SAMBA declared Capital Markets Partner & Shari'ah Open Forum Host of the 2006 World Islamic Banking Conference

The key industry event takes place in the Kingdom of Bahrain from 9 -11 December.

SAMBA is the leading provider of financial services in the region, committed to providing world-class financial solutions to various customer segments. SAMBA's activities span Retail Banking, Private Banking, Corporate & Investment Banking, Treasury Services, Asset Management, and Islamic Banking for all business segments.

Eisa Al-Eisa, MD and CEO of Samba said, "We are delighted that Samba is participating in this important event. The bank has an Islamic Banking and Shari'ah Supervisory Board, consisting of internationally-renowned Islamic scholars. All components relating to our Islamic banking products are carefully monitored by the board, so that our customers are provided with truly Shari'ah-compliant products."

The Shari'ah & Business Open Forum will include key discussion points like: Ensuring an effective interface between the Shari'ah board & the business; Balancing product innovation & Shari'ah compliance and Addressing Shari'ah interpretation issues.

"ADEEM is proud to be Platinum Partner of this prestigious conference which provides an excellent opportunity to keep abreast of new developments in Islamic Banking & latest trends in Global Finance and to network with key decision makers and players in Islamic & Conventional Banking," said Dinesh Dhume, Senior Vice-President - Corporate Finance, Adeem Investment Company.

Adeem Investment Company is an established Kuwaiti Closed Shareholding Islamic Investment and Assets Management company incorporated in Kuwait. Adeem identifies, structures, develops, establishes, manages and introduces pioneering New Investment Concept and business ideas and services to interested investors and businesses in the GCC.

The conference will also feature seven other sessions titled: Regulation & Business: Creating a Framework for Islamic Banking & Finance to Thrive; Capturing New Growth Opportunities in the Global Islamic Banking & Finance Market; Retail Banking Summit and Corporate & Investment Banking Summit; Leaders and Winning Strategies; Delivering on Market Expectations: Product Innovation & Service Quality; New Imperative in Governance & Risk Management for Islamic Banks and The WIBC 2006 PowerTable: Performance, Growth & the Way Forward.

Commenting on their participation as Platinum partners at the conference, Majid Al Refai, CEO of Unicorn Investment Bank said, "Unicorn Investment Bank is delighted to be returning to the WIBC for the second year running as it provides an excellent forum for exchanging views, information and contacts amongst the Islamic banking community."

UIB's franchise is built around multiple business lines - Corporate Finance Advisory; Capital Markets & Treasury; Strategic Mergers & Acquisitions; Asset Management; Global Private Equity; and Takaful (Insurance) - delivering innovative and ethical financial solutions to a broad international client base.

2006 will be another pivotal year for Islamic banks as market expectations continue to fuel the need for further growth. Despite the optimism surrounding future growth prospects, leading Islamic banks are realizing that they will have to substantially improve key business areas now if they are to capture future growth opportunities and attain the levels of profitability expected of them.