Dr Ahmet Aysan is a full professor, associate dean for research and the program coordinator of the PhD and Master of Science programs at Hamad Bin Khalifa University. He has been a board member and Monetary Policy Committee member of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkiye and served as a consultant at various institutions such as the World Bank, the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkiye and Oxford Analytica. Dr Ahmet, who has many articles published in academic journals, is a recipient of the Bogaziçi University Award and the MEEA Ibn Khaldun Prize. Dr Ahmet is also a research associate at the University College London Centre for Blockchain Technologies and a non-resident fellow at the ME Council.

Ahsan is responsible for Islamic Corporate & Investment Banking globally at Standard Chartered Saadiq, the Bank’s Islamic banking arm. In this role, he oversees the delivery of Islamic banking services to the bank’s clients across multiple geographies and products including financial markets, global credit markets and transaction banking.

Since joining Standard Chartered Bank in March 2004, Ahsan has played a key role in building the bank’s Islamic business from inception and has led several award-winning and industry-defining deals.

Ahsan has 31 years of experience in the financial services industry of which the last 20 years have been in Islamic banking. Prior to joining Standard Chartered, he worked at Citi.

Ahsan holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta and a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

Akber has more than 25 years of experience in the investment industry and is Acting Chief Executive Officer of Al Rayan Investment (ARI). ARI is a leading firm for corporate financial advisory and asset management. Akber joined ARI in 2009, to set up and lead asset management, which included overall responsibility for managing GCC public equity and global sukuk portfolios of $1.5bn. ARI manages the award winning Al Rayan GCC Fund and Al Rayan Qatar ETF.

Prior to ARI, Akber was a Director at Deutsche Bank in London, where he spent more than 11 years in European and emerging markets equities. Akber is a graduate of University College London. Akber has lived in Doha, Dubai, Frankfurt, Karachi and London.

Dr Andrew completed his PhD at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) (Sydney, Australia) in 2014 examining the history of banking and its relationship the Australian Constitution. He is an Australian academic based in Doha, Qatar and has taught law in Australia, Europe and the Middle East. He has published numerous cited books, articles, notes and commentaries and is currently researching and writing on topics related to corporate law, financial services and new technology.

Darius Nass is an Associate Director for Global Equity Indices at S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI). He is based out of the Singapore office and is responsible for the product management of S&P DJI’s global index suites, including the S&P Global BMI, S&P Global 1200 and S&P Islamic Indices. In his role, Darius leads efforts to develop new benchmarks, promotes existing offerings and regularly publishes market commentary, analytical reports and research.

Prior to joining S&P DJI, Darius was part of the Nasdaq Index R&D team, where he was led product development initiatives for the APAC region.

Darius holds a Master’s degree in Quantitative Finance from Singapore Management University.

Dr Ehab Elsonbaty’s practice focuses on sovereign wealth funds, government advice as well as projects and affairs, corporate matters, corporate governance, sustainability, ESG and Shariah compliant legal services. He advises Middle Eastern entities seeking to do business in the Americas and American clients seeking to do business in the Middle East. Ehab’s extensive transactional and regulatory experience enables him to provide efficient and effective strategic legal support in a wide variety of business matters. Ehab is a strategic adviser to many boards or directors and advisory boards. He helps the firm deliver seamless cross-border solutions for Middle East entities. Among them are corporate enterprises, private equity investors, family offices, government entities and sovereign wealth funds. He helps clients maximize inbound and outbound opportunities arising from this dynamic region, providing comprehensive bilingual legal services and sensitive on-the-ground awareness of each geography in this diverse region. Before joining DLA Piper, Ehab served as Senior Legal Counsel and Head of Corporate Governance and Government Affairs and Senior Adviser to the General Counsel on Special Projects at the Qatar Investment Authority, Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund and one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world. There, he was responsible for strategic, corporate, sustainability, ESG and special projects and transactions valued at billions of dollars as well as was a member of several management committees including the Management Investment Committee and the Crisis Management Committee. Earlier in his career, he served for six years as Senior Legal Adviser to the Amiri Diwan, the office of the Amir of Qatar at the Royal Court. During this time, Ehab was also a member of many policy and legal committees, among them the Permanent Legislative Committee of the Council of Ministers and the Committee for Review of Legislation as well as a Member of the National Committee to Review Commercial Laws of the Ministry of Economy and Trade. Ehab drafted and contributed to several laws and regulations of Qatar, GCC and Middle East. In addition, he served as a public prosecutor in the Egyptian public prosecution, and as a Judge in the commercial courts and was Assistant Minister of Justice for more than 15 years, most recently as a Judge in Cairo’s Court of Appeal. He is currently admitted to the Bar in Egypt and is a certified and practicing arbitrator and mediator and a Member of the Egyptian Judges Club. During his service in Egypt, Ehab was seconded to the Ministry of Justice’s Office for International Cooperation and Human Rights, was an Adviser to the Minister of Telecommunication and Information Technology, a Member of the National Committee for Humanitarian Law, a Member of the National Committee for Counter-Terrorism and the national committee to control the public elections. He has provided consultancy support to several regional and international organizations such as the UN, United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, International Telecommunication Union, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the Council of Europe and the Arab League.

George M. Barakat is an accomplished banking and finance professional with 18 years of expertise in banking, treasury and finance. He has a strong background in corporate treasury and finance, with extensive experience in capital-related financing and restructuring transactions. His expertise includes Sukuk issuance, syndicated loans, public-private partnerships, mergers and acquisitions and investment management.

Currently, George serves as the Group Chief Treasury Director at Power International Holding (PIH), where he is responsible for strategically overseeing the Group Treasury. Prior to joining PIH, George headed the Group Treasury and Investments at Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana & Group of Companies where he also served as a Board Adviser for one of the group’s major companies. George also headed the Group Treasury at Ezdan Holding Group where he played a key role in structuring and negotiating syndicated loan facilities, Sukuk issuances and managing investor relations. Before Ezdan, George spent over nine years at Mashreq Bank, where he held key positions across business, treasury and finance, gaining comprehensive experience in each area.

George holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and is a Certified Management Accountant issued by the Institute of Management Accountants, US as well as a Certified Treasury Professional issued by the Association for Financial Professionals, US.

Ghadir Mahgoub is the Director of Investments at Alchemist Doha, where she drives venture capital initiatives and portfolio strategies to accelerate the growth of innovative startups in Qatar and beyond. With over a decade of experience across venture capital, investment banking, and Islamic finance, she has held leadership roles at Qatar Development Bank, Commercial Bank, and the International Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation.

Combining expertise in valuation, due diligence, strategic planning, and alternative investments, Ghadir leverages her unique background in both conventional and Islamic finance to support groundbreaking ideas and shape the future of investment products and asset management in the region.

Dr Haniza Yon is a leader in the fields of psychometrics, AI-based credit risk assessment, and data science. As the founder and CEO of Global Psytech, Chairman of GFI Fintech (Malaysia), and Director of Global Psytech MENA LLC (Qatar), Dr. Haniza has been at the forefront of developing innovative solutions that merge behavioural science with technology. Dr. Haniza’s research and business objectives are centred around the application of behavioural science and digital assessment technology to assess human potential and capabilities. She is a data scientist with a long-standing interest in psychometrics and data science. She was the founding President of the Malaysian Psychometrics Association (MPA) and is currently serving her eleventh presidential term. Dr. Haniza has been working in psychometrics for more than 25 years, including as a psychometrician at Educational Testing Service (ETS), Princeton, New Jersey, as a Vice President at Integrated Knowledge Systems (IKS), Illinois, USA and as a Director of the Psychometrics and Cognitive Analytics Labs at MIMOS Berhad, Malaysia. She received her PhD in Measurement and Quantitative Methods from Michigan State University, USA and served as an Adjunct Professor at the School of Economics, Finance and Banking, UUM and an Adjunct Fellow at the School of Quantitative Sciences, UUM, the Educational Research Lab, UPSI, the Laboratory for Statistics and Computation, ISLA, Portugal and as a research fellow at the Psychometrics Centre, Cambridge University, UK.

Husain is a vastly experienced banker who has been working within the Islamic financial marketplace for the past 30 years for various highly regarded regional and international financial institutions. Most recently, he held senior executive positions within MFAI (Jersey), a wholly-owned subsidiary of DMI Group. This followed his tenure as COO in the CMA-licensed Gulf Investors Asset Management Company.

Having started his career in banking in Bahrain, Husain was appointed the Regional Director and Head of GCC and Islamic banking at Societe Generale where he was based in Dubai. Prior to returning to Bahrain as CEO of Investment Dar Bank, Husain was the General Manager of ADNIF, the Islamic subsidiary of National Bank of Abu Dhabi.

Mohammed Parekh is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Akhlaq Capital, a Singapore-domiciled Sharia-compliant real estate investment fund. He is also the Founder of MRP Premier Group, a London-based real estate advisory firm advising private and public sector entities across the UK, GCC and Asia-Pacific, specialising in inward investment into the UK and outbound real estate mandates for a global network of clients.  Mohammed began his career across various house builders, private developers and local government entities. This has allowed him to possess expertise spanning land acquisition, development management, financial viability, affordable housing and regeneration across the private, public and housing association sectors. Over the past 17 years he has executed transactions exceeding £3.5 billion. He writes and speaks regularly on Islamic finance reform, GCC and APAC capital flows and UK real estate, and has addressed audiences at various Islamic Finance Forums. Mohammed holds an MSc in International Real Estate and Planning from University College London, and a BA Hons in Geography with Business. 

Mohsin Shaik Bin Sehu Mohamed is an experienced Islamic finance practitioner with nearly two decades of work in investment banking, capital markets, and investments. As Head of Investment Banking & Capital Markets at Dhofar Islamic – Bank Dhofar, he is responsible for Sukuk structuring, private equity, corporate finance, asset management, and advisory services. Mohsin has contributed to the growth of Islamic finance in Oman, including the country’s first Sukuk issuance in 2013 and the government’s first sovereign retail Sukuk in 2020.

He holds professional designations as a Fellow Chartered Professional in Islamic Finance from Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance (CIIF), Chartered Islamic Finance Professional from INCEIF, and serves as a Grand Councilor/Board Member with the Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance in Malaysia. Mohsin earned his Master of Business (Applied Finance) from Queensland University of Technology, Australia, and a Bachelor of Accounting (Hons) from University Tenaga Nasional, Malaysia.

Muhammad Fazlurrahman Syarif earned his PhD in Islamic Finance and Economy from Hamad Bin Khalifa University with the support of a Qatar Foundation scholarship. He also holds an MBA in Islamic Banking and Finance from Bangor University, United Kingdom. His publications include Enabling Crowdfunding Platforms in Qatar: A Regulatory Framework for Growth and Sustainable Innovation; Green Sukuk Impact: Stock Market Reactions and SDG Contributions of Pioneering Issuers; Examining Values with ESG Impact on Halal Cosmetics through Monte Carlo Simulation and Network Analysis; Islamic Fintech and Central Bank Digital Currencies: Catalyzing Sustainable Financial Ecosystems in the GCC; Viability of Crowdfunding for a Small Resource-Rich Country; Optimization of Hajj Dam Payment through Blockchain Technology: A Monte Carlo Simulation and Network Analysis Study; Future of Money and Central Bank Digital Currency; Sharia Crowdfunding in Indonesia: A Regulatory Environment Perspective; Shaping the Halal Tourism Industry Landscape through NFT and Metaverse: New Horizons for Halal Brands and Halal Hotel Booking; and Economic Rights versus God’s Rights: Criticising the Implementation of Shariah Economics in Indonesia. He received the Rising Innovators Award from Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council at Web Summit Qatar 2025 for ShariaBot, an AI-powered platform for Shariah-compliant stock research.

Muzzammil Dhedhy is a financial services executive with extensive experience across risk, compliance and corporate governance, supporting the growth of businesses operating within highly regulated environments.

As Executive Director and Chief Risk and Compliance Officer of Hejaz Group, Muzzammil plays a key role in overseeing the Group’s risk and compliance functions while supporting its broader strategic direction. His work spans Hejaz’s financial services and technology businesses, including Halal Money, an investment app designed to provide simpler digital access to Sharia-compliant investment opportunities.

Muzzammil also serves as Executive Director of Wahda, bringing his governance and risk expertise to the development of a global Muslim app designed as a digital home for Muslims.

Across his roles, Muzzammil contributes to strengthening the governance and operational foundations that support Hejaz, Halal Money and Wahda as they continue to grow.

Nurein Said Mohamed joined the QFC Regulatory Authority in June 2008 as Senior Manager in Internal Audit and was promoted to his present role in January 2017.

He began his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Kenya from where he attained his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) designations. Nurein subsequently spent four years at Barclays Bank in Kenya in various roles, the last of which was Regional Head of Risk and Control Assessments for Africa and the Middle East and Acting Head of Operational Risk.

There, he was a key member of the Basel II operational risk workstream for the Advanced Measurement Approach waiver application.

He graduated from ICMA Centre, Henley Business School with an MSc in International Securities, Investment and Banking. He is also a Fellow, Chartered Institute of Securities & Investments, a Certified Internal Auditor and also holds the CAMS designation.

Prior to the Regulatory Authority, Nurein was with a start-up Islamic bank as Head of Risk and Compliance.

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.

Tahir joined the Group in December 2021 as part of the merger with Al Khalij Commercial Bank (al khaliji) where he held a similar position since 2015. He started working with the Bank in 2007.

He has over 30 years of banking experience in leading regional and international banks, having previously worked in Dubai Bank PJSC, ABN AMRO Bank N.V., Prime Bank and First International Investment Bank in variety of roles in Treasury, Investments, DCM and Corporate/Institutional Banking

Tahir holds an MBA (Finance) from Imperial College of Business Studies, Pakistan.

Yusuf Saeed is a recognised expert in Islamic and structured finance, with more than 33 years of international banking and advisory experience across the GCC, South Asia, and global markets. His career spans senior roles at ANZ Grindlays Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Citi Bank N.A., Eastern Bank PLC, City Bank PLC, and Qatar National Bank. At QNB, Yusuf served as Global Head of Structured Finance, leading origination and distribution of financing solutions across 26 countries and managing multicultural teams in Qatar, the UK, Singapore, Turkey, and Egypt. He has structured landmark transactions including a QAR 5.1 billion conventional/Islamic syndicated financing for a multi‑hotel development, a QAR 1.5 billion Istisna and Ijarah facility for a major mall project, and a USD 100 million sovereign Murabahah financing. He was also part of the award‑winning microfinance securitisation and syndicated deals during his tenure at Standard Chartered and Citi, aligned with global recognition of these institutions for their Islamic finance leadership. Currently, as Co‑Managing Director of Richmond Consultants and Services LLC, Yusuf advises corporates and institutions on how to fund through debt and equity placements, restructuring, and private equity transactions, with an active advisory portfolio exceeding USD 500 million. He has been a speaker at leading industry forums, including MEED.

Dr Ahmet Aysan is a full professor, associate dean for research and the program coordinator of the PhD and Master of Science programs at Hamad Bin Khalifa University. He has been a board member and Monetary Policy Committee member of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkiye and served as a consultant at various institutions such as the World Bank, the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkiye and Oxford Analytica. Dr Ahmet, who has many articles published in academic journals, is a recipient of the Bogaziçi University Award and the MEEA Ibn Khaldun Prize. Dr Ahmet is also a research associate at the University College London Centre for Blockchain Technologies and a non-resident fellow at the ME Council.

Akber has more than 25 years of experience in the investment industry and is Acting Chief Executive Officer of Al Rayan Investment (ARI). ARI is a leading firm for corporate financial advisory and asset management. Akber joined ARI in 2009, to set up and lead asset management, which included overall responsibility for managing GCC public equity and global sukuk portfolios of $1.5bn. ARI manages the award winning Al Rayan GCC Fund and Al Rayan Qatar ETF.

Prior to ARI, Akber was a Director at Deutsche Bank in London, where he spent more than 11 years in European and emerging markets equities. Akber is a graduate of University College London. Akber has lived in Doha, Dubai, Frankfurt, Karachi and London.

Ali Ozyon is a marketing and technology executive focused on building brands and experiences designed to better serve Muslim communities.

As Chief Marketing Officer of Hejaz Group, Ali plays a key role in shaping the Group’s brand, marketing and global growth strategy across its financial services and technology businesses. His work also extends to Halal Money, Hejaz’s investment app designed to provide simpler access to Sharia-compliant investment opportunities.

Ali is also the Creator of Wahda, a global Muslim app being developed as a digital home for Muslims. He plays a central role in shaping Wahda’s vision, brand and global positioning, with a focus on creating an experience that reflects the needs and values of Muslims today.

Across his work, Ali brings together brand, technology and culture to help shape the next generation of Muslim-focused products and experiences.

Dr Andrew completed his PhD at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) (Sydney, Australia) in 2014 examining the history of banking and its relationship the Australian Constitution. He is an Australian academic based in Doha, Qatar and has taught law in Australia, Europe and the Middle East. He has published numerous cited books, articles, notes and commentaries and is currently researching and writing on topics related to corporate law, financial services and new technology.

Dr Ehab Elsonbaty’s practice focuses on sovereign wealth funds, government advice as well as projects and affairs, corporate matters, corporate governance, sustainability, ESG and Shariah compliant legal services. He advises Middle Eastern entities seeking to do business in the Americas and American clients seeking to do business in the Middle East. Ehab’s extensive transactional and regulatory experience enables him to provide efficient and effective strategic legal support in a wide variety of business matters. Ehab is a strategic adviser to many boards or directors and advisory boards. He helps the firm deliver seamless cross-border solutions for Middle East entities. Among them are corporate enterprises, private equity investors, family offices, government entities and sovereign wealth funds. He helps clients maximize inbound and outbound opportunities arising from this dynamic region, providing comprehensive bilingual legal services and sensitive on-the-ground awareness of each geography in this diverse region. Before joining DLA Piper, Ehab served as Senior Legal Counsel and Head of Corporate Governance and Government Affairs and Senior Adviser to the General Counsel on Special Projects at the Qatar Investment Authority, Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund and one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world. There, he was responsible for strategic, corporate, sustainability, ESG and special projects and transactions valued at billions of dollars as well as was a member of several management committees including the Management Investment Committee and the Crisis Management Committee. Earlier in his career, he served for six years as Senior Legal Adviser to the Amiri Diwan, the office of the Amir of Qatar at the Royal Court. During this time, Ehab was also a member of many policy and legal committees, among them the Permanent Legislative Committee of the Council of Ministers and the Committee for Review of Legislation as well as a Member of the National Committee to Review Commercial Laws of the Ministry of Economy and Trade. Ehab drafted and contributed to several laws and regulations of Qatar, GCC and Middle East. In addition, he served as a public prosecutor in the Egyptian public prosecution, and as a Judge in the commercial courts and was Assistant Minister of Justice for more than 15 years, most recently as a Judge in Cairo’s Court of Appeal. He is currently admitted to the Bar in Egypt and is a certified and practicing arbitrator and mediator and a Member of the Egyptian Judges Club. During his service in Egypt, Ehab was seconded to the Ministry of Justice’s Office for International Cooperation and Human Rights, was an Adviser to the Minister of Telecommunication and Information Technology, a Member of the National Committee for Humanitarian Law, a Member of the National Committee for Counter-Terrorism and the national committee to control the public elections. He has provided consultancy support to several regional and international organizations such as the UN, United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, International Telecommunication Union, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the Council of Europe and the Arab League.

With over 23 years of professional experience, Faisal Islam is a recognized leader in digital finance, product innovation, and financial inclusion. Faisal’s work focuses on closing the financing gap for MSMEs through a range of Shariah-compliant digital products, including Islamic consumer financing, Islamic BNPL, invoice financing, agricultural finance, and Islamic card solutions. He has also pioneered the design of AI-driven, Shariah-compliant alternative credit scoring models, aimed at expanding financial access to underserved segments. In addition, he has successfully established regulatory-aligned Islamic financing operations in emerging markets. His expertise spans the full spectrum of product development from Shariah structuring and partner bank enablement to building embedded finance ecosystems, always ensuring alignment with Islamic ethical standards. His initiatives have been instrumental in advancing cashless economies and promoting financial inclusion through innovative loyalty programs, digital onboarding solutions, and incentive-based payment ecosystems. Beyond Islamic finance, Faisal brings a strong background in technology leadership, with extensive experience across banking, fintech, retail, and asset management sectors.

George M. Barakat is an accomplished banking and finance professional with 18 years of expertise in banking, treasury and finance. He has a strong background in corporate treasury and finance, with extensive experience in capital-related financing and restructuring transactions. His expertise includes Sukuk issuance, syndicated loans, public-private partnerships, mergers and acquisitions and investment management.

Currently, George serves as the Group Chief Treasury Director at Power International Holding (PIH), where he is responsible for strategically overseeing the Group Treasury. Prior to joining PIH, George headed the Group Treasury and Investments at Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana & Group of Companies where he also served as a Board Adviser for one of the group’s major companies. George also headed the Group Treasury at Ezdan Holding Group where he played a key role in structuring and negotiating syndicated loan facilities, Sukuk issuances and managing investor relations. Before Ezdan, George spent over nine years at Mashreq Bank, where he held key positions across business, treasury and finance, gaining comprehensive experience in each area.

George holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and is a Certified Management Accountant issued by the Institute of Management Accountants, US as well as a Certified Treasury Professional issued by the Association for Financial Professionals, US.

Ghadir Mahgoub is the Director of Investments at Alchemist Doha, where she drives venture capital initiatives and portfolio strategies to accelerate the growth of innovative startups in Qatar and beyond. With over a decade of experience across venture capital, investment banking, and Islamic finance, she has held leadership roles at Qatar Development Bank, Commercial Bank, and the International Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation.

Combining expertise in valuation, due diligence, strategic planning, and alternative investments, Ghadir leverages her unique background in both conventional and Islamic finance to support groundbreaking ideas and shape the future of investment products and asset management in the region.

Mohammad Malek Al Jamal is an investment professional and a CFA charterholder with extensive experience in portfolio management, investment analysis and trading. He manages portfolios in line with investment committee mandates focusing on equities, fixed income and private investment opportunities, while ensuring alignment with firm guidelines and client objectives. His expertise includes portfolio construction tailored to clients’ return objectives, risk tolerance and investment limits as well as in-depth analysis of securities across asset classes to develop robust investment proposals. In addition, Mohammad maintains strong working relationships with banks, regulators and custodians, supporting the firm’s investment operations and governance framework.