Capitalizing on Investment Opportunities in the Kingdom’s Rapidly Developing Islamic Capital Market
  • IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Date: 17th November 2014 Venue: Riyadh Marriott Hotel

Sponsors & Partners

LEAD PARTNER

CIMB Islamic

Website: www.cimbislamic.com

CIMB Islamic Bank, licensed under Malaysia’s Islamic Financial Services Act 2013, is the main operating entity of the CIMB Group’s global Islamic banking and finance franchise. It operates in parallel with the group’s universal banking platform where it offers Shariah compliant products and services to the group’s wholesale banking, consumer banking, commercial banking and asset management businesses.

CIMB Islamic’s products and operations are managed in strict compliance with Shariah principles under the guidance of the CIMB Islamic Board Shariah Committee, which comprises some of the world’s leading Shariah experts or scholars. CIMB Islamic provides comprehensive and innovative Shariah compliant financial products and services to meet the needs of individuals, small and medium-scale enterprises as well as large institutional customers.

CIMB Group’s Islamic banking and finance business is supported by the group’s network of over 39,000 staff in 16 countries comprising an experienced senior management team and a global team of Islamic banking and financial services professionals in all core components of the Islamic banking and financial services market. CIMB Group also has the most extensive retail branch network in ASEAN, with more than 900 branches as at the 31st December 2016. Outside of Malaysia, CIMB Islamic operates a universal offering in Indonesia and Singapore with a focus in wholesale banking in the other 14 countries.

MULTILATERAL STRATEGIC PARTNER

The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD)

Website: www.icd-ps.org

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: icd@isdb.org

Website: www.icd-ps.org

REAL ESTATE PARTNER

King & Spalding

Website: www.kslaw.com

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 firms global Islamic finance and investment practice includes nearly 30 lawyers and professionals in offices across Europe, the US and the Middle East.

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. 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.

BREAKOUT SPONSOR

Alkhair Capital

Website: www.alkhaircapital.com.sa

AlKhair Capital Saudi (AlKhair Capital) commenced its operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2009. AlKhair Capital is licensed by the Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority and operates a fully-fledged investment banking license across three business lines: asset management, corporate finance and investment banking, and brokerage. AlKhair Capital seeks to provide its clients with an integrated and comprehensive range of Shariah compliant investment products and services, with an emphasis on delivering differentiated value and tailored solutions to its clients.

AlKhair Capital is a subsidiary of Bank AlKhair, an Islamic wholesale bank that is based in Bahrain, licensed and regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain. AlKhair Group has subsidiaries in Malaysia (AlKhair International Islamic Bank), Turkey (Alkhair Capital Turkey Degerler) and Dubai (AlKhair Capital Dubai). AlKhair Group has advised on transactions with a total value exceeding US$3.5 billion since inception, and has completed several landmark transactions since its inception, including the establishment of t’azur, a regional Takaful company and the acquisition of Bahrain Financing Company, the oldest and one of the leading foreign exchange and remittance houses in the GCC, and the acquisition of Burj Bank, Pakistan.

At AlKhair Capital, we are committed to a value-driven approach relationship. Our objectivity, in-depth knowledge, established track- record in the region, and our international network - all combine together to build an added value for our clients through creativity, consistency and integrity in our approach. We have unrivalled M&A and debt advisory capability with a long standing track record in the region (especially on Sukuk issuance).

Alkhair International Islamic Bank

Website: www.alkhairmalaysia.com

Alkhair International Islamic Bank (Alkhair Malaysia) was the first foreign international Islamic bank to be licensed to conduct a full range of non-Malaysian ringgit banking activities under the Malaysia International Islamic Financial Center (MIFC) initiative, which aims to promote Malaysia as a major hub for international Islamic finance.

Alkhair Malaysia bases its delivery of exceptional value to clients and shareholders on its shared values of professionalism, integrity and innovation. These tenets drive the bank’s endeavor to be the leading provider of Shariah compliant banking products and services.

The bank’s primary focus is on three core business lines: corporate banking, treasury and capital markets to complement Alkhair Group’s existing operations in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and UAE as well as promoting co-operation between the GCC region and Malaysia in the area of Islamic finance.

Having been operational for six years, we remain committed in pursuing business opportunities and strategies to support Alkhair Malaysia’s business growth needs. We have put in place our key organizational structure and continuosly hiring capable resources to continue to improce our operating capabilities.

ASSOCIATE PARTNERS

Islamic Banking Intelligence

Website: islamicbankingintelligence.com

Khalij Islamic

Website: www.khalijislamic.com/

Khalij Islamic (KI), established in 2008, is an Islamic finance investment and advisory boutique with a presence in the UK, the UAE and Bahrain. Khalij Islamic (UK) is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK.

KI offers strategic consulting, and specialized expertise for developing, structuring, sourcing and placing bespoke Shariah compliant financial products focusing on ‘true asset’ investment products as well as Islamic liquidity and risk management solutions.

KI, adds value by providing a broad range of professional and reliable world class end to end Shariah services by harnessing the skills and collective intellectual capabilities of a seasoned management team that boasts over 100 years of collective investment banking and consulting experience, together with the connectivity with highly respected world-renowned Shariah scholars and affiliation and collaboration with influential industry bodies in the Islamic finance space.

KI focuses on bringing new asset classes and high quality Islamic investment products to Islamic investors. This not only gives Islamic investors increased opportunities to invest in high quality investment products but also helps them to diversify their portfolios from the traditional asset classes.

EXECUTIVE PARTNERS

DDCAP

Website: www.ddcap.co.uk

Founded in 1998 and headquartered in London, with an office in Dubai and a presence in both Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, DDCAP provides asset facilitation services to over 300 financial sector clients worldwide.

DDCAP is majority-owned and controlled by IPGL, a private holding company with an interest in a number of financial services companies. IPGL is also a significant shareholder in NEX Group (previously ICAP), a leading markets operator and provider of post-trade risk mitigation and information services.

DDCAP has an extensive track record within the Islamic finance industry, employing over 35 professionals with broad and complementary skill sets drawn from diverse financial industry backgrounds.

DDCAP has its own Shariah supervisory board comprising esteemed Shariah scholars from Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Kuwait.

DDCAP recently announced the launch of its multi-award-winning Shariah compliant ETHOS Asset Facilitation PlatformTM, a bespoke, real-time trade and post-trade services platform providing 24-hour coverage, enabling clients worldwide to purchase from a diverse asset inventory, including commodities, via a secure, web-based portal.

DLA Piper

Website: https://www.dlapiper.com

DLA Piper is a leading global, business law firm. We provide legal services to clients across key industry sectors including banking and financial services, real estate and construction, technology and healthcare. We understand the global importance and impact of Islamic financial services, and remain committed to supporting our clients wherever they do business. Our international reach and integration means that DLA Piper can handle Islamic finance matters originating in all of the major financial centers. Our lawyers have significant experience in acting for Islamic and conventional clients involved in the Islamic finance industry (including financial institutions, corporates, funds, market regulators and other government entities). For further information please visit www.dlapiper.com.

Eiger

Website: https://www.eigertrading.com

Eiger Trading Advisors (Eiger) is a UK-based asset-trading and technology company founded in 2008, which specializes as an intermediary in Islamic financial products.

As a leading intermediary and technology provider within the commodity Murabahah space, Eiger has the unique capabilities to deliver Shariah compliant commodity trading solutions through the Eiger Trading Platform (ETP), a web-based trading system, that we tailor to our bank clients’ exact operational requirements.

The ETP automates the structuring and execution of Islamic banking products for wholesale and retail commodity-backed transactions, including two new enhanced modules:

  • ETP Retail - A 24/7 STP platform designed to automate the end-to-end commodity Murabahah transactions underpinning retail banking products such as deposits, loans, CASA, credit cards
  • ETP Client Reach – A bespoke middle and back office module designed to streamline Islamic treasury and derivative transactions, including execution and documentation with our clients’ clients.

Eiger is authorized and regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority, and is both a member of the London Metal Exchange and an associate of the London Platinum and Palladium Market.

Emirates NBD Group

Website: www.emiratesnbd.com/en/

Emirates NBD Group

Emirates NBD is a leading banking group in the region. As at the 31st December 2016, total assets were AED448 billion (equivalent to approximately US$121.94 billion). The group has a leading retail banking franchise in the UAE with more than 219 branches and over 1,012 ATMs and CDMs in the UAE and overseas. It is a major player in the UAE corporate and retail banking arena and has strong Islamic banking, global markets and treasury, investment banking, private banking, asset management and brokerage operations.

The group has operations in the UAE, Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the UK and representative offices in India, China and Indonesia.

The group is an active participant and supporter of the UAE’s main development initiatives and of the various educational, environmental, cultural, charity and community welfare establishments.

Emirates NBD Capital

Emirates NBD Capital (EmCap) is the investment banking subsidiary of the Emirates NBD Group, licensed to operate in the Dubai International Financial Center. EmCap comprises an experienced team of professionals combining an international perspective with in-depth regional knowledge spanning debt capital markets (DCM), syndicated/club loans, financial advisory, equity capital markets and project finance. The DCM franchise of Emirates NBD is a leading bond and Sukuk house globally and has helped issuers raise approximately US$60 billion in capital market issuances since 2013. The product suite includes Sukuk (rated and unrated), conventional bonds, subordinated structures and private placement transactions.

GFI Group

Website: www.gfigroup.com/

GFI Securities (GFI), a subsidiary of GFI Group operates as a leading intermediary in Middle Eastern markets both out of its Dubai branch and London head office. Originating from a London-based Islamic finance desk set up in 2006, GFI’s Middle East operation has grown to offer direct, local service across Islamic and conventional markets. Our Dubai branch has been open since 2008 and has grown considerably in size.

From offices in Dubai, GFI Group companies operate several highly regarded electronic trading platforms, including CreditMatch, ForexMatch and MurabahaMatch. Alongside voice broking, these platforms provide enhanced liquidity, in-depth market information and efficient trade execution, without compromising anonymity and confidentiality.

 

 

IdealRatings

Website: www.idealratings.com/

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.

 

 

Parisian Real Estate Advisors

Website: www.parisian-advisor.com

Parisian Real Estate Advisor (Parisian Advisor)’s ambition is to be the leading French real estate advisor for Middle Eastern investors. Parisian Advisor is an entrepreneurial firm with a capital of EUR1 million (US$1.06 million). In addition, the company is affiliated to the French asset management firm La Française AM belonging to the French bank group, Crédit Mutuel. La Française Group holds 35% of Parisian Advisor and has been a key French player in securities and real estate asset management for over 40 years. The group currently manages over EUR48 billion (US$51.03 billion) including EUR10 billion (US$10.63 billion) in real estate assets.

Based on a tailor-made approach, Parisian Advisor offers a full range of services covering the entire investment chain, from pre-acquisition to post-acquisition stages including sourcing, fund structuring, financing, asset management and property management.

Our track record with La Française includes successfully forming the first French-regulated OPCI, or French-regulated non-listed REITs, that respect Islamic finance rules, on behalf of the first Islamic bank of Kuwait.

Qatar Financial Centre Authority

Website: www.qfc.com.qa/en-US/Home.aspx

Established by the government of Qatar in 2005, the Qatar Financial Center (QFC) is an on-shore center which has become an integral part of Qatar’s economy and rapid growth story and is fulfilling its mandate to help build a world-class financial and business environment in Qatar, providing a platform for domestic, regional and international growth.

The QFC Authority is the commercial and strategic arm of the QFC; it is responsible for developing and ensuring compliance with the QFC regulations and rules comprising the QFC’s legal and tax environments and it helps firms to quickly establish a physical presence in Qatar and the region. The QFC continues to attract a broad range of leading regulated and non-regulated firms, both domestic and international. QFC-licensed firms benefit from an environment which operates to international standards, with a legal system based on English Common Law, regulation which is risk and principles-based, and a competitive tax regime.

www.qfc.com.qa

Russell Indexes

Website: www.russell.com/indexes/

Russell Indexes offers a comprehensive family of global equity indexes that give investors and fund managers a more precise view of the markets, provides a basis for investments, benchmarks and track performance of distinct segments consistently. The resulting index methodology produced the broad-market Russell 3000® Index for the US market and a series for the global markets. Russell Indexes also pioneered the Value, Style, Growth, Stability and Theme-based Indexes. Russell Indexes has partnered with IdealRatings to co-brand the Islamic index series for the global markets. The Islamic indexes are supervised and audited by the Shariah Supervisory Board.

Russell Indexes calculates more than 700,000 benchmarks daily, covering 98% of the investable market globally, 83 countries and more than 10,000 securities. Approximately US$5.2 trillion in assets is benchmarked to the Russell Indexes.

Trowers & Hamlins

Website: www.trowers.com/

Trowers & Hamlins is an international law firm, headquartered in the city of London, providing full-service integrated offerings. Today, the firm has over 130 partners and over 800 personnel working across the UK, Middle East and Southeast Asia.

With specialist lawyers in the UK, the Middle East and ASEAN, Trowers & Hamlins has been a market leader in the field of Islamic finance for over 20 years. Ranked in the top 10 UK law firms for Islamic finance, our clients include Islamic finance institutions as well as public and private sector organizations.

The ASEAN region is an area of continuing growth for the firm and in response to our expanding client base, we opened a representative regional office in Kuala Lumpur in July 2012 and were granted a branch license in 2015. We are the first and only international law firm to be licensed in Malaysia.

Our defining characteristics are that we are a friendly and accessible firm which has a commitment to excellence, and which provides a supportive working environment to a wide diversity of individuals.

LANYARDS SPONSOR

World Vest Base

Website: www.wvb.com

World Vest Base provides a broad range of informational products directed at institutional investors, universities, bankers, analysts, tax and audit practitioners, government agencies and asset managers, M&A, private capital, equity and fixed income markets.

The company’s latest offering includes the WVB Shariah Compliance Ratings which is a relational database of financial, statistical and market information on active and inactive global companies.

The database covers 153 countries with over 44,600 active listed companies and 30,000 inactive companies. This covers approximately 99% of all listed companies and a global market capitalization of almost 100%.

WVB data is based on the country of incorporation. It describes a company as a legal entity, not individual issues or listings and offers complete documents with indexed financial transparency to the data.

For more information, visit www.wvb.com

LEAD MEDIA PARTNER

Islamic Finance news

Website: www.islamicfinancenews.com

Islamic Finance news is the industry's leading, capital markets focused, e-newsletter bringing you unrivalled editorial coverage every week on the global Islamic financial market.

This weekly newsletter provides insightful and intelligent editorial coverage from around the world helping you keep ahead. In addition to a comprehensive weekly review of all the stories from around the globe, interviews, forums, market statistics and data, key industry practitioners contribute via non-biased, educational and up-to-date country and sector reports, giving you a firsthand knowledge and understanding of the Islamic finance markets and instruments from an experts' point of view.

For a trial subscription, please contact +603 2162 7800 or email subs@IslamicFinancenews.com

STRATEGIC MEDIA PARTNERS

Business Islamica

Website: businessislamica.com/

Launched in November 2006, Business Islamica is the first monthly magazine of its kind in the UAE, specifically covering all aspects of Islamic business and finance, both regionally and internationally.

The magazine’s objective is to spearhead awareness initiatives, heighten knowledge of its core principles and practices, as well as to feature the latest developments in this industry.

Our editorial covers interviews with key industry leaders, case studies, and includes features on a wide range of topics such as; Islamic Banking, Wealth Management, Takaful (Islamic Insurance), Islamic Retail Finance, Marketing and Branding of Shari’ah-Compliant products, Regulatory Issues, Islamic Business Challenges and Risk Management.

Capital Business

Website: www.capitalbusiness.me

Capital Business Magazine is a B2B English monthly publication focusing on business best practices and is a publication accredited by the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). It enjoys a sizable footprint in the Middle East on the strength of feature articles contributed by certified financial and business experts, as well as coverage of a broad spectrum of topics including banking, IT, oil & gas, real estate and construction, human capital, risk management, corporate finance and cash management, corporate governance, investments, IPOs, tools of trade and more.

MEDIA PARTNERS

The Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry

Website: www.alfi.lu

Blassys

Website: www.blassys.com/

Eyes of Riyadh

Website: www.eyeofriyadh.com

Financial Bridges

Website: www.financialplaces.com/

Oxford Business Group

Website: www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/

Oxford Business Group (OBG) is a global publishing, research and consultancy firm, which publishes economic intelligence on the markets of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

OBG offers a comprehensive analysis of macroeconomic and sectoral developments, including banking, capital markets, energy, infrastructure, industry and insurance.

The group’s acclaimed economic and business reports are the leading source of local and regional intelligence, while its online economic briefings provide an up-to-date in-depth analysis. OBG’s consultancy arm offers tailor-made market intelligence and advice to firms operating in these markets and those looking to enter them.

Inovatif Media Asia

Website: www.inovatifmedia.asia

The Business Year

Website: www.thebusinessyear.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.

Voices of Leaders

Website: voicesofleaders.com

Voices of Leaders (VL) is a global business network for top executives and companies to Meet, Share and Grow locally, regionally and internationally.

The data-driven business profiles allow you to Meet top executives across a wide variety of industries, sectors and countries. Share your business needs among members looking for specific business opportunities and Grow your business network at a local and international level, while increasing the possibility of creating synergies, and finding partners and investors.

VL is committed to giving leaders from around the world a voice and in response to the demands of the digital age, VL produces interactive ebooks on the countries visited and the networking events it covers.

WORLD CSR DAY

Website: www.worldcsrday.com

The WORLD CSR DAY is guided by Leaders.... Leaders who believe in the value of Sustainable CSR; that which is built in the fabric of business - making it a reality. Leaders produce Leaders will be a common thread uniting nations and people who take CSR more responsibly. They also believe that CSR is a tool to the Development of the Future. Leaders, Professionals, CSR Practitioners, CEOs, Sustainability Experts and Media honchos in different parts of the world will help in spreading the message of World CSR Day. Let’s Unite the World with the Spirit & Energy for conscious CSR. (www.worldcsrday.com)