• Examining notable regional issuances in 2012 and why they succeeded: Saudi Electricity, IDB, GACA, Dubai Department of Finance (DOF) Sukuk
• Addressing the challenges of issuing Sukuk within or from Saudi Arabia, in comparison to other Gulf countries
• The growth of sovereign, quasi sovereign and mega issuance - developing the infrastructure and capacity to support such transactions
• Examining deal size versus product structure and innovation
• Developing secondary markets for Sukuk in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf: What needs to be done?
• What do aspiring Islamic financial markets in the Gulf need to do more to attract issuers? Considerations: rule of law, regulation, investor base, financial infrastructure?

Abdulmohsen A. Al-Fares, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Alinma Bank
Craig Nethercott, Partner and Co-Chair of Islamic Finance Practice, Latham & Watkins LLP
Kamal Mian, Head of Asset Finance, Saudi Hollandi Bank
Mohammad Kamran Wajid, Chief Executive Officer, Emirates NBD Capital 

• What do issuers need? Balancing the need for innovative product solutions with effective and consistent market regulation
• Examining the practicalities of listing Sukuk on Tadawul and adhering to regulatory requirements
• Discussing Sukuk structures and the suitability of different structures for different funding purposes
• Examining Sukuk structures and practices overseas: The UAE, Malaysia and Indonesia
• Refinancing and restructuring Islamic capital market transactions
• Examining the success factors of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) 2012 SAR15billion and Saudi Electricity $1.75bn Sukuk issuances

Moderator: Rizwan Kanji, Partner, King & Spalding

Dr Ali Al Amari, Senior Director, Supervision & Authorization Division, Qatar Financial Center Regulatory Authority
Emad Al Monayea, Vice Chairman, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Liquidity Management House, Kuwait
Mian Muhammad Nazir, Senior Vice President & Head of Legal, Dar Al Sharia
Muhammad Farhan, Head of Islamic Finance, HSBC Saudi Arabia

• Addressing the unique challenges faced by international players when issuing in the Saudi market
• Sukuk and syndication compared - key considerations for issuers and investors
• Assessing the cost of issuing via Islamic versus conventional finance
• Book-building and initiatives to broaden the investor base for Islamic issuances
• Selecting and qualifying arrangers, managers and legal counsel
• Can issuances be effectively hedged? Using swaps to manage risk
• Managing Shariah risk in Islamic capital markets structures: How to ensure consistency

Bernardo Vizcaino, Islamic Finance Correspondent, Middle East and North Africa, Thomson Reuters
Bilal Kahlon, Partner, Baker & McKenzie
Raed G. Al-Barakati, Senior Vice President-Investment Banking Department, Riyad Capital

Salman Akbar, Assistant General Manager - Islamic Structuring, Samba Financial Group

Talal K. Althefery, Program Manager - Small to Medium Enterprises (SME), Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), Islamic Development Bank

• What makes Islamic finance and project and infrastructure finance compatible and is this still the case in the Gulf markets?
• Assessing global regulatory changes for perceived higher risk banking activities: The effects of Basel III
• Shariah compliant and legal product structures and frameworks available to support infrastructure financing
• Challenges undertaking Shariah compliant infrastructure in the Gulf: Complexity, cost, liquidity
• Addressing compliance issues in utilizing conventional funding sources to fulfill financing requirements
• What do large deals such as GACA and Saudi Electricity Sukuk mean for the Islamic project finance market?

Faisal Qadri, Director - Project & Export Finance, HSBC Saudi Arabia
Harj Rai, Senior Associate, Latham & Watkins
Mansoor Durrani, Vice President & Head of Project Finance, National Commercial Bank   
Mohammed Jalaluddin, President, Ansar Financial Group
Mohammed Paracha, Partner & Head of Islamic Finance , Norton Rose - Middle East & Africa
Walid Sarieddine, Assistant General Manager, Head of Islamic Finance, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. Europe Ltd.

Abdulkader Thomas, President & Chief Executive Officer, SHAPE™ Financial Corporation

• Addressing the impact of regional political volatility on investor wealth and behavior
• Identifying new and important Shariah compliant investment destinations and asset classes in 2012
• Developing innovative alternative Shariah compliant investment products for the Saudi market and beyond
• Assessing the opportunities presented by the growth of regional sovereign wealth and pension funds
• Maximizing the potential of Islamic real estate finance and REITs in Saudi Arabia
• Discussing the impact of the introduction of the mortgage law to the Saudi Arabia investment environment

Humphrey Percy,Chief Executive Officer, Bank of London and Middle East ( BLME)
Jawad Ali, Managing Partner - Middle East Offices & Deputy Global Head of Islamic Finance, King & Spalding
Mohamed Donia, Chief Executive Officer, IdealRatings
Neil Miller, Global Head of Islamic Finance, KPMG

• Islamic private equity in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, and comparisons with conventional private equity: What does the future hold?
• Lessons from the recent crisis for private equity and venture capital in Saudi Arabia, and preventing reoccurence
• Capitalizing on opportunities for Islamic private equity in Saudi Arabia: Identifying sectors and industries
• Valuation trends for private equity deals in Saudi Arabia - value versus pricing
• Identifying optimal and efficient fund structures for success in regional private equity deals
• Understanding the framework for investor protection in Saudi Arabia

Achraf Cherkaoui, Director, Eastgate Capital Group
Ayham Al Yousef, Chief Executive Officer, AlBilad Investment Company
Benjamin Newland, Partner, King & Spalding
Salman Al-Sudairi, Riyadh Office Managing Partner, Latham & Watkins
Yasser Dahlawi , Chief Executive Officer, Shariyah Review Bureau

• Sovereign wealth funds and their reach and scope in Asia and the Gulf
• Takaful companies and the long-term investment mandates and strategies available to them
• Investing in Saudi Arabia in comparison to other Gulf countries: costs, legal considerations, opportunities and sectors
• Investor protection, recourse to assets, default, insolvency and restructuring in Islamic finance: Key practical issues and avoiding costly mistakes
• Enhancing risk management practices and corporate governance standards in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf
• What the Saudi mortgage law means for real estate investors specifically and the investment community in general

Moderator: Nabil Issa, Partner, King & Spalding

John Sandwick, Manager, Safa Investment Services, Islamic Wealth & Asset Management, Switzerland
Dr Mashhour Mourad,Chief Executive Officer, Anfaal Capital, Saudi Arabia
Monem Salam, President, Saturna, Malaysia
Tariq Al-Rifai, Director, Index Investment Strategy, S&P Dow Jones Indices

Najmuddin Mohd Lutfi, Deputy Director, MIFC Promotions Unit, Central Bank of Malaysia

Sundra Rajoo, Director, Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration (KLRCA)

Tobias Frenz, Chief Executive Officer, Munich Re Retakaful

• The permissibility of hedging and derivative products in Saudi Arabia: Shariah compliant versus Shariah based
• Increasing interest in derivative products: What do market participants want and need?
• Tahawwut versus Talaaub: Vital considerations for effective product development
• The workings of IIFM & ISDA's Mubadalatul Arbaah Profit Rate Swap Product Standard, and what this will achieve in practice
• Is hedging a growth oriented segment or needs driven? Key differences between Islamic hedging and conventional derivatives
• Assessing the likely impact of derivatives on market efficiency and liquidity

Habib Motani, Partner, Clifford Chance, UK
Imran Iqbal, Head of Islamic Banking, Saudi Hollandi Bank
Lawrence Oliver, Director - Deputy Chief Executive Officer, DDCAP
Lilian Le Falher, Executive Manager , Head of Treasury, Financial Institutions & Capital Markets, Kuwait Finance House, Bahrain
Dr Salman Syed Ali, Senior Economist & In-Charge of Islamic Economics and Finance Research Division, Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI)