• Advisory Board

  • Ahsan Ali – Managing Director, Head of Islamic Origination, Standard Chartered

    Bader Alzahrani – Managing Director, Endeavor Saudi Arabia
    
    Hidayathullah Baig – Senior Director - Project Finance, Al Rajhi Bank
    
    Ivo Detelinov – Vice President, Head of Private Equity Funds, Riyad Capital
    
    Meshari Al-Khaled – Managing Director, Saudi Arabia, S&P Global Ratings
    
    Mahmoud Abdel-Baky – Of Counsel, The Law Firm of Wael A. Alissa in association with Dentons & Co
    
    Mohd Naim Mohd Azad Din – Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Sidra Capital
    
    Sheikh Bilal Khan – Co-Chairman and Partner, Dome Advisory
    

• Agenda
• Speakers
• Sponsors & Partners
• Floor Plan
• Accommodation
• Post Event Report
• 

Saudi Arabia is one of the most active and influential markets in the Islamic finance space today and certainly the biggest in the Gulf. With landmark steps including the opening of Tadawul to foreign investors, the potential for access to the Saudi debt market and booming asset classes including IPOs, real estate and project finance, a growing number of issuers are coming to market and the overall investment scene is growing dramatically.

Our exclusive access to the movers and shakers who matter make IFN Saudi Arabia Forum the essential event for anyone with interest in the Saudi market. IFN returns to Saudi Arabia for the sixth time and IFN Saudi Arabia Forum 2017 is slated to attract global market players eager to gain access to the highly lucrative Saudi Arabian market. With its solid regulatory framework and firm foundation in Islamic banking, the Saudi Arabian market will continue to prosper and innovate.

Agenda

09:15 – 09:25	Welcome Remarks
09:25 – 10:15	Saudi Arabian Capital Markets: From Domestic to International Recent Saudi sovereign issuance has been acknowledged as a game-changer in the Saudi capital markets and recent corporate Sukuk issuance has provided an important benchmark. However, what needs to be done to further shape the Kingdom as a recognized international financial center and how will the Sukuk market develop? What will a new generation of products such as Sukuk funds and mortgage-backed securitizations bring, and where can Islamic finance play a role? Moderator: John Sandwick – General Manager, Safa Investment Services Panelists: Anita Yadav – Head of Fixed Income Research, Senior Director – Wholesale Banking, Emirates NBD Darko Hajdukovic – Head of Analytics, Funds and Fixed Income, London Stock Exchange Group Faisal Qadri – Managing Director, Head of Debt Capital Markets, HSBC Saudi Arabia Mohamed Damak - Global Head of Islamic Finance, S&P Global Ratings Robert Hahm – CEO, Mashreq Capital Umera Ali – Partner, Michelman & Robinson
10:15 – 10:45	Investment Banking and Equity Markets in the Kingdom: Opportunities for Islamic and Conventional Finance The Saudi Aramco listing is a significant and exciting development for Saudi companies and the country’s equity capital markets as a whole. We examine opportunities for equity issuance and the development of equity-linked products, and the various options offered by conventional and Islamic programmes. We also look at the prospects of mergers and acquisitions across key industries, with the backdrop of the Kingdom’s ambitious transformation, diversification and privatisation programs and Vision 2030. Moderator: Nabil Issa – Partner, King & Spalding Panelists: Fahad Aldeweesh – CEO and Head of Investment Banking, JP Morgan Saudi Arabia Company Jassim AlSane – Director, Middle East Investment Banking, Citi Robert Ansari – Executive Director, Head of the Middle East, MSCI
10:45 – 11:15	Coffee Break
11:15 – 11:40	Real Estate Investment in Saudi Arabia We assess latest techniques and trends in real estate investment in Saudi Arabia, including the use and structure REITs Moderator: James Stull – Partner, King & Spalding Panelists: Allen Merhej – Managing Director - GCC, Inovalis Fund Management Amro Nahas – Head of Real Estate Investment, MASIC Ibrahim Al Buloushi – National Director and Country Head, JLL
11:40 – 12:10	Analysis: Sukuk Risk and the Case of the Dana Gas Default. We ask two leading capital markets professionals to outline their views on the situation. Moderator: Abdul-Rahman Hammad – Regional Director Middle East, IdealRatings Panelists: Fakrizzaki Ghazali – Head of Fixed Income, SEDCO Capital Nitish Bhojnagarwala – Vice-President - Senior Analyst, Financial Institutions Group, Moody’s Investors Service Rizwan Kanji – Partner, King & Spalding Yasser Dahlawi – CEO, Shariyah Review Bureau
12:10 – 12:40	Funding Infrastructure and Social Welfare Requirements in Saudi Arabia We discuss public-private partnerships, financing structures as well as opportunities in active sectors. Moderator: Shibeer Ahmed – Partner, Winston & Strawn Panelists: Hidayathullah Baig – Senior Director, Project Finance, Al Rajhi Bank Richard Paton – Head of PPP and Public Sector Strategy, Saudi Arabia, KPMG Safdar Raza – Director, Project and Export Finance, HSBC Saudi Arabia
12:40 – 13:20	Preparing for the Future: Financial Technology in Saudi Arabia What does the advancement of technology mean for financial institutions in Saudi Arabia? We analyze opportunities and challenges as well as likely industry shifts and developments in product and delivery channels. Moderator: Maisa J Shunnar – Head of Strategy Implementation and Transformation, Bahrain Islamic Bank  Panelists: Ashar Nazim – Managing Director, Finocracy Lawrence Oliver – Director and Deputy CEO, DDCAP Talal A Ajina – Country Head, PayTabs
13:20 – 14:30	Luncheon & Networking

Photo Gallery