Amanie Advisors announces 1st Muscat International Islamic Financial Forum

Amanie Advisory House of Oman is a specialist financial advisory firm active globally in the field of Islamic Finance. They are renowned across the globe to organise seminars and symposia on issues facing the Islamic Finance industry and the way forward for the future.
Muscat International Islamic Financial Forum, in its inaugural edition, promises to bring its widely-praised approach that combines a cordial atmosphere of networking within the Islamic financial alliance in Oman with concise presentations from knowledgeable industry experts.

Commenting on the group's decision to host a major even in Oman, Dr. Mohd Daud Bakar, Amanie's founder and Group Chairman, commented, "Oman is one of key countries right now and is the place to be in Islamic Finance. In line with the vision of His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Amanie sees a lot of opportunity, both among the financial community in Oman, who are keen to expand into Islamic products.This conference will provide an ideal platform for industry leaders to meet and discuss new possibilities and collaborations in Islamic banking and finance, focusing on Oman primarily - with a larger footprint globally."

Inaugurated by His Highness Sayyid Assad bin Tareq al Said, Representative of His Majesty the Sultan, the two-day gathering will bring senior industry figures, global investors, takaful operators, and bankers, as well as top Shariah scholars. The topics will focus on the newly created opportunities in Oman and other countries in the wider region new to Islamic Finance.

Specifically, the forum will discuss the current state of the Sukuk market, new opportunities for Takaful providers, winning strategies for distributing funds; and the issues faced by new Islamic banks in Oman, such as asset-liability management, treasury and interbank money markets.

Delivering the keynote address will be his Excellency Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, former Prime Minister of Malaysia. Throughout his tenure as Prime Minister, between 1981-2003, Tun Mahathir was a strong supporter of the global development of the Islamic Finance Industry.

Executive Partner of Amanie Advisory House of Oman, Mr Fahad bin Mohammed Al-Khalili, said, "Muscat International Islamic Financial Forum will be a melting pot of international delegates, business leaders and practitioners of Islamic finance. We look forward to bringing together influential members of the international finance market to Oman in this edition. In Oman, we have a lot to learn from those who have been practising Islamic Finance for many years; their experience will be invaluable."

Key Issues to Be Discussed

• How Islamic funds can help serve the wider community
• Islamic Asset Management: Making in the Case in Virgin Markets
• Sukuk: the latest figures on forms and substance of new issues.
• Structuring Sukuk for new markets: Sukuk prospects for 2012 and what needs to be done.
• Assessing the Asset-Liability of Islamic Banks: The Issue of Islamic Liquidity Management
• The Arab Spring and how to manage new finance opportunities in MENA
• Update of Islamic Finance in North Africa
• BancaTakaful: A New Dimension of Takaful Distribution, the most cost effective and profitable ways to bring this product to markets
• Takaful in New Markets: Prospects and Challenges

Key sponsors of MIIFF include (Meethaq), the Islamic banking division of Bank Muscat, (Alhilal) the Islamic banking division of Ahli Bank, the Islamic banking division of Bank Sohar, as well as Al-Madina Insurance; Al-Madina Investment; FWU Global; Gulf International Bank; and many others.