Acknowledged by the global industry as one of the most important finance gatherings in the region, IFN Asia Forum will be back in Kuala Lumpur in May 2018. Adopting a new one-day format, IFN Asia will deliver greater impact through a mix of panel sessions, onstage interviews and interactive sessions running concurrently with multiple streams dedicated to the most pertinent and talked-about segments of the industry.

Anchoring some of the most important Islamic financial markets globally, Asia continues to be a region of prime significance to the global Islamic finance community: the sophisticated infrastructure of Malaysia is a hallmark of excellence globally, the immense potential of Indonesia’s population remains captivating to many, the phenomenal expansion rates in Pakistan and Bangladesh are widely envied, relative newcomers such as the Maldives and Sri Lanka are pushing full steam ahead to make their own mark while Brunei is preparing to make a big splash in international waters.

The rollout of new regulations by the likes of Malaysia and Indonesia underscores the solid commitment governments in the region have for Islamic finance. The unabating regulatory support plus the rising affluence of the region’s favorable demographics are core to Asia’s Islamic finance success story, including being the most frequent and largest Sukuk issuer (sovereign and corporate, domestic and international) and the biggest Family Takaful market and having a vibrant Islamic asset management sector as well as a growing banking market. The story has now become even more fascinating as the region is being swept by a strong fintech undercurrent.

With fintech investment in the Asia Pacific region surging, even surpassing that of the US, Asia is the one to watch for new innovations; more significantly, Asia is scaling up to be the home of Islamic fintech revolution. Giving their Middle Eastern counterparts a run for their money, Malaysia and Indonesia are racing to become the fintech destination for Islamic finance, creating an environment conducive and attractive to Islamic fintech start-ups from around the world with new regulations and a focused approach.

Brimming with exciting activities and promising progress, IFN Asia Forum 2018 will provide a platform for international players to engage with local industry stalwarts in lively and constructive discussion about the opportunities and challenges that lie within the Asian Islamic finance market.