26^th March 2019, Sydney

Date: 26^th March 2019

Venue: Sydney

Remaining: 80 Seats

Speakers: 20 Speakers

About The Forum

Following up on a hugely successful return in 2018, IFN is excited to be back in Australia once again as interest Down Under swells and Shariah investment flows increase.

The country may still be lacking in dedicated Islamic finance laws; however, its stability, as proven by its unbroken record of continued economic expansion over the last 27 years and lucrative real estate sector, has attracted strong interest from Shariah investors from Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Malaysia’s Lembaga Tabung Haji is one of the biggest Islamic investors into the country but more institutional investors from the likes of the UAE and Saudi Arabia are also eyeing a slice of the Australian property pie.

The Shariah rush into the Australian property market may be relatively recent; however, the buildup for Islamic investments has long been in the making on the domestic front. Housing the largest funds under management in the world after the US and Luxembourg, Australia is home to a growing number of Shariah compliant investment funds; experts forecast the Islamic investment fund industry to grow up to US$22 billion by 2020. Shariah compliant mortgages continue to gain positive traction so much so that Australia’s largest banks are also designing Muslim-friendly products to cater to this burgeoning market.

In the backdrop of rising local and international demand for Islamic financial products and proactive measures by market participants – both domestic and foreign – to meet this demand, IFN is proud to be returning to Australia to host regulators, senior industry players and key stakeholders to explore and engage in construction discourse on Australia’s Islamic finance sector.

Forum Agenda

9:00 am – 9:05 am

Opening Remarks

9:05 am – 9:15 am

Welcome Remarks

9:15 am – 9:30 am

Keynote Address

9:30 am – 10:10 am

State of the Islamic Finance Industry in Australia

Shariah compliant financial activities in Australia remain concentrated in limited sectors. The two most commonly accessed products are Islamic Superannuation (Pension) funds and residential home loans. However, there is significant attention given to the property sector and infrastructure financing which is a considerable progress in the region.

What are the performance drivers in the Islamic finance industry in Australia?
Regulatory constraints and tax issues for asset-backed financing hindering the growth of Islamic finance industry
What are the opportunities for Islamic financial institutions to fill the gap in the property sector development?
How can we capture the interest in the Australian property market from foreign investors?

10:10 am – 10:30 am

Presentation: Islamic Reporting Initiative and Sustainable Goals Development

10:30 am – 11:00 am

Coffee Break

11:00 am – 11:40 am

Islamic Asset Allocation and Portfolio Construction

Current trends in Islamic asset allocation & portfolio construction
Are Shariah compliant funds outperforming their counterparts?
What are the key Shariah considerations in portfolio construction?
What are the industries to look for in the future?

11:40 am – 11:55 am

Presentation: Islamic Finance in the Digital Era

The accelerating rate of technological change combined with shifting customer preferences is having dramatic implications for the ways in which financial services are structured, delivered and consumed. Islamic finance should leverage on the fintech opportunities to boost growth

Friction-less user experience on mobile devices
AI & machine learning algorithms to improve investment decisions
Online lending
Robo advisory

11:55 am – 12:10 pm

Presentation: Islamic Social Finance – Engineering the Awqaf Industry through SMART Waqf

12:10 pm – 12:40 pm

Shariah Governance and Transparency

Do Islamic investment companies maintain Shariah governance in the liberal market?
Are they being transparent to their customers?
What are the steps taken to mitigate Shariah non-compliant incidents?

12:40 pm – 1:00 pm

Presentation: Strategies to Overcome Market Volatility in Islamic Fund Management

1:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Branding & Re-Branding Islamic Finance in a Muslim Minority Market

How do Islamic financial institutions position themselves in Muslim Minority market and Muslim market?
Is there any intersection between ethical and religious investments?
Do Islamic investment companies dare to promote in this intersection?
How can the branding help break some of the common misconception about Islamic finance?

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

Networking

2:30 pm

End

Forum Speakers

Coming Soon

Advisory Board

Dr Abu Umar Faruq Ahmad
Associate Professor, Institute of Policy Studies
University Brunei Darussalam

Daan Elffers
Chairman
Islamic Reporting Initiative

Dale Rayner
PARTNER
King & Wood Mallesons

Hakan Ozyon
CEO
Hejaz Financial Services

Hilton Wood
Chief Representative Officer
Doha Bank

Issam Eid
Portfolio Manager
Sigma Funds Management

Muzzammil Dhedhy
COO
Hejaz Financial Services

Nurhastuty Kesumo Wardhani
Board Member
Institute of Halal Investing

FORUM SPONSOR

PARTNER

Last Visit to Sydney

IFN Australia Forum 2018

After a five-year hiatus, IFN is excited to be back in Australia once again as interest Down Under swells and Shariah investment flows increase.

The country may still be lacking in dedicated Islamic finance laws; however, its stability, as proven by its unbroken record of continued economic expansion over the last 26 years and lucrative real estate sector, has attracted strong interest from Shariah investors from Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Malaysia’s Lembaga Tabung Haji is one of the biggest Islamic investors into the country but more institutional investors from the likes of the UAE and Saudi Arabia are also eyeing a slice of the Australian property pie. To cope with the demand, the very first Islamic bank Australia project is currently underway by IBA Group with intention to offer both Shari'ah compliant retail banking and invest-linked retail and fund management products and services, compliant with Shariah governance and Australian regulatory rules. This is a significant initiative to facilitate and enhance Shariah compliant banking and finance in Australia.

The Shariah rush into the Australian property market may be relatively recent; however, the buildup for Islamic investments has long been in the making on the domestic front. Housing the largest funds under management in the world after the US and Luxembourg, Australia is home to a growing number of Shariah compliant investment funds; experts forecast the Islamic investment fund industry to grow up to US$22 billion by 2020. Shariah compliant mortgages continue to gain positive traction so much so that Australia’s largest banks are also designing Muslim-friendly products to cater to this burgeoning market.

In the backdrop of rising local and international demand for Islamic financial products and proactive measures by market participants – both domestic and foreign – to meet this demand, IFN is proud to be returning to Australia to host regulators, senior industry players and key stakeholders to explore and engage in construction discourse on Australia’s Islamic finance sector.

Full Details