UKTI comes live from the 16th Annual World Islamic Banking Conference

The discussion, to be broadcast live via the internet, will feature Humphrey Percy, CEO, Bank of London and the Middle East; Darshan Bijur, Director Islamic Finance & Investments, KPMG; Gillian Walmsley, Product Manager Debt & Specialist Securities, London Stock Exchange; Richard Thomas, CEO, Gatehouse Bank; and Muneer Khan, Partner & Head of Islamic Finance, Simmons & Simmons.

Andrew Cahn, Chief Executive Officer of UK Trade & Investment, says:

"The UK's position as a key western centre for Islamic finance is unrivalled. The growth of the sector in London and the UK, demonstrate the UK's commitment to developing strong global partnerships with regional neighbours from the Gulf to South East Asian Islamic finance centres."

There are 22 banks offering Islamic finance services in London, and five that are fully Sharia compliant - more than in any other Western country. There are currently 18 law firms supplying services in Islamic finance, plus a total of 55 institutions offering specific educational and training products in Islamic finance.

Speakers at the event will cover how Islamic finance has emerged from the global downturn and how the UK is looking to encourage the promotion of Islamic finance as an alternative financing solution. The session will be moderated by BBC World's Middle East Business Report anchor Nima Abu Wardeh.

For the third year running, UK Trade & Investment is leading a high-powered delegation of decision-makers representing key banks and institutions from the UK who will be showcasing the UK's Islamic finance capabilities at the 16th Annual World Islamic Banking Conference to be held in Bahrain on the 6th, 7th and 8th of December 2009.