Yearly Archives: 2021
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:…
The IFN Green and Sustainable Finance and Investment Dialogue
With COP26 fresh in our minds, what steps can regional governments, policy and standards setters, regulators and financial institutions take to align ESG and sustainable finance and investment with the collective problems it is trying to address, such as climate change? Having witnessed unprecedented recent growth, what, on macro and micro levels, is the sustainable and ESG investment industry today, and what is it not? What investment products and styles do different ESG investors now demand, how can their requirements be satisfied and is there an increasing divergence between Institutional versus retail, and active versus passive? With significant existing convergence between Shariah compliant assets and sustainable investing, what opportunities are there for financing and investment products that satisfy both? Locally,…
The Evolution of Southeast Asian Islamic Financial Technology
The IFN FinTech Landscape identifies 65 Shariah compliant fintech providers in Southeast Asia, making the region an important Islamic fintech centre. How do we assess the rapid evolution of Shariah compliant fintech in Southeast Asia and what is the value proposition, market positioning and comparative advantage of our Islamic fintech offerings? With five digital bank licenses available in Malaysia, and with the digital banking sector in Malaysia about to experience a tectonic shift, what will the challenger banks look like and how will Shariah compliant products feature? Will we witness the successful mass positioning of appealing Islamic digital retail, wealth management and pension offerings in the region? What is the potential for regional government-sponsored fintech growth funds and how would…
Funding Opportunities and Growth: Southeast Asian Islamic Corporate Finance and Capital Markets
What do Southeast Asian Islamic credit markets look like in the coming 12 months, and what are the options for potential corporate, sovereign and supranational issuers? What are investors demanding in terms of pricing, tenor, rating, structure as well as other factors such as ESG? What do the major Southeast Asia centers 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 significant are recent dollar-denominated green and sustainability-linked sovereign Sukuk? How is technology such as blockchain shaping and influencing Islamic corporate finance and capital markets, considering notable recent innovations by…
Operational Issues Facing Islamic Financial Institutions in Southeast Asia
Through a respected panel we address two current, important operational issues affecting Islamic financial institutions and financial products. 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, including repurchase agreements and their Shariah compliant equivalents, and how they offer value to regional Islamic financial institutions. Moderator: Prof Dr Obiyathullah Ismath Bacha, International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) Panelists: Angus Salim Amran, Group Treasurer, RHB Banking Group Elias Moubarak, Partner, Trowers & Hamlins Dr Mohamad Zabidi Ahmad, Senior Strategic Advisor, DDCAP Professor Dr Nurdianawati Irwani Abdullah, Department of Finance, Kuliyyah of Economics and Management Sciences (KENMS), International Islamic University Malaysia…
Keynote Address Muhamad Umar Swift, CEO, Bursa Malaysia
Keynote Address Muhamad Umar Swift, CEO, Bursa Malaysia
The Islamic Economy: Improving Livelihoods and Creating Prosperity
With Southeast Asian nations looking to kickstart economic recovery through commercial activity and stimulus, it is time for the Islamic economy, and all its components, to show its true mettle. Have we truly grasped the importance of the Halal economy to the prosperity of regional economies, as well as to the continued growth of Islamic financial institutions? What role will Southeast Asian Islamic financial institutions play in meeting the challenges of the real economy through mobilizing the funding and liquidity support necessary to stimulate the vital SME and corporate sector? Through socially impactful strategies, how can Islamic financial institutions inspire and support entrepreneurship, thereby creating jobs and improving livelihoods? How can successful initiatives such as Values-Based Intermediation (VBI) be harmonised…
Keynote Address Adnan Zaylani Mohamad Zahid, Assistant Governor, Bank Negara Malaysia
Keynote Address Adnan Zaylani Mohamad Zahid, Assistant Governor, Bank Negara Malaysia
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…
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)
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…
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,…