Abdul Rahman – Managing Director, Abdul Rahman Law Corporation
Andrew Naylor – Director, Central Banks and Public Policy, World Gold Council
Debashis Dey – Partner, Dubai, London, White & Case
Emmanuel Hadjidakis – Principal Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow
Phill Hall – Counsel, Linklaters
Syed Muhammad Abdullah Alsagoff – Business Development Executive, Pergas Investment Holdings
Shawn Er – Partner, Watson Farley Williams
Todd Schubert – CFA Managing Director, Head of Fixed Income Research, Bank of Singapore
Yeo Wico – Partner, Allen & Gledhill
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Boasting one of the world’s most sophisticated financial markets rooted in transparency and a sound legal framework, and bolstered by a pro-business, stable and open economy, Singapore has all the hallmarks of a potentially successful global Islamic financial market.
Although neighboring Malaysia may be the Shariah finance stronghold of the region, but the Lion City has the advantage as an international financial center, acting as the gateway to China and the wider east. Captivated by its world-class financial infrastructure, over 200 international banks have made Singaporetheir home and springboard into the region, and an increasing number of these banks are recognizing the growing demand for dollar Shariah compliant services leading them to set up Islamic finance desks as a strategic move to capture international Shariah dollars from clients across Asia and the Middle East looking to access the global markets.
Singapore is acknowledged by its global peers as a premier wealth management hub offering investors direct access to a gamut of investment opportunities across Asia and the world, and is well-positioned to leverage both its robust wealth management expertise as well as the burgeoning wealth of Asia, to develop a strong Islamic asset management industry. Not to mention, the city-state is a hive of vibrant fintech activities including some of the earliest Shariah compliant fintech developments which could further facilitate the country’s Islamic finance ambitions.
IFN Singapore Forum will gather influential Islamic finance thought leaders to find out how the Asian Tiger can fully utilize its competitive advantages to shape itself as a regional and international center of Shariah finance excellence.
| 09:00 – 09:05 | Welcome Remarks | ||||
| 09:05 – 9:15 | Welcome Address: Chan Kum Kong — Head of Research and Products, Equities and Fixed Income, SGX | ||||
| 09:15 – 10:00 | Islamic Finance and Singapore: Domestic and Global Influencers for Islamic Finance and Investment We assess the latest opportunities for Islamic finance and investment in Singapore: what can the country offer and what are its competitive advantages? What roles can Singapore’s liquid capital markets and highly developed regulatory frameworks play and what can the Republic’s established buy-side and investment management community offer?
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| 10:00 – 10:35 | Financing, Fund and Capital-Raising in Singapore: Islamic Options We assess the diversification of funding for corporates and the potential for Islamic financing. What industry sectors offer opportunities and what more can be done to make Islamic finance more appealing? We also address the potential for Sukuk in the Republic and identify what steps should be taken to deepen domestic and regional secondary markets and increase the tradability of such instruments. Lastly, we take a look at infrastructure financing and ask what role Islamic finance can play in Singapore and the region.
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| 10:35 – 11:05 | Coffee | ||||
| 11:05 – 11:35 | Fintech and Islamic Finance in Singapore We assess the latest developments in Shariah compliant fintech and analyze likely industry shifts, regulation and developments in product, distribution and delivery channels. We also discuss the role of tokenization and robo-advisory in Singapore’s capital-raising and investment management environments. What are the latest approaches to incorporating coin offerings and cryptocurrencies into developed regulatory frameworks?
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| 11:35 – 11:55 | Gold – All that Glitters Gold has come to prominence of late, either as an underlying asset or an asset class in itself. We take a closer look at recent financial products structured on or around gold and ask if the upward trend is set to continue.
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| 11:55 – 12:40 | Ethical and Responsible Finance in Singapore: Opportunities for Islamic Finance and Investment We examine responsible, ethical investment and green finance in Singapore and Southeast Asia and identify the prospects for Islamic finance and investment to thrive in this active sector. Do green bonds and Sukuk offer viable long-term investments and how can the industry address the relative scarcity of credible climate related and low carbon investment opportunities?
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| 12:40 | Close of Forum |
