With two of the region's hottest and fastest growing sectors - Islamic finance and construction - impacting on each other as never before, MEED's Islamic Project Finance conference turns the spotlight on the latest Shari'a compliant innovations in project funding.
Leading players representing all of the industries involved in this growth market will meet at the Park Hyatt, Dubai on 24 and 25 June to explore the opportunities the sector has to offer and its current and future investment trends.
The project finance market in the GCC alone is valued at $1 trillion, and Islamic financing is playing an ever more important role in its development. A growing number of companies in the region are choosing to finance their projects in accordance with Shari'a principles as the Islamic finance sector comes of age and in response to growing demands from customers, investors and shareholders across the region.
Edmund O'Sullivan, Editorial Director at conference organisers MEED, says:
'The growth in Islamic Project Financing has been phenomenal. It exemplifies the success of both the burgeoning Islamic finance sector and the booming construction industry in the region. However, in such a young market - it barely existed just five years ago - there is still a level of uncertainty about the benefits to be gained from Islamic project backing, with little concrete knowledge on standardised Shari'a regulations or how Islamic project finance can work in tandem with conventional loans. Islamic Project Finance is focused on exploring each of these issues with the help of first-hand insight from every industry involved in the sector - from developers to financiers, from clients to lawyers. It looks set make a real impact on future industry behaviour and sector trends.'
Islamic Project Finance features a raft of senior players from across development, Islamic finance and legal industries - as well as those from client side - who will be contributing their unique insight and personal experience in a series of tailored keynote speeches. These include Dr Hussain Hamed Hassan, President of the Fatwa and Shari'a Supervision Board at Dubai Islamic Bank, speaking on current and future sector trends; Oliver Agha, Global Head of Islamic Finance at DLA Piper, looking at the management of relationships between Islamic and conventional lenders; and Hissam Kamal Director, Islamic Finance at HSBC Saudi Arabia Limited, on the potential growth of Islamic project financing in the region.
Oliver Agha, Global Head of Islamic Finance at DLA Piper, the event's platinum sponsor and leading international law firm, says:
'We're currently developing successful risk-sharing strategies that reflect the needs and, importantly, the beliefs of all parties involved in any particular project. Ensuring that tranches of Islamic funding work effectively with conventional finance, that clients understand where the liability lies in Islamic arrangements, and the implications this has for relationships between conventional and Islamic investors is at the heart of our current work in the sector. It is an approach that is appreciated both by our clients and by their stakeholders.'
Delegates already confirmed for Islamic Project Finance include senior players from major regional and international companies including Nakheel, Sahara, Taqa, Zamil Group, HSBC, Kuwait Finance House and ABC Islamic. With representatives from every industry involved in securing, managing and delivering Islamic project financing, the event provides a unique opportunity for deal-making and networking, as well as the chance to learn more about all aspects of Shari'a compliance.
MEED is the acknowledged market-leader in key regional industry-focused events and conferences; delivering expert, up-to-date business insights, industry data and research findings. More information about Islamic Project Finance - including latest news, pre-event online networking and full conference details, can be found at www.meed.com/islamicprojectfinance.
To reserve places at the conference, call the MEED customer services team on +971 4390 0699 or email conferences@meed-dubai.com.
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About MEED
MEED (Middle East Economic Digest) is internationally recognised as providing essential information for anyone doing business in, or with, the Middle East and North Africa. With journalists and contacts across the entire Middle East and North Africa region, MEED provides reliable, up-to-date business news, facts and data in both print and online. MEED attracts customers from across 70 countries worldwide.
www.meed.com
www.meedprojects.com
For additional information or for media attendance, please contact:
Luke Alexander or Mustafa Al-Sheikhly
Four Communications
Telephone: +971 4369 3543
© Press Release 2007
