With Islamic finance gaining growing traction across Europe and ever more countries exploring its potential, the region has become one to watch. As investment pours in from Islamic investors across the Middle East, Asia and beyond, the industry is rapidly evolving to meet their demands, making this one of the most exciting stops on the IFN train. New countries continue to enter the fray while existing markets expand their scope, deepening and strengthening the Shariah compliant sector.
Home to IFN Europe for the last two years, Luxembourg lies at the heart of this European wave, and has continued to demonstrate its unwavering commitment to Islamic finance. With the full and fervent support of the regulators and the domestic Islamic finance industry, the event is going from strength to strength, becoming a truly global platform with unmatched international participation. We look forward to returning to Luxembourg once again for IFN Europe 2016.
Agenda
09:15 - 09:30
Welcome Remarks and Introduction of Motion: A Rebranding is the Catalyst for Creating Mass Appeal for Shariah Compliant Investments in Europe
09:30 - 09:45
Keynote Address Pierre Gramegna — Minister of Finance, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
09:45 - 10:45
Europe 2016: A Review of Markets on the Rise Key industry players representing developing Islamic finance markets provide an update on what significant progress has taken place in their respective jurisdictions and how these markets are being affected by geopolitics and economic conditions. What is the outlook for Sukuk issuances, establishment of Islamic banks and windows and alternative lending/investment platforms in these markets? Is the much discussed rebranding of Islamic finance a necessity for further industry growth?
Moderator:
Stella Cox — Managing Director, DDCap, the UK
Panelists:
Dr Johannes Engels — Senior Advisor, Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, Germany (BaFin) Khairul Nizam — COO, Finance Accreditation Agency Robert Scharfe — CEO, Luxembourg Stock Exchange Stefano Padovani — Partner, NCTM Studio, Italy Ugurlu Soylu — Former Managing Director, Germany, Kuveyt Turk Bank, Consultant, Soylu Consuting
10:45 - 11:15
Coffee & Networking
11:15 - 12:00
What’s Next for Shariah-Compliant Funds in Europe?
Where is the funds industry headed in light of contracting emerging markets, plunging oil prices and general market volatility?
Where are investors putting their money and where are funds from MENA and Asia flowing to?
Where are European Shariah compliant funds being distributed?
Funds distribution: How will Europe benefit from the implementation of the ASEAN-CIS, ARFP and China-MRF?
New structures in real estate and private equity transactions
Moderator:
Kamal Ikherrazen — Advisor, Eethiq Advisors, Luxembourg
Capital Raising and Securitization: What is Driving Europe’s Lending Market? A discussion on structures, regulations, recent innovation and risks
Moderator:
Paul Peporte — Counsel, Allen & Overy, Luxembourg
Panelists:
Anouar Hasoune — Managing Director, Euris Group Alex Armstrong —Managing Director, Head of Financial Institutions & Structured Finance, QInvest, Qatar Farmida Bi — Partner and Head of Islamic Finance – Europe, Norton Rose Fulbright Mark Smyth — Chief Investment Officer, Tawreeq Holdings, the UAE
12:45 - 13:45
Networking Luncheon
13:45 - 14:05
Presentation: Bringing Innovation and Technology to Islamic Finance Rachid Ouaich — Founder and Managing Director, Eethiq Advisors, Luxembourg
14:05 - 14:50
Riding the Fintech Wave: Are Alternative Funding Platforms Continuing to Grow Sustainably?
What is driving the continued growth of these platforms?
What Shariah principles are companies like Beehive, Blossom Finance and Club Ethis basing their products on?
How will peer-based capital raising platforms overcome investor concerns relating to exit strategies and lengthy investment periods?
Outlook for crowdlending for SMEs
Is there potential for secondary market creation?
What’s next in the FinTech space?
Moderator:
Stuart Hutton —Chief Investment Officer, Simply Ethical, the UK
Panelists:
Anass Patel — President, 570 Asset Management, France Natalya Zotikova — Adviser, FinTech Development, Luxembourg for Finance Rachid Ouaich — Founder and Managing Director, Eethiq Advisors, Luxembourg
14:50 - 15:50
The Debate: This House Believes: A Rebranding is the Catalyst for Creating Mass Appeal for Shariah Compliant Investments in Europe With an increasingly tense geopolitical situation playing out in Europe many have voiced a need to consider replacing ‘Islamic finance’ with a more culturally acceptable term such as alternative finance or SRI. Is the ‘Islamic finance’ brand preventing Europe’s Shariah compliant funds industry from achieving its potential growth? Or are there other issues at play? Will the industry decide to take this controversial step and what will this mean for Islamic finance in Europe going forward?
Moderator:
Lauren McAughtry —Group Managing Editor, REDmoney Group
Panelists:
Ammar Dabbour — Managing Director and Founder, Euris Group Anouar Hassoune — Managing Director, Euris Group Lawrence Oliver — Deputy CEO, DDCap, the UK Rachid Ouaich — Founder and Managing Director, Eethiq Advisors, Luxembourg Volker Nienhaus — Professor, University of Bochum, Germany