Sharia investment options studied

MANAMA: A group of university students learned about Islamic investment options available to the Sharia-conscious investors.

Eight University College of Bahrain (UCB) Islamic Finance senior students and one of the Islamic Finance Major lecturers attended the first International Takaful Conference on Islamic Investment Management held at the Renaissance Dubai Hotel.

The Bahraini students Nadia Ali Redha Haqiqi, Yasmeen Ghulam Nasralla Ameeri, Ali Adel Alawi Khalaf Mahfoodh, Zahra Abdulrasool Taher Radhi, Mahmood Mohamed Hasan Khalil Rajab, Ali Khalid Salman Al Khalifa, Ahmad Sayed Abduleh Jawad Fadhul Al Wadaie and Sarah Jehad Yousif Amin, were accompanied by Indonesian teacher Al Fatih Gessan.

The conference was organised by the Middle East Insurance Review of Singapore focused global and regional developments in the area of Islamic investments, regulatory and Sharia-compliance issues relating to Islamic investments, asset liability management, Islamic portfolio management and other relevant up to date topics.

Takaful and Islamic Finance experts spoke at the the conference.

"The aim of the participation of UCB delegates to the International takaful Conference was in order for the students to gain more up to date and practical exposure towards what's going on in the industry in the field of Islamic banking and finance," said administration and finance executive director Shaikh Ebrahim bin Khalid Al Khalifa.

The theme of the conference was, Meeting the Dual Challenge of Sharia-Compliance and Optimal Returns, said Mr Gessan.

He said the students gained vital information on many topics related to their university syllabus.

"Takaful operators are still facing the challenge of finding the best medium to invest their Takaful funds that would enable them to be Sharia-compliant and to earn optimal returns on investments that match the returns of their conventional counterparts," said Mr Gessan.

"As part of its aim to serve the Takaful operators around the world, Middle East Insurance Review organised the first Takaful Conference to bring together under one roof the whole range of Islamic investment issues - Islamic portfolio management, Islamic fixed income securities and bonds, Sukuk, Islamic unit trusts, the acceptable use of currencies for investment or hedging, socially responsible investments, Islamic private equity and hedge funds and security."