Agenda

ISLAMIC & ETHICAL FINANCE
Sunday, 18 November 2007

 
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08:30                          Registration and coffee

 

09:00                          Welcome address and opening remarks

 

Mr. Michael Bergmeijer, Managing Director, Dow Jones Consumer Media Group, EMEA

Mr. Nasser Al-Shaali, CEO, DIFC Authority

 

09:20                          Panel 1

Islamic finance and ethics

 

·        The evolution of Islamic financing as a system rooted in ethics and that transcends religiosity.

·        Examining how the ethical aspects of Islamic finance can be used to broaden its global appeal.

·        The attraction of “clean business”, fair and equitable dealings in modern finance.

 

Moderator: Mr. Andrew Critchlow, Managing Editor, Zawya Dow Jones

 

Mr. Nik Norishky Thani, Executive Director, Islamic Finance, DIFC Authority

Mr. Rushdi Siddiqui, Global Director, Dow Jones Islamic Indexes

Mr. Arul Kandasamy, Head of Islamic Financing Solutions, Barclays Capital

 

 

09:55                          Keynote 1

The ethical responsibilities of the product

issuer

 

·        Ensuring that the product developer meets transparency, regulatory procedures and Shariah requirements.

·        Encouraging innovation in Islamic finance and the drive towards financial products that meet global market demands.

·        Appreciating Islamic financial diversity and its specific advantages.

 

Dr. Georges Makhoul, Managing Director Middle East, Morgan Stanley

 

 

10:15                          Panel 2

Effectiveness of the legal framework for Islamic finance in different regions

 

·        Examining the common threads practised by different regulators that that have been successful in promoting Islamic finance.

·        Basel II: can this serve as a role model for international Islamic finance regulation, or is self-regulation the way forward?

·        Successful initiatives and best practices, by product and geographical markets.

 

Moderator: Mr. Andrew Critchlow, Managing Editor, Zawya Dow Jones

 

Michael Ainley, Head International Firms Department, FSA, London

Mr. Muneer Khan, Head Islamic Finance, Simmons & Simmons

Mr. Abdul Wahid al Ulama, Group Chief Legal Officer, Dubai World

Dato Dr Nik Norzrul Thani, Lawyer and scholar

 

10:50                          Coffee break

 

 

11:10                          Keynote 2

Codifying scholars opinions around the globe

 

·        Building common knowledge platforms by collating the opinions and resolutions of the Shariah councils across the world.

·        Looking beyond self-regulation to meet the increasing professional expectations of the Islamic finance industry.

·        Analysing the possibility of developing a common and globally acceptable guideline for specific products such as Sukuk,

 

Dr. Humayon Dar, CEO, BMB Islamic

 

 

11:40                          Panel 3

The drive towards innovative Islamic financial products

                                   

·        The standardisation of Islamic finance principles within a strict context of legal formulation.

·        Standards versus flexibility in changing times.

·        The role of self-regulatory bodies such as the AAOIFI and the IFSB in building the foundations for successful regulation and standardisation

 

Moderator: Mr. Mohammed Amin, Partner – Tax, PwC

 

                                    Mr. Farhan Al Bastaki, CEO, WAQF Trust Services Limited

Sheik Yusuf Talal DeLorenzo, Shariah Capital

Mr. Mohammed Abdel-Haq, Global Head HSBC Ammanah Private Banking

Mr. Hassan Motala, Senior Executive Officer, Oasis Crescent Capital

 

 

12:15                          Panel 4

The future of Islamic finance

 

·        Measuring success, through annual growth rates or other indicators.

·        Defining the growing importance of venture capital as well as private equity vehicles in Islamic finance.

·        State-of-the-art Islamic saving schemes, Middle Eastern infrastructure investments, and the latest hedge funds.

 

Mr. Mohammed Abdel-Haq, Global Head HSBC Ammanah Private Banking

Mr. Eric Meyer, CEO, Shariah Capital

Mr. Hussein Alquemzi, CEO, Noor Islamic

Mr. Geert Bossuyt, Managing Director Regional Head Middle East structuring, Deutsche Bank

Mr. Afaq Khan, CEO Islamic Banking, Standard Chartered Bank

 

 

 

13:00                          Lunch

 

14:00                          Keynote 3

Absolute Return Fund Platforms for Islamic Finance

 

Mr. Richard Ho, Head of Fund Derivatives, Barclays

                                   

 

14:25                          Case study

Takaful: successful Islamic insurance operations in the 21^st century

 

Mr. Eduard Holtz, Head of International Business Unit, Maybank-Fortis

 

 

 

14:50                          Keynote 4

Human capital and Islamic finance

                                   

·        Evolutional development of Islamic finance specialists. The key personality traits of successful Islamic finance professionals, and how to build the competency profile

·        A lack of specialists locally, and (potentially) a lack of understanding abroad – is there a solution to this conundrum?

·        Attracting professionals away from conventional finance

·        Generating and retaining a deep pool of professionals

·        Addressing the current skill gap

 

 

Prof. Dr. Malik Muhammad Mahmud Al-Awan, Chief Academic Officer & Dean of the Faculty,

International Center for Islamic Finance, Malaysia

 

 

15:30                          Coffee break

 

 

15:50                          Keynote 5

                                    Sukuks: an emerging asset class

 

                                    Mr. Ibrahim Mardam-Bey, CEO, Siraj Capital Ltd.

 

16:20                          Conclusions and closing remarks

 

 

16:45                          End of conference  

 

****This is a provisional agenda and the author reserves the right to make changes at any given time*****