International Islamic Financial Market organizes global Islamic conference

The event, entitled "Developing the Global Islamic Financial Markets," is being organized by Bahrain based International Islamic Financial Market (IIFM), with the support of joint organizer Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI), Saudi Arabia.

Re-launched in Q4 2006, IIFM is making noticeable progress in advancing a number of industry-building initiatives, which will ensure the establishment of vibrant, transparent and robust international Islamic financial markets.

The event is supported by the Central Bank of Bahrain and Bahrain Financial Services Development; and jointly organized by Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI), Saudi Arabia. The keynote speeches will be the Central Bank of Bahrain Governor and other senior representatives from the Islamic Financial Services Industry.

The aim of this industry building forum is to provide value addition, and there is no cost to the delegates.

Key contributors participating are: H.E. Rasheed Al Maraj, Governor, Central Bank of Bahrain; Dr. Ahmad Jachi, First Vice-Governor, Banque Du Liban; Khalid Hamad, Acting Chairman, IIFM and Executive Director, Central Bank of Bahrain; Wafik Grais, Senior Advisor, The World Bank; Rene Karsenti, Executive President, International Capital Market Association, UK; Robert Pickel, CEO, ISDA New York; Abdulkader Thomas, President & CEO, Shape Financial, Kuwait; and Ahmed Adil, Partner, Ernst & Young, Bahrain.

The conference will consist of sessions on Islamic Hedging, Islamic REITS, Islamic Unit Trust, Islamic Liquidity Management and Interbank Market; Primary and Secondary market development; and special session on IIFM industry building initiatives.

The conference, which will be attended by industry experts, has already attracted the support of a number of prominent international institutions. Sponsors for the event include the European Islamic Investment Bank, Calyon Corporate & Investment Bank, Kuwait Finance House, Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad, CIMB Islamic and INCEIF. Islamic Finance events have been appointed as the event manager and media partners include Islamic Finance news, Bloomberg, Business Life, Gulf Financial Insider and Shirkah Finance.

Since their inaugural international conference in May 2005, IIFM has organized conferences and specialized workshops in Jakarta, Indonesia (September 2006) and Karachi, Pakistan (September 2005 & January 2006), covering a plethora of key topics focusing on the development of the global Islamic capital markets.

IIFM's series of conferences throughout the world aim to continuously focus on the key aspects of Islamic capital markets and provide the congregated audience of senior industry delegates with up-to-date, informative and insightful views from the markets leaders.