Ahmed Al-Mukhaini has over 20 years of experience in policy analysis and development, fiscal and financial policies, governance, labor and human resource regulations, business law training as well as strategic planning and development. Ahmed is an Advisor at the Financial Services Authority, where he is involved in policy analysis and development in the areas of economic, financial, fiscal, insurance and securities regulatory frameworks. He has been involved with several national projects including governance training, development for local administration, Oman 2040, Oman National Spatial Strategy as well as the Fiscal Sustainability and Financial Sector Development Plan. Previously, Ahmed was an Executive Manager at Said al-Shahry & Partners LLP, focusing on business model restructuring, strategy and performance management. Ahmed holds a BSc in Information Technology and Engineering from the University of Glamorgan, and an MA in Economic Development of the Middle East (Political Economy) from the University of Durham.

Ali Hassan Moosa is a distinguished leader with over 30 years of extensive experience across the banking, technology, real estate and hospitality sectors. Based in Muscat, Oman, Ali has demonstrated a profound commitment to advancing financial sector development through innovation and strategic leadership. Ali’s current role as Financial Expert in the Ministry of Finance at Estidamah, the National Programme for Fiscal Sustainability and Development of the Financial Sector, underscores his pivotal role in harmonizing fiscal, monetary and economic policies in Oman. Ali is also a member of the Finance and Insurance Committee at the Oman Chamber of Commerce & Industry which plays a crucial role in fostering the development of the financial and insurance sectors within the Sultanate of Oman. Furthermore, Ali is a member of the Advisory Council at Muscat College providing expert advice and sharing latest industry trends with Academia to assist the college in teaching and research.

Anand Raghavendran is currently the Head of Asset Management at BankDhofar. He has over 17 years of experience in asset management, private equity, real estate investing, fixed income, private credit, listed equities and technology consulting. During his investing career, he gained immense experience across asset classes, generating attractive returns to investors.

Prior to his current role, Anand was the Senior Vice-President with Shariah compliant global investment company Gulf Islamic Investments. Prior to that, he was the Fund Manager of Private Markets at Bank Muscat, a leading bank and asset manager based in Oman. Earlier, he was the Senior Vice-President with Creador, a private equity firm focused on South Asia and Southeast Asia. During his investment career, Anand has led multiple conventional and Shariah compliant portfolios.

Anand holds a PGDM from XLRI School of Business (India) and graduated in mechanical engineering from PSG College of Technology (India).

Anuj joined Energy Development Oman as Deputy Treasurer, a position he has held since May 2023. Prior to that, Anuj held senior positions at Kuwait Projects Company (Holding) including as Vice-President, Group Financial Control and most recently, Group Senior Vice President, Group Financial Control – an executive management role. Anuj has many years of experience in corporate finance, strategic planning and governance of operating companies. He has significant expertise in liability management, having raised over US$15bn in international and local debt capital and loan markets under different structures. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, India and Association of Corporate Treasurers, UK. He holds a graduate degree from Delhi University and has completed the Post Graduate Program in Data Science and Business Analytics from the University of Texas in Austin.

Arsalan Tariq is a Partner and Head of Banking, based between the Dubai and Muscat offices. Practicing since 2009, Arsalan specializes in Islamic and conventional finance, bilateral and syndicated project finance, acquisition finance, Islamic product development, cross-border financing and financial restructuring. His main focus is acting for financial institutions, banks, investment companies, other finance companies and borrowers on banking and finance matters.

Arsalan also advises various industry sectors on private equity investments, power projects, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, real estate and hospitality matters. He often represents blue-chip clients, who need advice on commercial agency law, company law and competition law. Arsalan regularly issues legal advice and opinions on free zone rules, employment laws, securities law, insurance law and foreign investment law.
Arsalan regularly advises clients in Oman. He is a barrister-at-law and has been called to the Bar of England and Wales at Lincoln’s Inn, UK. He also holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of London, UK and has completed his Bar Vocation Training Course from City University in London.

Asad Qayyum is a highly skilled dual-qualified corporate and commercial lawyer with extensive multi-jurisdiction experience in a number of sectors of the law including capital markets, funds, conventional and Islamic finance, mergers and acquisitions, natural resources (oil, gas and mining) and project finance transactions.

Asad is qualified as a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales, a barrister of England and Wales and an advocate of the High Courts of Pakistan. He has over 22 years of experience advising on a broad range of transactions during his time in the UK, Sultanate of Oman and Pakistan. Asad’s expertise is in advising sovereign and sovereign-owned companies and listed and private companies with respect to their debt and equity capital market financings (conventional and Islamic), registration of funds (including real estate investment funds, acquisitions and disposals of hydrocarbon assets – onshore and offshore) and negotiating clients’ commercial (oil and gas) contracts across the globe (including in the UK, Oman, Canada, the Middle East, Pakistan, Cameroon, Tanzania, Namibia, Burundi, Benin, Cameroon, Nigeria and Kazakhstan).

Hakan Ozyon’s role as CEO at Hejaz Financial Services involves setting strategic paths and forming financial alliances. With over 30 years of experience in business, he is known for leading innovative strategies and nurturing talent. He is adept at unlocking potential, promoting growth and increasing revenue. Hakan has deep ties in both the Islamic and broader Australian communities, enhancing business operations and setting corporate goals. Notably, he has spent a decade transforming visions into pioneering Islamic financial services. He is respected globally for his business acumen.

Hamza is a highly qualified and experienced legal expert with over 15 years of experience in positions that have encompassed governance, compliance, and legal affairs in various industries. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Sultan Qaboos University and a Master’s degree in Commercial Law from the University of Huddersfield in the UK, from 2015 to 2016. Before joining Takaful Oman, he worked at Galfar Engineering and Construction Company (SAOG) from 2008 to 2010, followed by the Office of Minister of State and Governor of Muscat from 2010 to 2018. His most recent role was with Capital Market Authority from 2018 to 2023. He leads all legal affairs, compliance and risk management projects and initiatives of Takaful Oman.

Hisham Hassan Moosa holds the position of Senior Vice President at Sohar Islamic, the Islamic banking window of Sohar International. With a wealth of experience exceeding 18 years in both local and international banks, Hisham has specialized in wholesale banking, risk management as well financial institutional relationships. Additionally, he has served as a Senior Treasury Manager at Oman Investment Authority. Hisham graduated from Sultan Qaboos University and holds a postgraduate degree from University of Bradford. He is also a Certified Credit Analyst from Moody’s Analytics.

Kemal Rizadi Arbi has 30 years global experience in the financial services and corporate sectors involving Islamic finance, corporate and investment banking, corporate governance, fund management, sustainable finance, crowdfunding platforms, fintech, virtual assets and as a regulator, policy maker and strategic developer of capital markets (including the Islamic capital market) in the Middle East and Asian region. He was appointed Board Member of the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC Malaysia) by the Prime Minister of Malaysia who is also the Minister of Finance. He is currently an Expert/Advisor at the Financial Services Authority (Oman FSA), which regulates and develops the financial industry in Oman relating to the capital market and insurance sectors (both conventional and Islamic). He has been involved in the development of the Islamic capital market in Oman from the very beginning since the introduction of Islamic finance in 2013 and led the issuance of the Sukuk regulatory framework then. He was appointed by the Oman Minister of Finance to be on the Oman Government Sukuk Committee managing the 1st Oman sovereign Sukuk issuance of OMR250 million (US$ 650 million) in 2015 which won the IFN Sovereign Deal Of The Year Award in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He was involved in the establishment of the first global Islamic crowdfunding fintech platform in Oman and the GCC region together with the regulatory framework, which allows global cross-border fundraisings and investments. He also leads the national development of the virtual assets industry in Oman, establishing its regulatory framework. Prior to joining the Oman FSA, he established initiatives for the development of the Malaysian and ASEAN+3 (together with China, Japan and Korea) capital markets (including Islamic capital markets), through various senior positions at SC Malaysia. He has also advised the Board of Directors of public listed companies in various industries on corporate transactions (both conventional and Islamic), while working as a senior corporate and investment banker at the largest banking group in Malaysia – Maybank and another investment bank previously owned by the Minister of Finance (Incorporated) Malaysia. Additionally, he was Board Member of an asset management company previously owned by the Johor Corporation, Malaysia involved in Islamic fund management.

Khalid Al Kayed, CEO of Bank Nizwa, is a financial industry veteran with over 30 years under his belt. Al Kayed was the Chief Finance Officer of the bank before taking on his current role. As the CEO, he is responsible for spearheading the bank’s overall business growth and strategies.

Al Kayed holds a Master’s in International Accounting and Finance from Liverpool University. He is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Strategy and Competitive Analysis (CSCA) from Institute of Management Accountants and Certified Financial Manager (CFM) alumni of Columbia Business School Associate. He also holds Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (ACMA) and Certified Global Managerial Accountant (CGMA) designations.

Prior to joining Bank Nizwa, Al Kayed held various posts in a host of well-respected financial institutions including Deputy CEO and Chief Financial Officer at Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank, Chief Financial Officer at Standard Chartered Bank Jordan and Financial Controller at the offshore banking unit of Jordan National Bank Cyprus.

Khalid joined OQGN in 2022 and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Leeds, UK. Khalid has 18 years of experience in the energy and financial sector in Oman. Prior to joining the company, Khalid held positions at PwC, Schlumberger Oman, Occidental Mukhazina, Falcon Oilfield Services and OQEP.

Mohamad Noranuar Sajari (Anuar) is currently the Head of Shariah Structuring at Bank Nizwa, the first fully-fledged listed Islamic bank in the Sultanate of Oman. His main task is managing the product engineering and Shariah affairs of the bank mainly to supervise the structuring and bespoke transactional corporate advisory activities. He previously held an additional role as Lead of the Product Development Task Force.

Anuar has close to 20 years of Islamic finance experience and possesses practical experience, a solid understanding in Shariah and experience in a diverse range of business management applications including transaction structuring, implementation of holistic product development cycle and product management as well as Shariah governance vis-à-vis corporate governance. The recent 11 years of his work experience were within the GCC (Oman and UAE) and before that in ASEAN (Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Brunei) as well as a stint in the UK.

Anuar is credited as the first Malaysian Islamic Banker to join Oman’s Islamic finance industry from ground zero back in 2012. He is also the International Industry Adviser for Universiti Malaya and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman where he provides his industrial insight on a pro-bono basis.

Mohamed is a distinguished investment professional with over 18 years of global experience in managing and optimizing financial portfolios across various sectors. Currently, he serves as Head of Investments, Private Markets at Oman National Investments Development Company (TANMIA), where he oversees private markets investments and drives value creation and growth in diverse portfolio sectors.

Throughout his career, Mohamed has developed a deep expertise in private equity, public equity, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), corporate finance, organizational transformation, restructuring, business development and strategic planning.

Prior to his current position, Mohamed served as Chief Executive Officer of Uzbek Oman Investment Company. His career trajectory also includes pivotal roles at Oman Oil Company (OQ), United Securities LLC and Capital One Financial Corporation in the UK and USA. Throughout his career, Mohamed has been actively involved in governance, serving on the Board of Directors for companies across Oman, Uzbekistan, Spain and South Korea.

Mohamed holds a Master’s degree in International Business with Distinction from the University of Leeds in the UK and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Pennsylvania State University in the US. He also completed Level 2 of the CFA program and pursued executive education programs at IMD, INSEAD and the Royal Academy of Management.

Dr Suhail Rizwan has a PhD with a specialization in Finance. His areas of interest relate to risk management, Islamic banking and finance, regulatory frameworks of financial institutions, ESG and fintech. Dr Suhail has more than 10 years of teaching, research and consultancy experience in the banking and finance area. He has worked on consultancy projects with the Islamic Development Bank Institute, Central Bank of Iran, Central Bank of Indonesia and Insignia Consultancy. Dr Suhail is a committed and organized researcher with proven leadership qualities for working with diverse ethnic teams and delivering high-quality, impactful, policy-oriented research. His research work has been published in finance journals. Dr Suhail is currently serving as an Assistant Professor at the College of Banking and Financial Studies, under the umbrella of the Central Bank of Oman as well as leading the Fintech Professional Certificate Program, a pioneer fintech certification in the Sultanate of Oman.

Omar Musharraf is a seasoned finance professional with 24 years of experience, including 17 years in the Middle East, where he has successfully originated and executed over 100 transactions, totaling more than $75 billion. His expertise spans Sell-Side Investment Banking, where he has excelled in debt capital markets, loan syndications and structured finance. On the Buy-Side, Omar is proficient in Corporate Finance and Treasury, handling complex activities such as loan restructurings, greenfield and brownfield financings, acquisition financings, M&A analysis and ratings advisory.

His career achievements include securing top rankings in the International Sukuk market and leading EMEA Syndicated Financings, highlighting his significant impact in the industry. Omar is particularly passionate about developing private credit products regionally, with a focus on engaging family offices and sovereign wealth funds.

Beyond his corporate roles, Omar is an entrepreneur at heart, having founded several successful SMEs. His roles at Dubai Islamic Bank, Millennium Capital and Deutsche Bank with various entrepreneurial ventures have provided unique insights and strengthened his commitment to delivering successful solutions while fostering a supportive network.

Rohit Chawdhry is a seasoned investment professional in managing mutual funds and investment portfolios, spanning over 26 years. Currently, he is the Chief Investment Officer of U-Capital. Rohit’s skill set includes managing and formulating strategies across various asset classes – both in the conventional and Shariah compliant universe. He has worked in India and the Middle East, covering both developed and emerging markets, mostly in the buy side roles. In the GCC, he has worked with Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait as well as Bahrain Islamic Bank, heading their Investment functions within the Treasury Department. Prior to his current role with U-Capital, he was employed with Gulf Baader Capital Markets as Head of Asset Management. Rohit has written extensively for global publications such as Gulf News, Money Week, The Financial Express and was a guest commentator on CNBC. Furthermore, he has co-authored a book analyzing structural dynamics of the Indian economy. He has a Bachelors in Electronics Engineering and a Master’s in Business Economics.

Rumaitha Al Busaidi is an Omani scientist and environmental advocate working on sustainable solutions to climate change. Her 2021 TED talk examining women as the key to our climate future has garnered over a million views. Rumaitha currently serves as Vice President of the only environmental NGO in the country, the Environment Society of Oman. She actively works with the Omani government on sustainable diversification and energy transition strategies. Internationally, she has advised the Biden administration on developing a climate resilience standard for US foreign aid focusing on empowering women as a form of climate mitigation, the government of Greenland on creating a framework for sustainable tourism in Greenland, and the Arab League on empowering Arab youth in climate change negotiations spaces.  Her work on climate change has been recognized by the United Nations, the EU, and NATO, to name a few. Rumaitha is named in Reuters’s Climate Hot List and subsequently recognized in their ‘Top 25 Women in Climate Change’ list, was named on the BBC 100 Women list, and was most recently listed as one of the Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company.

From Muscat, Rumaitha is the Founder of WomeX; a platform teaching negotiation skills to Arab women, a member of the first-ever Arab Youth Council on  Climate Change and co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Davos Lab, where she co-authored the youth recovery plan featuring policy recommendations from over 2 million young people across the globe. Rumaitha holds degrees from Harvard and Oxford, and is coined as the first female soccer analyst in the Arab World and the youngest Omani to set foot in the South Pole.

Salman Kabani’s professional banking career spans over 19 years in the GCC/Middle East and domestic markets, having worked in the entire spectrum of commercial and investment banking; culminating in the core competency of being a Subject-Matter Expert in Enterprise Risk and Portfolio Management; Digital Transformation and setting and devising strategies for all the areas of Islamic banking and finance. He specializes in transforming organizations by identifying the right strategic levers to drive the business while minimizing risk.

Currently, he is Head of Enterprise Risk and Strategy at Bank Nizwa, Oman. He holds a Master’s degree in Economics, an MBA in Finance and is a Certified Sharia Advisor and Auditor from AAOIFI. He is also a postgraduate diploma holder from MIT Sloan, USA and has undertaken a certificate course in Fintech from the University of Oxford.

As part of his experiences, he has established and led the Enterprise Risk Management function in large public and private sector banks; directed strategic projects for generating economic value, profiling all material risks, developing and maintaining a sound capital adequacy assessment process and setting ‘in-control’ status. He is exceptionally skilled in developing/setting-up enterprise risk functions, managing complex cross-functional teams, driving growth plans, business strategies and delivering results within changing risk and regulatory environments.

Shahariah Shaharudin is the President of Saturna, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saturna
Capital Corporation. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Studies from Knox College, Illinois and a Master of Arts degree in Economics from University of Illinois, Springfield.

Shahariah has more than 30 years of experience in the areas of fund management, stockbroking and commercial banking. She started her career in a commercial bank with extensive experience in retail banking, trade finance and corporate banking and later joined a stockbroking company, overseeing both the stockbroking and futures broking business. She also worked for a fund management house under the Strategic Business and Market Development Division where her core responsibility was sourcing business and servicing both retail and wholesale clients. She was CEO and an Executive Director of Kenanga Islamic Investors before joining Saturna in October 2018.

Shahariah speaks at Islamic finance and ESG conferences. She is passionate about Islamic investment and has participated in the Brunei Roundtable; presented in events in Shenzen, China; and was nominated in the ‘Top 10 List for Women in Malaysian Financial Institutions’ by a local magazine.

Shahariah is currently a holder of the Capital Market Services Representatives License for fund management.

Sherif Elmansy is a dynamic Banking Solutions Products Director with over 21 years of extensive experience in the banking software industry. He has a deep passion for creating and implementing innovative software products that not only optimize operations but also significantly boost organizational sales. Sherif’s expertise spans across digital banking, both front-end and back-end while his strategic leadership has been instrumental in driving the success of core banking products throughout their entire lifecycle.

In his current role since the beginning of 2024, Sherif oversees the entire product line for core banking and digital banking solutions at International Turnkey Systems (ITS). His responsibilities range from strategic planning to managing tactical activities that ensure the products meet market demands and customer needs.

Sherif’s career began in 2001 with a strong foundation in commerce, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Ain Shams University, Egypt. His early roles at the Commercial International Bank of Egypt provided him with valuable insights into customer service and financial operations, which have continued to inform his approach to product management.

Joining ITS in 2004 as a Software Developer, Sherif quickly advanced to roles such as Banking Functional Consultant and Senior Functional Consultant, leading critical projects across the Middle East, Far East and North Africa. As a Senior Product Manager from 2013 to 2023, he led the development of the next-generation ETHIX Core Banking Product, working with cross-functional teams to define product vision, strategy and intellectual property management. Under his leadership, the ETHIX solutions have been successfully installed in over 56 reputable banks across the Middle East, Far East and North Africa.

Committed to continuous professional development, Sherif holds several prestigious certifications, including Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Business Analyst Professional (CBAP), and Certified Islamic Finance Expert (CIFE). His educational background and extensive professional training ensure that he remains at the forefront of industry trends and best practices.

Sherif Elmansy’s career, spanning over two decades, is marked by a relentless pursuit of excellence, innovation and leadership. His contributions have not only advanced the organizations he has served but have also set new benchmarks in the banking software industry.

Suad Al Balushi has over 18 years of exemplary experience in the banking sector, specializing in strategic and operational leadership in Treasury and Financial Institutions.

Suad is renowned for being the first Omani to achieve the ACI Diploma Certificate, the premier qualification for treasury professionals. Her credentials include being a certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM) by the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP). Suad also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Sultan Qaboos University. She has further honed her skills through professional qualifications and programs at prestigious institutions such as INSEAD, Duke University and Harvard Business School.

Throughout her illustrious career, Suad has garnered numerous accolades including the NTI BizPro Award in 2016, the AlMaraa Award for Excellence in Corporate Leadership in 2021 and the Cambridge IFA WOMANI20 awards for 2021 and 2022. She has been prominently featured in Al Maraa Magazine and the Islamic Finance Review Magazine (ISFIRE), where she was honored as the WOMANI of April 2022 issue.

Before joining Oman Housing Bank, Suad held several senior positions including Head of Global Markets at Bank Nizwa, Global Head of Corporate and Institutional Sales at Bank Muscat and Head of ALM, Secondary Loans, Murex Analytics and BPM at Bank Muscat. Her strategic insights and leadership have consistently driven organizational improvements and optimized performance across various banking operations.

In addition to her professional achievements, Suad is actively involved in mentoring and coaching young talent, participating in industry panels and contributing to the development of financial markets in Oman. She is an active member of the Oman Banking Association (OBA) Treasury Committee and is the founding member of ACIFMA-Oman (under formation).

Talha Ahmed Khan is a profound Corporate and Investment Banker having more than 13 Years of experience in various regions.

Currently, he serves as the Head of the Global Investment Unit and Country Manager for Oman at Pak Oman Investment Company. He possesses in-depth knowledge and extensive experience in advisory, project finance, syndications and debt capital market (DCM) structures as well as transactions across various sectors including infrastructure, renewable energy (solar, wind, bagasse), steel, microfinance, banking, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, sugar and automobiles. Throughout his career, he has been involved in several landmark transactions, some of which have been recognized by The Banker and Euromoney. He has frequently acted as a mandated lead structuring adviser or co-adviser, demonstrating proficiency in both Islamic and conventional transaction structures.

Academically, he has an MSc from University College London in Investment Management with Distinction and is Chartered Accountant-ACA (ICAEW), FCCA, CFA ESG Investment Certified. He also holds an MBA from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) and is an Associate Chartered Banker from The Chartered Institute of Bankers Scotland.

Prior to joining Pak Oman, he was part of various renowned financial institutions including Faysal Bank Limited and MCB Bank Limited.

Vineeta Tan is Managing Editor and Director of REDmoney Group, one of the world’s longest-running Islamic finance media houses. Vineeta oversees REDmoney Group’s stable of products including Islamic Finance news, IFN Fintech and Islamic Sustainable Finance & Investment. With over a decade of experience in the journalism and publishing industry, Vineeta specializes in ethical and Islamic finance as well as fintech reporting and analysis covering regions including the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe. As managing editor of IFN, Vineeta leads the editorial direction and business development of IFN and its sister publications in addition to authoring reports, producing podcasts and conducting video interviews. She has interviewed senior industry players, key stakeholders and senior dignitaries including the finance/economic ministers of the Ivory Coast, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Vineeta is a regular on the international conference circuit as both a moderator and speaker. She has an MBA and is trained in Journalism and Sociology. Vineeta also holds the Islamic Finance Qualification awarded by the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investments, UK.

Yousuf Nasim is a Senior Associate at Al Busaidy, Mansoor Jamal & Co., Oman’s premier law-firm. He is a prominent member of AMJ’s Banking & Finance Team and is presently involved in several ongoing syndicated and bilateral financings, both Islamic and conventional. He has also been advising local and international banks on regulatory matters, loan defaults and cross-border insolvencies. He is a commercial lawyer with over 14 years of experience handling matters in a wide variety of subject areas including Banking & Finance, Corporate, M&A, Projects, Regulatory, Dispute Resolution and Tax. He is a Legal500 recommended lawyer. Yousuf received his LLB in 2007 and his LLM in 2010, with a specialisation in Commercial Laws, from the University of London. Prior to joining AMJ in 2024, Yousuf was practicing in Pakistan where he advised and represented several Fortune 500 companies, multinational corporations, many of the country’s major industrial and financial conglomerates, several statutory and government-owned bodies and high-net-worth individuals.

Zarrar is a Senior Associate in AMJ’s Banking and Finance team. Zarrar has a remarkable breadth of experience gained over 10 years of working in Pakistan and with AMJ in Oman, across various domains including corporate, commercial, banking and Islamic finance. On the banking and finance side, Zarrar routinely works for both lenders and borrowers in high-value corporate and project finance transactions. Zarrar’s strong working relationships with Islamic banks and banking windows in Oman have enabled him to develop a specialization in Islamic finance with a deep and thorough understanding of Islamic financing structures. He was ranked as a ‘Rising Star’ in Oman by IFLR 1000 (2023-2024) and Legal 500 (2023) and is also “recommended for Islamic banking mandates” by Legal 500 (2023).

Asad Qayyum is a highly skilled dual-qualified corporate and commercial lawyer with extensive multi-jurisdiction experience in a number of sectors of the law including capital markets, funds, conventional and Islamic finance, mergers and acquisitions, natural resources (oil, gas and mining) and project finance transactions.

Asad is qualified as a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales, a barrister of England and Wales and an advocate of the High Courts of Pakistan. He has over 22 years of experience advising on a broad range of transactions during his time in the UK, Sultanate of Oman and Pakistan. Asad’s expertise is in advising sovereign and sovereign-owned companies and listed and private companies with respect to their debt and equity capital market financings (conventional and Islamic), registration of funds (including real estate investment funds, acquisitions and disposals of hydrocarbon assets – onshore and offshore) and negotiating clients’ commercial (oil and gas) contracts across the globe (including in the UK, Oman, Canada, the Middle East, Pakistan, Cameroon, Tanzania, Namibia, Burundi, Benin, Cameroon, Nigeria and Kazakhstan).

Debopam has extensive experience in finance in the international as well as the Indian domestic markets, having previously worked in India, Singapore, London and Tokyo.

He leads the firm’s India Desk. With in-depth knowledge of the Indian market and regulatory climate, he advises clients on how to successfully implement their Indian-focused transactions.

He advises banks, financial institutions, agents, real estate investment trusts, sponsors, funds and multinational companies across the GCC, South Asia and South East Asia spanning a broad range of industries and asset classes on a wide range of domestic and cross-border transactions with particular focus on corporate finance, real estate finance, project & infrastructure finance, acquisition finance, trade finance, Islamic finance, debt capital markets & structured finance, debt restructuring and regulatory issues. In addition, Debopam regularly assists clients with credit agreement compliance concerns, amendments, waivers and consents on financing documents as well as routine regulatory compliance issues. Besides acting as a counsel for lenders or investors, Debopam has substantial experience in representing borrowers and issuers. He is increasingly sought out for his expertise in the space of ESG and green financing in the GCC and is a regular speaker at conferences and events in this area.

Debopam has been listed in the ALB Super 50 MENA Lawyers 2023 list as one of the most highly recommended private practice lawyers in the region and was mentioned in the IFN Lawyers Directory as a leading Islamic finance practitioner in Oman.

Hassan Ali Ansari is CFO of Takaful Oman. Takaful Oman is one of the two Islamic insurance companies in the Sultanate of Oman. He started his career with PwC in 2001 and later on in 2007 he moved to AIG, where he served until 2019. He held multiple positions in AIG such as CFO of Pakistan, financial controller for MENA, country finance manager for Oman and Qatar, etc. In addition to core finance, in his current role, he oversees Shariah compliance, risk management and the information technology department. Hassan is a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan.

Kemal Rizadi Arbi has 30 years global experience in the financial services and corporate sectors involving Islamic finance, corporate and investment banking, corporate governance, fund management, sustainable finance, crowdfunding platforms, fintech, virtual assets and as a regulator, policy maker and strategic developer of capital markets (including the Islamic capital market) in the Middle East and Asian region. He was appointed Board Member of the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC Malaysia) by the Prime Minister of Malaysia who is also the Minister of Finance. He is currently an Expert/Advisor at the Financial Services Authority (Oman FSA), which regulates and develops the financial industry in Oman relating to the capital market and insurance sectors (both conventional and Islamic). He has been involved in the development of the Islamic capital market in Oman from the very beginning since the introduction of Islamic finance in 2013 and led the issuance of the Sukuk regulatory framework then. He was appointed by the Oman Minister of Finance to be on the Oman Government Sukuk Committee managing the 1st Oman sovereign Sukuk issuance of OMR250 million (US$ 650 million) in 2015 which won the IFN Sovereign Deal Of The Year Award in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He was involved in the establishment of the first global Islamic crowdfunding fintech platform in Oman and the GCC region together with the regulatory framework, which allows global cross-border fundraisings and investments. He also leads the national development of the virtual assets industry in Oman, establishing its regulatory framework. Prior to joining the Oman FSA, he established initiatives for the development of the Malaysian and ASEAN+3 (together with China, Japan and Korea) capital markets (including Islamic capital markets), through various senior positions at SC Malaysia. He has also advised the Board of Directors of public listed companies in various industries on corporate transactions (both conventional and Islamic), while working as a senior corporate and investment banker at the largest banking group in Malaysia – Maybank and another investment bank previously owned by the Minister of Finance (Incorporated) Malaysia. Additionally, he was Board Member of an asset management company previously owned by the Johor Corporation, Malaysia involved in Islamic fund management.

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.

Salman Kabani’s professional banking career spans over 19 years in the GCC/Middle East and domestic markets, having worked in the entire spectrum of commercial and investment banking; culminating in the core competency of being a Subject-Matter Expert in Enterprise Risk and Portfolio Management; Digital Transformation and setting and devising strategies for all the areas of Islamic banking and finance. He specializes in transforming organizations by identifying the right strategic levers to drive the business while minimizing risk.

Currently, he is Head of Enterprise Risk and Strategy at Bank Nizwa, Oman. He holds a Master’s degree in Economics, an MBA in Finance and is a Certified Sharia Advisor and Auditor from AAOIFI. He is also a postgraduate diploma holder from MIT Sloan, USA and has undertaken a certificate course in Fintech from the University of Oxford.

As part of his experiences, he has established and led the Enterprise Risk Management function in large public and private sector banks; directed strategic projects for generating economic value, profiling all material risks, developing and maintaining a sound capital adequacy assessment process and setting ‘in-control’ status. He is exceptionally skilled in developing/setting-up enterprise risk functions, managing complex cross-functional teams, driving growth plans, business strategies and delivering results within changing risk and regulatory environments.

Suad Al Balushi has over 18 years of exemplary experience in the banking sector, specializing in strategic and operational leadership in Treasury and Financial Institutions.

Suad is renowned for being the first Omani to achieve the ACI Diploma Certificate, the premier qualification for treasury professionals. Her credentials include being a certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM) by the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP). Suad also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Sultan Qaboos University. She has further honed her skills through professional qualifications and programs at prestigious institutions such as INSEAD, Duke University and Harvard Business School.

Throughout her illustrious career, Suad has garnered numerous accolades including the NTI BizPro Award in 2016, the AlMaraa Award for Excellence in Corporate Leadership in 2021 and the Cambridge IFA WOMANI20 awards for 2021 and 2022. She has been prominently featured in Al Maraa Magazine and the Islamic Finance Review Magazine (ISFIRE), where she was honored as the WOMANI of April 2022 issue.

Before joining Oman Housing Bank, Suad held several senior positions including Head of Global Markets at Bank Nizwa, Global Head of Corporate and Institutional Sales at Bank Muscat and Head of ALM, Secondary Loans, Murex Analytics and BPM at Bank Muscat. Her strategic insights and leadership have consistently driven organizational improvements and optimized performance across various banking operations.

In addition to her professional achievements, Suad is actively involved in mentoring and coaching young talent, participating in industry panels and contributing to the development of financial markets in Oman. She is an active member of the Oman Banking Association (OBA) Treasury Committee and is the founding member of ACIFMA-Oman (under formation).