Ernst and Young "The Best Islamic Consultancy 2008"

Congratulating the Islamic Financial Services Group, Omar Bitar, Managing Partner, Advisory, Ernst & Young Middle East, said:

"The team of our Islamic Financial Services Group (IFSG) have made us proud and their diligence and dedication to serving this sector has left a good impression on our clients. During this year, the practice will grow in line with its reputation and the expected growth in the Islamic finance sector. The Best Islamic Consultancy 2008 award will strengthen the prestige and develop the success story of the practice."

Sameer Abdi, who is Heading IFSG said: "This is an extremely important award for several reasons. First, it is a strong stamp of peer approval, as there is a strictly controlled voting list - only Islamic finance practitioners are entitled to vote. Second, it recognizes our global presence - this is a global publication with a global readership. Thirdly, it is a tremendous boost to our people, not just here in the Middle East but in all our offices, who have worked extremely hard this year to build mutually beneficial relationships with clients."

For the fourth annual Islamic Finance News poll, Islamic finance issuers, investors, non-banking financial intermediaries and government bodies from around the world were invited to vote for the awards. The votes were screened and only those passing through a strict due diligence process were counted.

Ernst & Young's Islamic Financial Services Group, headquartered in Bahrain, is one of the largest specialized Islamic Financial Services Advisory Groups in the Middle East dedicated to Shari'a-compliant and Shari'a-based financial services. With a presence across all the Middle East offices and in major financial centers worldwide, it offers a wide range of Islamic finance services to clients that include regulators, banks and financial institutions and family businesses.