The Global Islamic Finance Forum (GIFF) 2014 from 2nd to 4th September 2014 will bring together globally renowned names in Islamic finance and business leaders to discuss opportunities to expand the industry’s reach in emerging and developed markets.
Among notable figures attending the event include Mukhtar Hussain, Global CEO of HSBC Amanah; William Truscott, CEO, Global Asset Management at US financial advisory firm Ameriprise Financial; Dr. Jamil El Jaroudi, CEO of Oman’s Bank Nizwa; Iqbal Khan, founder and CEO of Dubai-based Fajr Capital Ltd; and Irfan Siddiqui, CEO of Pakistan’s Meezan Bank.
GIFF 2014 will also see the industry taking the lead in hosting the forum, organised by the Association of Islamic Banking Institutions Malaysia (AIBIM), in collaboration with Bank Negara Malaysia, Securities Commission Malaysia (SC), the Malaysian Takaful Association (MTA), International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) International Shari’ah Research Academy for Islamic Finance (ISRA) and Islamic Banking & Finance Institute Malaysia (IBFIM).
“The Islamic finance industry has already proven itself as a resilient and viable model for economic growth, prudential standards and stability in the international financial markets. It is now time for the industry to capture new opportunities for growth.
“Themed ‘Marketplace for Global Linkages’, GIFF 2014 will pave the way for increasing cross-regional transactions in emerging and developed markets,” said Dato’ Mohd Redza Shah Abdul Wahid, President of AIBIM.
Now in its fourth instalment, the event will discuss developments in the Islamic banking industry, sukuk market and wealth management, in addition to covering pertinent issues in Islamic finance such as talent development and the regulatory framework. The event is also recognised as an important platform for dialogue, knowledge-sharing and business networking within the Islamic finance industry.
Featuring multi-track programmes to allow cross-regional dialogue between regulators, scholars, industry players as well as business leaders from outside the Islamic finance industry, GIFF 2014 will offer engaging content for every level of the global financial community.
These include a World Bank and KFH Research workshop titled, Inclusive Goals & Poverty Alleviation; and a Green Financing Dialogue which will feature global and Malaysian expertise in the green technology and financing sector.
There will also be a CEO Roundtable hosted by MTA, an International Islamic Capital Market Forum with the SC and ISRA’s International Colloquium for Islamic Finance, as well as an Islamic Venture Capital and Private Equity Symposium with the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia.
“Increasingly, we are seeing opportunities for growth in non-traditional markets for Islamic finance. This will require the industry to shift focus from merely offering Shariah-compliant solutions to meeting customer needs across the financial spectrum.
“Malaysia has developed a world-class marketplace for Islamic finance, building deep and active markets for primary and secondary sukuk while pioneering innovative deal flows such as multi-currency and cross-border transactions.
“Situated at the centre of world economic growth, Malaysia, with its breadth and depth of products, robust regulatory, supervisory and Shariah framework, and its position as a global marketplace for Islamic finance talent, can serve as a springboard to execute financial transactions in any part of the world,” said Dato’ Mohd Redza.
More than 100 speakers are expected to take part in GIFF 2014 including Dato’ Sri Zukri Samat, Managing Director of Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad; Rafe Haneef, CEO of HSBC Amanah; Badlisyah Abdul Ghani, CEO of CIMB Islamic; Muzaffar Hisham, CEO of Maybank Islamic Berhad; Ibrahim Hassan, CEO of RHB Islamic Bank Bhd; and Kamarul Ariffin, CEO of Affin Islamic Bank.
There will also be representatives from the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector, an affiliate of the Islamic Development Bank.