combination of broad perspective and local insight. We provide our opinions and research about relative credit risk; market participants gain independent information to help support the growth of transparent, liquid debt markets worldwide.

S&P Global Ratings 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/ratings.

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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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MEDIA PARTNER

Oxford Business Group

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

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

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In The News

IFN Monthly Review: December — Wrapping up 2022

The global Islamic finance and banking industry closed 2022 on a high note, with notable Sukuk issuances from Nigeria, Tanzania...

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The UAE: A major player

The UAE boasts vibrant financial centers and strong ties with the big players of the global Islamic finance and banking industry, confirming its potential and commitment…

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Qatar: Anticipated growth for Islamic finance

Qatar continues to slowly but steadily grow its Islamic finance and banking industry, which had not been affected much by the Saudi-led GCC embargo…

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Saudi Arabia: Maintaining the lead

An Islamic banking and finance pioneer, Saudi Arabia’s Shariah banking industry holds a 51.5% share of its domestic market. NESSREEN TAMANO writes an overview…

Continue Reading

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About REDmoney Events

REDmoney Events

REDmoney events designs, organizes and hosts industry-leading conferences, forums, roadshows, seminars and dialogues focusing on the Islamic financial markets across a global, regional and national level. Leveraging an exceptional network of the industry’s elite and supported by the expertise of the REDmoney publishing and seminars divisions, REDmoney Events are able to provide access to a unique array of influential speakers, panellists and participants from a cross-section of the global industry to debate the most significant issues affecting the Shariah compliant financial markets.

REDmoney events are differentiated by their complimentary yet qualified attendance structure, ensuring the highest quality of both delegates and contributors. Comprehensive and cutting-edge, attendance ensures exclusive access to the leaders in their field across all sectors and markets.

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

For any inquiries contact us

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

Contact Us

About Us

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.

+603 2162 7800
[email protected]

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