Yearly Archives: 2021
Funding Opportunities and Growth: GCC Islamic Corporate Finance and Capital Markets
What do GCC credit markets look like in the coming 12 months, what are the options for potential corporate, sovereign and supranational issuers? How influential are oil prices on regional Islamic capital markets? What are investors demanding in terms of pricing, tenor, rating, structure, as well as other factors such as ESG? What do the major GCC centres offer as listing destinations for Sukuk issuance, as well as other products such as investment trusts and ETFs? How can Shariah compliant instruments, including Sukuk, be further applied to the funding of alternative asset classes in the region? How is technology such as blockchain shaping and influencing Islamic corporate finance and capital markets, considering notable recent innovations by GCC Islamic banks? Finally,…
IFN Qatar OnAir Forum 2021
System Restart: Islamic Finance in Qatar What does the Qatari Islamic finance landscape look like in 2021 and what does the domestic Islamic finance ecosystem still require from regulators and market participants for it to flourish across multiple product areas and asset classes? With such measures in place, what would constitute success for Islamic finance in Qatar? What role is Islamic finance set to play in the recovery of the Qatari economy as well as that of the regional financial system? Can Islamic finance, including Sukuk, be further deployed to fund the Qatari SME, corporate and government-linked sector, as well as infrastructure development? What roles will public-private partnerships and structured real estate finance play in the Emirate, and what do…
Fostering Linkages and Promoting Opportunities between Islamic Finance and Social Finance
Financial activities that deliver tangible social impact represent a range of new and interesting opportunities to deploy innovative community-wide Shariah compliant finance solutions. How can Islamic financial institutions support microenterprises and entrepreneurship through schemes such as iTEKAD in Malaysia? How can Islamic finance play a pivotal role in the development of gender finance products and policies, empowering women, narrowing gender inequality and driving financial inclusion? How can Shariah compliant finance be further applied to social impact initiatives, enriching lives through the advancement of education, health and well-being? With such goals in mind, how do we design effective models and strategies, offer innovative products and measure the impact of these important initiatives? Moderator: Azleena Idris, Director, Corporate Services Division, PayNet Panelists:…
Driving Development in UK Islamic Corporate Banking and Capital Markets
Driving Development in UK Islamic Corporate Banking and Capital Markets What will the second Sovereign Sukuk achieve and what does it represent for UK Islamic financial services, and UK Islamic banks in particular? What does the UK offer as a listing destination for sovereign, supranational and corporate Sukuk issuance, as well as other products such as investment trusts and ETFs? Is there an effective secondary market in the UK for Sukuk? How can Shariah compliant instruments, including Sukuk, be further applied to the funding of alternative asset classes and sustainable assets? How is technology such as blockchain shaping and influencing Islamic corporate banking and capital markets, considering notable recent innovations by GCC Islamic banks? Finally, how can global and domestic…
Green, Transition and Sustainability-Linked Finance and Investment – Shariah Compliant Options
Alongside ‘Transition to Net Zero’ and decarbonisation targets, what is realistically achievable and what does net zero mean for important sectors in the GCC such as aviation, oil and gas and other asset-based industries? How are Shariah compliant financing products and assets playing a role in this shift and what do green Sukuk offer in relation to transition and sustainability-linked initiatives? How can the financing of Shariah compliant assets continue to contribute to the achievement of the UN SDGs and towards the Paris Accord? Where and how do ESG investing and Shariah compliant investing complement each other, and how can we further leverage this important linkage? We ask an expert panel. Moderator: Jessica Robinson, Founder and Managing Director, Moxie Future…
IFN Nigeria OnAir Forum 2021
Keynote Address: Temi Popoola, CEO, Nigerian Exchange Limited Keynote Interview Interviewee: Patience Oniha, Director-General, Debt Management Office Nigeria Interviewer: Vineeta Tan, Managing Editor, Islamic Finance News System Restart: Islamic Finance in Nigeria What does the Nigerian Islamic finance landscape look like in 2021 and what does the domestic Islamic finance ecosystem still require from regulators and market participants for it to flourish across multiple product areas and asset classes? With such measures in place, what would constitute success for Islamic finance and investment in Nigeria? What role is Islamic Finance set to play in the recovery of the Nigerian economy as well as that of the regional financial system? Can Islamic finance, including Sukuk, be more effectively deployed to fund…
Investors Roundtable: UK Opportunities for Shariah Compliant Direct Real Estate and Private Equity Investment
Investors Roundtable: UK Opportunities for Shariah Compliant Direct Real Estate and Private Equity Investment Through a panel of international investment professionals, we explore current and potentially innovative Shariah compliant investment types and asset classes. What are the latest opportunities and demands for Shariah compliant direct investment into UK real estate market? Considering the evolution of working practices in the UK, what is the future of the office and what are the implications for UK commercial real estate investment? With an active private equity market, what are potential targets for investment into the UK market and what structures are being employed? Aside from these, what new and interesting asset classes have presented themselves in the past year? Moderator: Celia de Anca, Director,…
Operational Issues Facing Islamic Financial Institutions in the Gulf
Through a respected panel we address two current, important operational issues affecting Islamic financial institutions and financial products in the Gulf. Firstly, we discuss reform of global benchmarks, the transition to risk-free rates and the implications for Islamic financial products. Secondly, we examine the development of liquidity management tools – repurchase agreements and their Shariah compliant equivalents – and how they offer value to regional Islamic financial institutions. Moderator: Stephen Knight, Partner, Dentons Panelists: Anita Wieja-Caruba, Associate Director, Strategy, Policy and Risk, Dubai Financial Services Authority Ijlal Ahmed Alvi, CEO, International Islamic Financial Market (IIFM) Rizwan Malik, Head – Standards Implementation and Strategic Developments, Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI)
The Future of Sustainable Banking & Finance
The Future of Sustainable Banking & Finance What does the sustainable financial institution of the future look like? Who are the stakeholders and how should they be engaged? In a sustainable financial institution, how is capital deployed, what product ranges are appropriate and how is the institution governed? What does low carbon mean for financial institutions in the financing of key industries and sectors? What returns are on offer for financial institutions employing sustainable principles? Moderator: David Korslund, Consultant, Values-Based Banking Panelists: Jessica Robinson, Founder and Managing Director, Moxie Future Asst Prof Dr Kinan Salim, Head of Islamic Digital Economy, International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF)Norfadelizan Abdul Rahman, Managing Director, Taj Bank Professor Dr M. Kabir Hassan, Professor…
The Evolution of UK Financial Technology
The Evolution of UK Financial Technology The IFN Fintech Landscape identifies 39 Islamic fintech providers in the UK, making it the world’s largest Shariah fintech centre. Considering this, how do we assess the rapid evolution of the sector? What is the value proposition and market positioning of UK Islamic fintech offerings and what can Shariah compliant challenger banks learn from their conventional counterparts? How can UK Islamic fintech fulfil its potential through offering Shariah compliant financial solutions to minorities, particularly in retail finance, pensions and wealth management? How can traditional Islamic financial institutions effectively maintain competitiveness in these product areas through innovation and investment? What are the potential implications, if any, of the findings of the Kalifa Report for UK…
The Evolution of GCC Islamic Financial Technology – Digital Assets, Crowdfunding and Digitization
With the GCC boasting 51 Shariah compliant fintech providers on the IFN Fintech Landscape, what is a realistic assessment of the sector across multiple verticals? With noteworthy developments in equity crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending in the GCC, what’s next in the evolution of these important activities? How do ECF and P2P address and reduce funding gaps, particularly in the SME sector, and how can they be further harnessed to fund regional entrepreneurial activity? What is the role and success rate of tech accelerator programs in regional centers, and what else can be done to provide vital seed and growth capital for regional Islamic fintechs? With the first Bitcoin fund being listed on NASDAQ Dubai, what is the future of crypto…
Green, Transition Bonds & Sukuk
Green, Transition Bonds & Sukuk Green and transition fixed income products, including bonds and Sukuk, constitute one of the world’s fastest growing asset classes. Analysts expect 2021 issuance to reach record levels as governments seek sustainable recoveries. How are these instruments structured, priced, rated and distributed and what role do regulatory frameworks play in these processes? What are ESG investors looking for and what segment-specific characteristics and challenges need to be addressed? Moderator: Cedric Rimaud, Climate Finance Specialist Panelists: Benjamin Cliquet, Head of Business Development for Second Party Opinions, Vigeo Eiris Farmida Bi, Chair, Europe, Middle East and Asia, Norton Rose Fulbright Tayyaba Rasheed, Head of Investment Banking Group, Faysal Bank