Industry stalwarts set to headline 24th WIBC

Manama : Under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister, the 24th edition of The World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC), will take place on December 4th, 5th & 6th in Bahrain. 

Convened by Middle East Global Advisors - a leading financial intelligence platform with the Central Bank of Bahrain, the three-day long forum will take place at the ART Rotana Hotel in Amwaj Islands.

Rasheed Al Maraj, Governor, Central Bank of Bahrain will inaugurate the Conference and give the keynote address. 

The theme for WIBC 2017 - “Drivers of Economic Growth & Risks: Policymakers & Regulators”, is in line with the conference’s steady vision to serve as a compass for the global Islamic finance and banking industry, and is expected to draw participation from over 1300 global industry leaders, policy makers, innovators and stakeholders. 

An exciting addition to this year’s conference will be the keynote address by Alex Tapscott, CEO NextBlock Global, Co-Author of Blockchain Revolution & Founding Member, IMF’s High Level Advisory Group on Fintech. 

The significance of Islamic finance as a means to strengthen economic ties between CIS & OIC countries cannot be overlooked and will see a keynote address by Taliya Minullina, Chief Executive of the Tatarstan Investment Development Agency & Member of the Investment Council of the Republic of Tatarstan. Xen Baynham- Herd, Head Of Strategy and Lead Economist – Blockchain will also give a keynote address on blockchain owing to its growing significance in the digital era.

Delegates can also look forward to witnessing the exhibition where they can exclusively network and connect on a one-to-one basis with leading industry players.

Key features for WIBC 2017 include: A conversation with a distinguished Islamic finance veteran - Adnan Ahmed Yousif, Chief Executive and President, Al Baraka Banking Group on the future course of the Islamic economy; An interview with renowned Shari’ah Scholar Sheikh Nizam Yaquby on Centralized Shariah Boards, Shariah Standardization and Fostering New Generation of Sharia Experts; Panel discussions focusing on dynamic capital markets, sustainable, equitable & inclusive growth, potential of disruptive technologies, new horizons for Islamic finance, ESG, VAT, the effect of the recent global economic & political developments and more.

The 24th WIBC will also see the launch of 2 major financial intelligence reports from Thomson Reuters: The Islamic Finance Development Report & The Islamic Commercial Law Report 2018, arming the industry with critical insights going forward. 

Industry leaders will also be recognized for their excellence through the WIBC Performance Awards 2017, the winners of which will be honored at the Gala Dinner on December 05.