TARGETING HIGH-GROWTH SEGMENTS IN THE WHOLESALE & CONSUMER ISLAMIC BANKING MARKETS

European Islamic Investment Bank to Host Corporate & Investment Banking Summit
& Bahrain Islamic Bank announced as Retail Banking Partner at the 14th Annual WIBC.

With experts predicting growth to continue to surge in Islamic banking at rates that exceed conventional banks into 2008, the challenge for leading institutions will be to focus on segments that have the greatest potential for exciting growth. Over 1000 conference delegates representing more than 35 countries will descend on Bahrain from 8 to 10 December to join the debate on Islamic Finance at the 14th annual World Islamic Banking Conference.

The focus will be on the key strategic drivers of the industry and feature specific summits on the Retail Banking and Corporate & Investment Banking sectors. Discussions will drill down into the opportunities in each market: Sukuks, which have recently transformed the dynamic Islamic investment banking landscape, will come in for special attention with everyone wondering where the next wave of big Sukuk deals will come from. Also, the conference will address the increasing market and product sophistication that is forging the next generation of Islamic financial solutions that will drive further growth in the consumer banking segment.

Now in its 14th year, the World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC) has firmly established itself as the largest and most significant gathering of Islamic banking & finance industry leaders in the world. The 14th Annual WIBC will be held at the Gulf International Convention Centre, Kingdom of Bahrain on 8, 9 & 10 December 2007.

European Islamic Investment Bank (EIIB) will participate in WIIBC 2007 as the Corporate & Investment Banking Partner. John Weguelin, Managing Director, European Islamic Investment Bank PLC, said: “WIBC is the one event that successfully brings together the major players in the Islamic finance market and is unquestionably the most important conference on the Islamic banking calendar”.

European Islamic Investment Bank Plc is the first independent, Shari’ah-compliant Islamic investment bank to be authorised and regulated by the UK’s Financial Services Authority (FSA). Headquartered in London, EIIB’s range of products and services include Shari’ah-compliant investment banking activities such as Islamic Treasury and Capital Markets, Structured Trade Finance, Asset Management, plus Private Banking and Corporate Finance & Advisory.

The Corporate & Investment Banking Summit: Pinpointing the Next Wave of Big Deals will be held on the 10th of Dec focusing on Exploring key trends in the corporate & investment banking markets, the latest developments in the Islamic capital markets and implications for players, the way forward for Sukuk, Liquidity Management, and which segments will offer the greatest opportunities in the wholesale banking space.

The session will be moderated by Campbell Steedman, International Managing Partner (Dubai), Head of Corporate Finance (Middle East), Norton Rose (Middle East) LLP and the audience will hear from Syed M. Hasan, General Manager- Corporate Banking, Masraf Al Rayan, Saad Rahman, Director – Islamic Banking, Calyon Corporate & Investment Bank, Hammad Hassan, Executive Director, ABC Islamic Bank, and Darko Hajdukovic, Debt Product Manager, London Stock Exchange plc.

In the next sector summit the focus shifts to the Retail Banking market and explores how market leaders are developing their product and operational capabilities to capture the consumer banking growth opportunity. This summit will be hosted by Bahrain Islamic Bank.

Bahrain Islamic Bank has maintained its leading position in the Islamic banking sector through adopting innovative Islamic investment and financing products, supported by superior retail and corporate banking services. It has established the largest network of branches among Islamic banks in the Kingdom of Bahrain. These branches offer quality banking services, financing and investment opportunities for individual and corporate customers which are fully compliant with Shari’ah requirements.

Paul McNamara, Managing Editor & Associate Publisher of CPI Financial will moderate the session and the delegates will hear expert speakers from Bahrain Islamic Bank, Shamil Bank and Ghazanfar Naqvi, Head of Islamic Product from Standard Chartered Bank. The session will focus on exploring key trends in the consumer banking market, product innovation & sophistication as an engine for growth in Islamic retail banking, and targeting high-growth segments in the retail market.

Complementing the big picture scenarios of the Keynote sessions, these Sector Summits will provide additional depth and focus, allowing delegates to choose from segment specific issues on the Retail Banking and Corporate & Investment Banking environments.

With the Consumer Banking market providing exciting growth opportunities and the Corporate & Investment Banking arena being driven by landmark Sukuk activities and the Islamic financing of large-scale projects, the Summits will provide a highly focused forum for exploring these opportunities in more detail.

More information on the World Islamic Banking Conference is available on the conference website www.megaevents.net/wibc
-Ends-


About Middle East Global Advisors (MEGA)
Middle East Global Advisors (MEGA) is the leading business information firm focused on achieving business results for the Islamic banking & finance industry since 1993. The portfolio of MEGA brands represents the landmark industry conferences and our clients are the leading players in the international financial markets.