The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) is an international financial hub in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan and a gateway between Europe and Asia, connecting the economies of Central Asia, the Caucasus, EAEU, West China, Mongolia, the Middle East and Europe, with a special legal regime based on English common law principles with tax exemptions until 2066. The AIFC Court and the International Arbitration Centre are independently operating in accordance with international standards and best practices. The AIFC Management Council consists of the AIFC governor and high-profile leaders of global financial corporations, headed by the president of Kazakhstan. The AIFC includes the AIFC Authority, Astana Financial Services Authority, Astana International Exchange and AIFC Bureau for Continuing Professional Development. The AIFC focuses on enhancing growth through its strategic pillars of Islamic finance, green finance, capital markets, asset management, private banking and fintech headed by chief pillar officers. The AIFC has a central Shariah advisory board and an advisory council on Islamic finance.

The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) is a multilateral development financial institution and is part of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group.

The ICD was established in November 1999 to support the economic development of its member countries through the provision of finance for private sector projects, promoting competition and entrepreneurship, providing advisory services to governments and private companies and encouraging cross-border investments.

The ICD has an authorized capital of US$4 billion. Currently, the shareholders of the ICD are the IDB (50%), 53 Islamic countries (30%) and five public financial institutions (20%).

ICD mandate and objectives

The ICD fosters sustainable economic growth in its 53 member countries by:

• Financing private sector investment
• Mobilizing capital in the international financial markets, and
• Providing advisory services to business and governments.

The ICD selects the financing projects based on their contribution to economic development considering factors such as job creation, Islamic finance development, contribution to exports, etc. The ICD also provides advisory services to governments and private sector groups on policies designed to encourage the establishment, expansion and modernization of private enterprises, the development of capital markets, best management practices and to enhance the role of the market economy. The ICD operates to complement the activities of the IDB in member countries.

The ICD is rated ‘AA/FQ’ by Fitch Ratings, ‘Aa3/P-1’ by Moody’s Investors Service and ‘A+’ by Standard & Poor’s.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Tel: (966-12) 6361400; (966-12) 6441644

Fax: (966-12) 644 4427

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.icd-ps.org

Established 26 years ago in 1994 as a multilateral institution and a member of the Islamic Development Bank Group, the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) was tasked to promote cross-border trade and foreign direct investments in its member countries.

The ICIEC’s mission is to make trade and investment between member countries and the world more secure through the Shariah compliant risk mitigation tool. Its vision is to be recognized as the preferred enabler of trade and investment for sustainable economic development in member countries.

The ICIEC is the only multilateral export credit and investment insurance corporation in the world that provides Shariah-compliant insurance and reinsurance solutions.

Today, the ICIEC supports trade and investment flows in 47 member countries spanning across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Its target clients are corporates (both exporters and investors), banks and financial institutions as well as export credit agencies and insurers.

Gatehouse Bank is a Shariah compliant bank headquartered in London and a subsidiary of Gatehouse Financial Group. It is authorized by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and regulated by the PRA and the Financial Conduct Authority. Founded in 2007, the bank offers award-winning savings products and finance for UK commercial and residential real estate, in addition to sourcing and advising on UK real estate investments with a focus on the build-to-rent sector.

IdealRatings was incorporated in 2006 in San Francisco with a corporate objective to provide SRI/ESG and Shariah compliant solutions to ethical investors and enable them to identify such instruments across different asset classes in the global market. IdealRatings serves clients in over 30 countries with a range of capital market solutions including:

• Equities – A web-based platform covering over 40,000 stocks, where fund managers can screen equities using different, custom-built ESG/SRI/Responsible Investments and Shariah rulebooks or guidelines. This solution caters to different purification calculation methodologies with a comprehensive set of reports for fund managers to manage their portfolio.

• REITs – Global coverage of all listed REITs that could be screened in accordance with different standard Shariah rulebooks or guidelines.

• Indexes – Co-branded and jointly marketed by FTSE-Russell Indexes and a separate series with Thomson Reuters for the global markets, designed for fund management and investment benchmarking. In addition, IdealRatings is able to provide custom-built indexes for the fund management industry.

• Sukuk – A unique solution which includes the global Sukuk and a pioneering Sukuk-screening solution that enables fund managers to customize their Sukuk selection in accordance to their Shariah rulebook, guidelines or investment preference, and

• Brokerage – The solution provides broking houses the ability to screen global equity markets, a technical analysis of the markets and equities, buy/sell/hold recommendations and purification amounts.

Islamic Finance Advisory and Assurance Services (IFAAS) – www.ifaas.com

IFAAS is an international advisory firm specializing in Islamic finance. IFAAS has provided professional consultancy services to over 20 governments, several multilateral organizations and many banks, insurance companies, microfinance institutions, asset managers, corporates and NGOs. IFAAS has helped to build the infrastructure and ecosystem for Islamic finance across many countries including Indonesia, Kenya, Senegal, Morocco, Oman, France and the UK among others, by providing regulatory and strategic advice, capacity-building and awareness. Being a regular supplier of services to many of the world’s leading institutions and a key player in the international Islamic financial industry, IFAAS has also launched over 150 Islamic finance products for its institutional clients spread across five continents. The company operates from its offices in the UK, France, Bahrain, Pakistan and Morocco, providing services dedicated to Islamic finance in English, French, Arabic and Urdu, among others.

The International Institute for Islamic Waqf was established in Malaysia in 2008 as an International non-profit organization specialized in building and improving methodology and knowledge for Islamic endowment (Waqf). In addition to providing consultancy and training products of Waqf, IIIW contributes in the development and qualifying governmental, institutional and private Waqf bodies in accordance with the international standards.

Globally, the Institute took the initiative and was the first to focus on Waqf Industry and its major issues, and set up conferences and forums that serve and support the Waqf. It also approaches and introduces Waqf roles in improving societies all over the world.

King & Spalding is an international law firm with more than 30 years’ experience advising clients globally on Islamic finance. Consistently ranked among the best in the world, the firm’s global Islamic finance and investment practice includes over 30 lawyers and professionals in offices across the Middle East, Europe and the US.

In the Middle East, the firm leads in the formation of investment funds across a range of asset sectors, and the innovative fund structures it has developed to deal with local ownership and financing restrictions are now precedents followed by the industry. The firm maintains a leading role in handling debt capital markets work, in particular Sukuk issuances for issuers and lead arrangers across the Middle East and Turkey. In Europe, the firm is recognized as a leader in structuring and advising on Shariah compliant real estate financing and investments, as well as advising various international investment banks in their capacities as arrangers in debt capital market transactions, particularly Sukuk issuances. In the US, the firm is widely acknowledged as the firm of choice for Shariah compliant investment and financing transactions.

Moody’s is a global risk assessment firm that empowers organizations to make better decisions. Its data, analytical solutions and insights help decision-makers identify opportunities and manage the risks of doing business with others. We believe that greater transparency, more informed decisions and fair access to information open the door to shared progress.

OFFA is the only Shariah compliant bridge lending platform in the UK real estate market.

Our executive management team comprises highly credentialed world-class leaders in the fields of real estate investment, bridge lending and Shariah financing.

The UK bridge (short term) lending market is consistently averaging growth of around 26% per year but is highly fragmented — with those who can differentiate succeeding.

We are the only bridge lender to provide Shariah financing which we anticipate will attract huge demand, particularly in many UK cities where well over 20% of the population are Muslims. This demand is only set to continue with the UK Muslim population growing nearly 10 times faster than the UK-wide population and on course to reach 13 million by 2050 (currently 3.4 million).

We are keen to discuss opportunities to collaborate with new partners.

Rosette Merchant Bank is a Financial Conduct Authority-regulated boutique investment advisory firm based in Mayfair, London in the UK. The firm specializes in the global sourcing and structuring of Shariah compliant commercial real estate investments and bespoke transactions for select clients.

Over the last 24 months, Rosette has successfully transacted over GBP200 million (US$270.56 million) of commercial real estate with a further GBP60 million (US$81.17 million) currently under offer. The firm aims to have assets under management of GBP1 billion (US$1.35 billion) by 2020.

Following the success of the real estate division, Rosette now intends to expand its business lines. New areas being actively developed include Shariah compliant equities, supply chain finance, treasury products, the Sukuk markets and a direct investment in the fintech space.

While real estate will remain the cornerstone of the business, as it looks to the future, Rosette is actively forging new product lines to offer its clients a comprehensive service in the ever-evolving world of Islamic finance.

S&P Global Ratings is the world’s leading provider of independent credit ratings. Our ratings are essential to driving growth, providing transparency and helping educate market participants so they can make decisions with confidence. We have more than one million credit ratings outstanding on government, corporate, financial sector and structured finance entities and securities. We offer an independent view of the market built on a unique combination of broad perspective and local insight. We provide our opinions and research about relative credit risk; market participants gain independent information to help support the growth of transparent, liquid debt markets worldwide.

S&P Global Ratings is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com/ratings.

The Perth Mint (the Mint) is Australia’s largest and most highly accredited precious metals enterprise. Through its diverse operations and trusted products and services, it develops markets and creates demand for Australian precious metals the world over. Operating the leading refinery in the southern hemisphere and the only facility in Australia accredited for gold and silver by the London Bullion Market Association, the Mint maintains endorsements from commodity trading centers in London, New York, Tokyo, Shanghai and Dubai. Each year, the Mint exports US$14 billion-worth of bullion bars and coins to institutional and private investors located in 130 countries and, with a reputation for innovation and excellence, it issues legal tender commemoratives on behalf of the Commonwealth of Australia and surrounding nations for collectors.

Wholly owned by the government of Western Australia, the Mint offers the world’s only precious metals investment and storage program guaranteed by a sovereign entity and currently manages US$3 billion-worth of metals on behalf of 30,000 clients. Committed to sharing the remarkable story of gold with the global community, the Mint also hosts a premier tourist destination.

Trowers & Hamlins is an international law firm with over 150 partners and more than 900 people located across the UK, the Middle East and the Far East providing a full-service integrated offering to clients with local knowledge and expertise at its core.

Our distinguishing feature is that with 25 years of experience in the UK and the Middle East, we have a depth of knowledge of the Islamic finance industry that covers the entire spectrum from regulatory and corporate governance to capital market issuances and real estate investment. Our international team of multidisciplinary specialists will guide you on structuring your Shariah compliant activities to help you achieve a successful outcome.

With our growing office in Kuala Lumpur, our team now advises on Islamic investments, financings and products across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

About VG

It’s as simple as … partnering with people you trust

We are one of Jersey’s largest independent and privately owned providers of fiduciary and administration services. Our independence allows us to act quickly and decisively to create and administer the right solutions for our clients.

We have significant experience and a deep understanding of Shariah compliant structures and transactions including funds, Sukuk and private trusts, and have particular expertise in the administration of Shariah compliant structures used to purchase and manage multimillion dollar commercial properties in the UK and elsewhere in the world.

Our award-winning Islamic finance team has supported the needs of entrepreneurs, families and institutions for over 35 years. We work with clients and advisors based in the GCC and the wider
Middle East region, as well as in Africa and Asia.

We actively support the Islamic finance community and hold memberships with the Arab Bankers Association and Arab–British Chamber of Commerce.

To find out more and for details of the legal and regulatory status of VG, please visit www.vg.je.

WCP Investments LP (WCPI) offers a variety of investment products designed to achieve advantageous financial treatment and enhanced investment yields on a risk/return basis. WCPI specializes in structuring Shariah compliant leasing and real estate products and works with its distinguished Shariah board to assure compliance.

WCPI built a diversified asset-based lending and leasing platform with a diverse group of partners who have asset-specific expertise and continues to focus on joint ventures and partnerships with transportation experts, utilizing similar structures which made its track record.

WCPI is a world leader in structuring and managing Islamic funds in various jurisdictions around the world. WCPI also manages or advises funds and accounts, many of which operate on a Shariah compliant basis in leasing, real estate, private equity, publicly traded stocks and debt-like structures. As of March 2017, WCPI’s assets and commitments under management are estimated at US$4 billion.

For more than 160 years, Winston & Strawn has served as a trusted advisor to general counsel across virtually every industry. Winston’s integrated practice has tremendous breadth and global reach, with 1,000 lawyers in 16 geographic locations across the Middle East, Europe, Asia and North America organized as a single law firm. This is founded on our lawyers’ creativity, flexibility, depth of experience and commitment.

Our Islamic finance practice advises on complex banking and finance transactions in the Middle East and internationally. We work on a wide array of Shariah compliant transactions, including structured Islamic bank financings, corporate acquisitions, corporate and sovereign Islamic bond (or Sukuk) issuances and complex multi-sourced (Islamic and conventional) project financings across a range of sectors, including real estate, infrastructure, water, energy, petrochemicals and oil and gas. We regularly represent Islamic financial institutions and conventional banks, export credit agencies, development finance institutions and government departments and agencies, as well as major domestic and multinational corporations.

The Arab Bankers’ Association (ABA) is a London-based not-for-profit professional organisation whose members work in banks and related industries in the Arab world and in the United Kingdom. Through its programmes and events, the ABA fosters improved relations, information sharing and understanding between Arab and British private and public financial sectors.

The ABA was founded in London in 1980 and is the only professional body in the U.K. dedicated to representing and promoting the interests of Arab banks and financial professionals who work with Arab banks.

The Association now boasts hundreds of members, both individual and corporate, based in the U.K., the Middle East and further afield.

AlHuda Centre of Islamic Banking and Economics is working diligently and under vigilance shariah
compliant standards since its inception. AlHuda CIBE was established in 2005 and Mr. Zubair Mughal is its
Chief Executive Officer. AlHuda CIBE has been accredited as a distinguished service provider due to our
notable services, team of dedicated professionals and one stop solutions of Islamic banking and finance.
Our aim is to provide state-of-the-art and science services of Islamic banking and finance worldwide.
AlHuda head office is in UAE and regional offices are in Pakistan and in South Africa. AlHuda CIBE is
omnipresent worldwide for its various services:

• Advisory & Consultancy
• Research & Development
• Education & Capacity Building
• Shariah Advisory
• Publications & Events

Website link: www.alhudacibe.com

The Business Year (TBY) is a global media group specializing in economic news, research on national economies, and business intelligence across emerging markets. With operations in over 35 countries, we bring first-hand insights to investors, businesses, and governments worldwide.

True Banking is a Bi-Monthly magazine working to deliver Islamic banking & financial services with specific focus on research development, market analysis, training and advancements. The prime aim of True Banking is to create awareness of Islamic banking and finance in the masses and to make available a platform to get the latest news, innovations and updates of national and international banking and finance industry. It is an addition to our achievements towards developing and promoting Shariah compliant financial industry worldwide.