Islamic finance forum to review growth strategies

Gulf Daily News : More than 1,000 renowned leaders and experts from the banking industry will converge in Bahrain at the 15th Annual World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC).
The event, to be held from November 23 to 25, will help shape new growth strategies in the increasingly global market of Islamic finance.

Notwithstanding the gloomy backdrop of the subprime crisis afflicting conventional financial institutions, experts are predicting that the current year will be another record-breaking year for the Islamic banking and finance industry.

Over the past decade and a half, WIBC has firmly established itself as the largest gathering of Islamic finance leaders in the world and has strengthened its pivotal role as the platform where the future of the industry is shaped.

The growth of WIBC mirrors not only the growth of the Islamic finance industry, but also the unrivalled ability of the conference to meet and address real business needs in the industry.

The 15th anniversary of the WIBC which is being supported by the Central Bank of Bahrain and the Bahrain Economic Development Board has already secured five platinum strategic partners including Samba Financial, Unicorn Investment Bank, Kuwait Finance House Bahrain, Allianz Global Investors and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank.

Additionally, a record-breaking number of partners, sponsors and exhibitors from Islamic and non-Islamic financial institutions, legal firms, IT companies and major global rating agencies have already confirmed their participation.

This year's conference will feature a host of new and value-added highlights that set it apart from all other conferences, including the launch of the fifth edition of the WIBC McKinsey Competitiveness Report, the world's only original research into the performance and key trends of Islamic banking worldwide.