Lawrence Oliver — Deputy CEO, DDCAP
Nabil Issa — Partner, King & Spalding
Osman Aurakzai — Head, Research and Development Center, Bank Al Jazira
Dr Sami Al-Suwailem — Head, Financial Product Development Center, Islamic Development Bank
Walid Bin Ghaith — General Manager, Asset Management and Chief Investment Officer, Al Jazira Capital
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.
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 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.
Website: https://www.reit.ae/
Launched on the 28th November 2010, Emirates REIT is the UAE’s first Dubai Financial Services Authority-regulated REIT listed on NASDAQ Dubai and is now the world’s largest publicly listed Shariah compliant REIT in the world both by total assets and by market capitalization.
An ever-expanding entity, Emirates REIT has a portfolio value of AED2.7 billion (US$735.07 million) spanning over nine properties located in prestigious areas such as Dubai Marina, the Dubai International Financial Center, Sheikh Zayed Road and Dubai Media City.
Unique to Emirates REIT is the exclusive access to the UAE that we provide to investors, made possible by a decree issued by Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Al Maktoum.
A REIT, or a real estate investment trust, is a company that owns real estate properties and generates income from these properties. It allows anyone to invest in real estate in a safe and simple way: through the purchase of shares.
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:
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
Website: www.faa.org.my/
The Finance Accreditation Agency (FAA) is responsible for raising the standards and quality of professional learning and development in the financial services industry. As an advocate for the highest quality in internationally benchmarked standards for learning programs, FAA aims to create highly skilled and internationally mobile professionals for the global financial services industry.
FAA is an independent quality assurance and accreditation body supported by Bank Negara Malaysia (Central Bank of Malaysia) and Securities Commission Malaysia. The process of quality assurance practiced by FAA is underpinned by the FAA Technical Committee which comprises a world-class panel of experts and practitioners from the financial services industry and leading academics.
Website: alrajhibank.com.sa
Website: ciif-global.org/web
The Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals (CIIF) was established in June 2015 as a professional body for Islamic finance practitioners to support the capacity-building agenda of the industry by setting professional standards to drive the next phase of Islamic finance human capital development. Previously known as the Association of Chartered Islamic Finance Professionals (ACIFP), the institute underwent a timely restructuring exercise in 2015. As part of its objective to become the premier professional body for Islamic finance professionals, the CIIF was incorporated to assume the role of ACIFP with a primary mandate to set standards for professional qualification in Islamic finance for its members, and to regulate its members through the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. This mandate is as outlined in the Financial Sector Blueprint 2011-20 of Bank Negara Malaysia which stated ACIFP is the professional body responsible for global quality benchmarks for Islamic finance professionals, including the issuance of standards that allow for a worldwide membership base.
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.
Website: www.eethiq.com
EETHIQ Advisors is a Luxembourg-based advisory firm that specializes in cross-border Shariah compliant investments, created by a group of passionate experienced professionals.
EETHIQ Advisors has executed more than EUR1 billion (US$1.08 billion)-worth of cross-border alternative investment strategies and financing in a Shariah compliant context and thus benefits from a unique expertise in Europe, Turkey and the Middle East, where it has gained in-depth knowledge of real estate and private equity transactions.
Within these jurisdictions, EETHIQ Advisors’ associates address the most complex needs of both institutional investors (through fund structures) and high-net-worth individuals (family offices and entrepreneurs) by the following:
EETHIQ Advisors provides tailored, honest, transparent and independent advice to individuals and institutions targeting Islamic alternative investments.
Website: https://www.eigertrading.com
Eiger Trading Advisors (Eiger) is a UK FCA-authorized financial firm providing commodity trade facilitation and execution services to the Islamic financial marketplace.
Using the latest technologies, Eiger offers trading in global and regional commodities through bespoke electronic platforms that provide real-time Shariah compliant commodity trading to support Islamic financial transactions.
Founded in 2008, the Eiger team has a combined knowledge of over 300 years of commodity and financial market experience.
The firm is majority-owned by the senior management and operates across a number of business lines in physical commodities, including Islamic finance, information technology and commodity trade finance.
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:
Website: www.ie.edu
IE is recognized as one of the world’s top business education institutions. We deliver transformative leaders who foster innovation and change within their organizations. We strive to produce managers as entrepreneurs who create jobs, wealth and make a difference in society at large.
IE Corporate Relations is the meeting point for organizations to partner with IE, to cultivate their talent, innovation and knowledge. Our expert team works closely with an organization’s leadership to analyze talent needs and define customized strategies and action plans. We build on a long history of success with leading companies of all sizes and industries, from start-ups to major corporations.
We leverage the full potential of IE’s diverse and global knowledge ecosystem to help companies and institutions analyze their talent needs in key areas such as:
IE is an international institution with a global mindset and a humanistic approach that draws on its core values of innovation and entrepreneurship to produce the next generation of business leaders. Our strong, international faculty teaches a diverse student body representing 128 nationalities on a variety of acclaimed undergraduate (IE University), Master’s, PhD and executive education programs at IE Business School, IE Law School, IE School of Architecture and Design, IE School of Human Sciences and Technology and IE School of International Relations. Our 56,000 alumni hold management positions in over 126 countries.
IE is committed to pioneering new insights and generating cutting-edge knowledge that allows leaders to identify and tackle the complex challenges facing businesses today. In keeping with this mission, we harness our full global potential to promote the kind of corporate innovation that not only gives our partners an edge, but also creates sustainable solutions that benefit society as a whole.
María de Molina, 11, 28006 Madrid, Spain
www.ie.edu
Tel.: +34 91 568 96 00
iecontact@ie.edu
Website: www.sohoproperties.com
Soho Properties, Inc. is a commercial real estate investment firm founded by Sharif El-Gamal in 2003 in New York City. The Soho Properties team arranges and participates in real estate investments in office, residential and retail property markets in New York City, generating opportunities for its clients through the acquisition of both single assets as well as portfolios. Soho Properties is a company focused on pursuing the real value in real estate investments, especially when pricing dislocations create value-driven opportunities. Soho Properties unlocks the value in an investment by successfully executing various strategies, which include retenanting/repositioning assets, renovations, aggregations, developments and participating in unique opportunistic situations. Soho Properties acts as a principal and arranger of real estate investments by forming joint ventures with institutional and high net worth real estate investors. Such strategic partnerships are formed to identify opportunities whereby our investors can capitalize on market mis-pricing to earn superior risk-adjusted returns. Soho Properties investment strategies are IRR driven and executed to create value and manage risks through an involved investment and asset-management process. The company utilizes an efficient and tailored operating system and a well-defined and proven development process.
Website: www.idbgbf.org
The IDB Group Business Forum – THIQAH – is the main window which acts as enabler and play facilitation and catalyst roles to connect private sector institutions in IDB Group member countries. The main objective of THIQAH is to establish a unique and innovative platform for dialogue, cooperation and inclusive partnership for business leaders committed to partnering in promising investment opportunities. THIQAH’s vision is to position itself as the leading business platform of the IDB Group serving the private sector in member countries and maximizing the achievements of successful investment projects. The primary focus is on maximizing cross-border investments among IDB Group member countries, with the support of IDB Group’s financial products and services (www.idbgbf.org).
Website: www.nomura-am.co.jp/asia_oceania/malaysia
Nomura Islamic Asset Management (NIAM) was established in November 2008 to serve as the global Islamic hub for the Nomura Asset Management (NAM) Group internationally, to provide Shariah compliant investment solutions to our clients worldwide. In the short period since our inception, we have successfully built ourselves as one of the largest Islamic fund management boutiques in the world by assets under management size, and have been ranked among the world’s top 25 largest for the past four consecutive years by Asian Investor.
NIAM is a full-suite investment management office, with capabilities developed for portfolio management, research, and Shariah compliance monitoring for the Islamic equity and Sukuk asset classes, with regional and global coverage. We tailor our Shariah investment solutions to meet the needs of our diverse clientele, including prominent institutions globally, such as central banks, pension funds, financial institutions and corporations. Our investments are in strict adherence and accordance with Shariah principles under the guidance of our panel of Shariah advisors who are among the industry’s preeminent and most experienced Shariah experts or scholars.
In partnership with local and international industry players, we are avid participants in focused initiatives to promote Shariah investing across various markets. We have been involved in various consultations and dialogues with regulators and government bodies to promote a better understanding and support of Islamic investment solutions, not just in Malaysia, but also notably, in Brunei, Indonesia and the Middle East.
Even prior to the establishment of NIAM, we have been in the Islamic asset management space via our local conventional sister company, Nomura Asset Management Malaysia, which has been managing Shariah mandates since 2007. In addition to our adherence to Shariah standards, the NAM Group as a whole is also a signatory of the United Nation Principles for Responsible Investing, and as such we incorporate responsible investment principles into our investment approach.
Website: www.thomsonreuters.com
Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision-makers in the financial and risk, legal, tax and accounting, intellectual property and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs approximately 60,000 people and operates in over 100 countries. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.
Today's dynamic markets require deep knowledge before investment decisions are made and execution strategies are planned. Thomson Reuters has been at the heart of Islamic finance for over 30 years, offering innovative investment and trading solutions to financial professionals across multiple asset classes. We provide holistic technology capabilities by embedding customized solutions into the information requirement workflows of professionals serving various business functions, while facilitating real-time connectivity to the global Islamic finance community. Whether it’s asset class, sector, country or region-specific, you can rely on us to deliver the quality of analysis that can only be expected of Thomson Reuters.
For more information, go to http://thomsonreuters.com.
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
Website: www.hillmice.com
Website: www.asia-first.com/
Asia First provides a complete solution for financial professionals and organizations to source, purchase and manage financial news and intelligence products that they need for their business. It is a front-end website featuring extensive free daily and weekly finance news and other resources for professionals, complemented by a corporate back-end procurement platform and marketplace for buying and managing financial publications, data, research and events.
We organize specialized events and provide branding and exposure via our extensive readership and database. A one-stop shop with the following:
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.
Website: www.argaam.com/en
Argaam.com is the Arab world’s leading financial news portal that provides a diverse audience with real-time updates on financial markets and macroeconomics in Saudi Arabia.
Argaam is powered and fully-owned by Saudi-based Argaam Investment Company, which launched its Arabic-language flagship product, Argaam.com in March 2007.
In April 2015, Argaam launched its English-language subscription-based service that provides readers with market data and analysis, exclusive interviews, as well as coverage of stocks listed across the Gulf. Our subscribers include C-level executives, analysts, fund managers and investors.
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.
Website: www.capitalbusiness.me
Website: www.menafn.com
The Middle East North Africa Financial Network, Inc. (MENAFN) is a leader in providing Middle East business & finance news to professionals all over the region. Our online FREE offerings include the latest Arab & international business news, stock markets data, economic data, researches & reports, company data, events & real estate listings in both Arabic & English.
MENAFN is one of the most demographically focused websites in the Middle East attracting affluent executives/professionals with an interest in the most up-to-date business information in the region.
MENAFN’s site attracts over 950,000 highly targeted visitors on a regular basis. We offer advertisers the chance to reach a highly-targeted audience of serious professionals through our English and Arabic websites. Our client base includes prominent companies and institutions including: SAXO Bank, FXCM, DBFX, Hilton Hotels, Mercedes Benz, Nokia, MEED, Al Rajhi Bank, American Express, Emaar, Sama Dubai, Saraya and many others.
For any inquiries, please email: feedback@menafn.com
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.
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.
