MOROCCO

Hyatt Regency Casablanca

19^th September 2013

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Islamic finance is expected to gain a foothold in the North Africa region as a result of the Arab Spring, causing an increasing demand for project and infrastructure financing. Morocco is one of the countries which is expected to excel in this arena with the backing of a supportive government as well as a majority Muslim population. In 2012, the country’s parliament received a draft bill for the incorporation of Islamic finance into the mainstream economy, and it has been announced that the country is expecting to see the launch of its first Islamic bank this year. Conventional banks are already allowed to operate Shariah compliant windows, while foreign banks have also expressed interest in participating in the country’s Islamic banking sector following an announcement by the government to allow up to 49% ownership in the country’s first Islamic bank.

In line with these prospects, the Islamic Finance news Roadshow will visit Morocco for the first time this year to discuss regulatory and tax updates as well as growth opportunities with the country’s regulators and key players.

With Islamic financial markets growing and developing all around the globe, Morocco is targeted to be the next emerging market due to an increase in the demand for project and infrastructure financing. In addition to this, Morocco also has the backing of a supportive government as well as a majority Muslim population, making Morocco a prime market for growth on the global Islamic finance stage.

Attending IFN Morocco Roadshow 2013 will give you the perfect opportunity to learn more about the latest developments, explore new opportunities to fast track your business and to meet with key industry experts.

Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this inaugural event!

Attendance, while FREE, is by invitation only and open to those who register online and have an active interest in this fast growing industry

Confirmed Speakers

• Ahmed Tahiri Jouti - Member, Islamic Finance Project Team - Societe Generale
  
• Alain Verbeken - Director, Cross-Border Tax, Deloitte Tax & Consulting Luxembourg
  
• Anas Jaffal - Business Unit Manager, IFAAS
  
• Boubkeur Ajdir - Director of France, North and West Africa Business, IFAAS Group
  
• Farid Mohamed Masmoudi - Business Development and Partnership Director, Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD)
• Houda Chafil - Managing Director, Maghreb Titrisation
  
• Khalil Labniouri - Commercial Director & Member of the board, Dar Assafaa
  
• Laurence Toxe - Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright, France
  
• Mohammad Farrukh Raza - Managing Director, IFAAS
  
• Mohammed Ghiyath Sheikhah - Head of Local & International Investments, Treasury & Investments, QIIB
  
• Salima Bennani - Managing Director, Compensation Fund of Morocco
  
• Said Amaghdir - Chairman, Moroccan Association for Participative Finance Professionals - Sharia Compliant (AMFP)
  
• Stella Cox - Managing Director, DDCAP group
  
• Youssef Baghdadi - Chairman of the Board, Dar Assafaa
  

Agenda

08:00 - 09:15

Registration and Refreshments

09:15 - 09:30

Chairperson's Address Introduction
Mohammad Farrukh Raza - Managing Director, IFAAS

09:30 - 10:15

Session One: Islamic Finance in Morocco: Laying the Groundwork for Long Term Growth

• North Africa’s changing political landscape and its impact on the development of Islamic finance in Morocco
• Establishing Casablanca as North Africa’s Islamic finance hub: Does Morocco have the political will to succeed
• Significance of the new banking rules on establishing Morocco’s Islamic finance sector
• Entry of foreign banks into Morocco’s Islamic finance sector — regulations, ease of entry, bank ownership rules
• How will the introduction of participation banking alleviate the sluggish growth of the financial services industry
• Pursuing investment flows from key trading partners: How can Morocco distinguish itself from its competitors

Panelists:

Boubkeur Ajdir - Director of France, North and West Africa Business, IFAAS Group Mohammed Ghiyath Sheikhah - Head of Local & International Investments, Treasury & Investments, QIIB Youssef Baghdadi - Chairman of the Board, Dar Assafaa

10:15 - 10:45

Presentation: Key Figures and Features of the Islamic Finance Market in Morocco
Boubkeur Ajdir - Director of France, North and West Africa Business, IFAAS Group

Download presentation

10:45 - 11:15

Break & Networking

11:15 - 12:00

Session Two: Developing a Regulatory Framework to Support the Sustainable Growth of Islamic Banking

• Vital considerations in creating a legislative framework and taxation regime aimed at advancing Islamic banking transactions
• Developing an enabling regulatory framework that will promote financial innovation
• Ensuring a collaborative strategy to encourage the success of both Islamic windows and fully fledged participation banks 
• Can Islamic finance play a meaningful role in increasing banking penetration and intermediation?
• What does the absence of a comprehensive regulatory framework mean for potential Sukuk issuers

Panelists:

Alain Verbeken - Director, Cross-Border Tax, Deloitte Tax & Consulting Luxembourg Mohammad Farrukh Raza - Managing Director, IFAAS Salima Bennani - Managing Director, Compensation Fund of Morocco

12:00 - 13:00

Lunch

13:00 - 13:45

Session Three: Crucial Steps to Advance Morocco’s Entrance into the Islamic Finance Market – Lessons Learnt from Matured Markets

• Vital considerations in setting up a Shariah board
• Emergence of foreign banks in the domestic Islamic finance space — what impact will this have on how the market develops
• Encouraging cross-border collaboration and facilitating market players' knowledge transfer for further growth
• Examining critical issues affecting Islamic finance and steps to overcome them: Governance and risk, ratings, standardization of documents, harmonization of laws

Panelists:

Anas Jaffal - Consultant, IFAAS Stella Cox - Managing Director, DDCAP group

13:45 - 14:30

Session Four: Developing a Robust Domestic and Regional Islamic Capital Market

• Increasing access to funding sources for Moroccan corporate and sovereigns through the development of a dynamic Islamic capital market
• Outlook for sovereign and corporate Sukuk issuances in 2013: What’s in the pipeline for Morocco
• The urgent need for a tax and regulatory framework and how issuers may sidestep regulatory impediments
• Developing  Shariah compliant instruments to alleviate Morocco’s liquidity shortage
• How Islamic finance structures can facilitate funding infrastructure development in Morocco

Panelists:

Farid Mohamed Masmoudi - Business Development and Partnership Director, Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) Houda Chafil - Managing Director, Maghreb Titrisation Laurence Toxe - Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright, France

14:30 - 15:15

Session Five: Assessing the Growth Potential for Shariah Compliant Retail and Commercial Banking and Takaful Products

• Developing Islamic retail banking products to stimulate Morocco’s underdeveloped retail banking sector
• Tapping the latent demand for Shariah compliant retail offerings: Discussing suitable structures and Shariah considerations
• Market outlook for private investment funds and wealth management products
• Identifying current trends and innovations in product structures globally and application in the Moroccan context
• Outlook for commercial banking products and Shariah compliant trade finance
• Initiatives and developments in Takaful and reTakaful - future growth prospects and challenges

Panelists:

Ahmed Tahiri Jouti - Member, Islamic Finance Project Team - Societe Generale Khalil Labniouri - Commercial Director & Member of the board, Dar Assafaa Said Amaghdir - Chairman, Moroccan Association for Participative Finance Professionals - Sharia Compliant (AMFP)

15:15 - 16:00

Networking