The rapid development of the Islamic finance and Islamic banking industry, not only in the Middle East but across the globe, has produced new Shariah compliant products and structures, which have in turn resulted in a substantial growth in demand for Islamic financial services. The number of Islamic institutions and their assets grew approximately at an average annual rate of 20 % in the world.

 

Western countries are now developing more competitive Islamic Finance products which are no longer considered as a specialised structure developed for religious purposes. Except for London, European financial centres do currently not have a suitable offer to those who wish to invest a part in conformity with Islam, comparing to Dubai, Bahrain and Singapore. Although having a net delay in Islamic banking financial centres like Geneva manage today up to 300 billion dollars asset Moslems.

 

This conference aims to examine some critical issues arising from the implementation of Islamic Finance from jurist, legal, and practical perspectives with a focus on how to create Shariah Compliance in Financial Products, and how to incorporate Islamic Finance into the financial mainstream.

 

Compliance practices, governance and standards, and enforcement issues will be reviewed through the visions, theories & practices of the competitors across the leading centres of Islamic Finance.

 

Special emphasis will be given to the Sukuks as they are the hot topic of the year.

 

We will also present a comparative study between conventional and Shariah compliant financial practices to highlight similarities and differences.

 

Specific topics for this discussion include:

 

Islamic Finance:

• Growth & current trends
• Innovation
• Global Impact
• Incorporating Islamic finance into mainstream finance -The Challenge?

Examining the needs of Customers within Islamic Retail Banking:

• Current Products in the Market – Are they meeting the Needs of Customers?
• The Need for new innovation
• Case Study-The Islamic Bank of Britain

The Need for a central Approval Body Governing Islamic Finance:

• Examining The role of Shariah Scholars
• Creating Shariah Compliance in Financial Products
• Examining  Future challenges towards Shariah Compliance
• The responsibilities of a Shariah advisory Board
• How the lack of standardization ofShariah board ruling is considered as one of the main challenges in Islamic finance

Islamic Sukuk & main Islamic funds:

• A critical examination of Islamic Investment Certificates: One of the fastest growing areas in Islamic finance
• The role of Shariah board in Islamic finance “Sukuk”innovation
• Review of the Islamic equity funds, property funds and commodity funds with an emphasis on the investment criteria, structuring and performance

Shariah Compliant Corporate Governance:

• Leadership.-and its role in the creation of Value driven organisation.
• Does Islamic finance naturally deliver ethical corporate Governance?
• Strategic perspectives delivering a robust Halal model of Corporate Governance?

Islamic finance – delivering socially responsible investments Model:

• The Growth of Ethical Funds
• Its impact on the environment
• Its total compatibility with Shariah – Potential new force in finance

Takaful Insurance (Islamic Insurance)

• The Growth of Islamic Insurance
• Fundamental Shariah concepts’ underpinning Takaful Insurance
• Takaful-Defined-Difference between conventional
• Developing a Takaful- Model in Europe.
• Why the demand will Soar?
• Islamic Insurance: main models of wakalah, mudarabah without surplus sharing, and mudarabah with surplus sharing.

 

Glossary