26^th March 2019, King & Wood Mallesons, Sydney

Date: 26^th March 2019

Venue: King & Wood Mallesons, 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

09:00 – 09:10

Opening Remarks

09:10 – 09:20

Welcome Remarks

09:20 – 10:00

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?
How can we capture the interest in the Australian property market from foreign investors?

Moderator:

Dr Maria Bhatti, Lecturer, Western Sydney University

Panelists:

Dale Rayner, Partner, King Wood & Mallesons
Michael C Dowling, Partner, Head of Australia, 90 North Real Estate Partners
Muzzammil Dhedhy, Director, Finance and Compliance, Hejaz Financial Services

10:00 – 10:20

Presentation: Dispute Resolution in Islamic Finance — Alternatives to Litigation

Dr Maria Bhatti, Lecturer, Western Sydney University

10:20 – 11:00

Coffee Break

11:00 – 11:40

Islamic Asset Allocation and Portfolio Construction

Current trends in Islamic asset allocation and portfolio construction
Are Shariah compliant funds outperforming their counterparts?
What are the key Shariah considerations in portfolio construction?
What are the challenges and issues when competing with conventional counterparts?
How are you overcoming and meeting investor expectations?
What are the industries to look for in the future?

Moderator:

Nurhastuty Kesumo Wardhani, Board Member, Institute of Halal Investing

Panelists:

Ariff Sultan, Regional Director (APAC), IdealRatings
Hakan Ozyon, CEO, Hejaz Financial Services
Mohamed Hage, Head of Research, CPG Research and Advisory
Nashat Qadan, Director, Islamic Co-Operative Finance Australia Limited (ICFAL)

11:40 – 12:00

Presentation: NAB Islamic Finance: A Case Study on Gallipolli Health Care

Sajid Bokhari, Senior Associate, Private Capital Markets Corporate and Institutional, National Australia Bank

12:00 – 12:20

Presentation: Gold - Opportunities for Financial Innovation

John Durham, Manager – Depository, Gold Corporation, The Perth Mint

12:20 – 12:40

Presentation: Strategies to Overcome Market Volatility in Islamic Fund Management

Hakan Ozyon, CEO, Hejaz Financial Services

12:40 – 13:20

Branding and 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?

Moderator:

Nurhastuty Kesumo Wardhani, Board Member, Institute of Halal Investing

Panelists:

Asad Batla, CEO, Digital Platforms Group
Dr Muhammad M Khan, CEO, Halal Australia
Reyaz Jeffrey, Former CEO, Amana Takaful Life, Sri Lanka
Steve Macdonald, CEO, Forevercorp

13:20 – 14:30

Networking

14:30

End

Forum Speakers

Ariff Sultan
Regional Director (APAC), IdealRatings

Asad Batla
CEO, Digital Platforms Group

Dale Rayner
PARTNER
King & Wood Mallesons

Hakan Ozyon
CEO
Hejaz Financial Services

John Durham
Manager – Depository, Gold Corporation
The Perth Mint

Dr Maria Bhatti
Lecturer
Western Sydney University

Michael C Dowling
Partner, Head of Australia
90 North Real Estate Partners

Mohamed Hage
Head of Research, CPG Research and Advisory

Dr Muhammad M Khan
CEO, Halal Australiay

Muzzammil Dhedhy
COO
Hejaz Financial Services

Nurhastuty Kesumo Wardhani
Board Member, Institute of Halal Investing

Nashat Qadan
Director, Islamic Co-Operative Finance Australia Limited (ICFAL)

Reyaz Jeffrey
Former CEO, Amana Takaful Life, Sri Lanka

Sajid Bokhari
Senior Associate, Private Capital Markets Corporate and Institutional, National Australia Bank

Steve Macdonald
CEO, Forevercorp

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 SPONSORS

MULTILATERAL STRATEGIC PARTNERS

PARTNERS

MEDIA PARTNERS

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