Under the Endorsement of Dubai Chamber, the World Islamic Retail Banking Conference will be held in Dubai and comes at a time when the world economy is perceived to be gradually exiting the financial crisis. There is also a marked shift occurring on the global business landscape, with Shariah compliant banking services increasingly becoming part of the banking mainstream. Most of the region's banking CEOs are headlining the Conference, while others are joining their international counterparts as attendees, which is scheduled for Oct. 12-14, where they will discuss the opportunities for global expansion available to Islamic banks, particularly in the retail banking sector. “Islamic Banking is currently growing rapidly; however to make this growth sustainable and to take Islamic Banking to the next level all the stakeholders must put their intellect together and collectively strive to achieve the next level in Islamic Banking. (This) is an excellent platform for (the) coming together of the Islamic banking intellectuals and other stakeholders for supporting our common interest and cause,” said Pervez Said, State Bank of Pakistan, director, Islamic Banking. “Islamic finance is an industry that HSBC has identified as a core area for growth and focus, and as the world's pre-eminent international Islamic bank, HSBC Amanah is pleased to be participating in this global Islamic banking forum,” mentions David Dew, HSBC Amanah deputy CEO. Omar Shaikh, Islamic Finance Council UK Executive Board member, said “I welcome this conference and it is encouraging to see a conference focused on retail issues, an important and fundamental building block for the future of Islamic Finance.” Apart from the core issues being discussed, which include global trends in Islamic banking, capitalizing on opportunities due to the meltdown, Islamic mortgages and retail asset management, the most talked about session of the event along with the Panel will be the ‘International Open Fatwa Session in Islamic Retail Banking' which will feature the leading Shariah scholars from around the world on one stage debating on interpretations for major products.
