Bahrain has been announced as the host of the World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC) in November, according to the Times of Oman.
Middle East Global Advisors (MEGA), a leading financial intelligence platform in the Middle East North Africa Southeast Asia (Menasea) markets, announced that the 25th anniversary of the WIBC will be held November 26-28 at the ART Rotana Hotel in Amwaj.
It is expected that 1,200+ global industry powerhouses, policy makers, innovators and stakeholders will converge for discussions on “Islamic Finance & Sustainable Economic Growth in the Age of Disruption.”
Ehsan Abbas, Chairman, Middle East Global Advisors, stated: “For over 25 years, WIBC has helped forge a robust ecosystem to widen the scope of Islamic finance to meet new realities, whilst staying true to its ideals. . . . To assess the recovery of economic growth, WIBC will address optimal ways that policymakers can support long-term robust growth by preparing to cope with possible bouts of financial market volatility.”
He went on to add, “Countries need to rebuild fiscal buffers, enact structural reforms, and steer monetary policy cautiously in an environment that is already complex and challenging. . . . WIBC will focus on how Islamic finance can build on its global value proposition as a means of strengthening the financial sector.”
Rasheed Mohammed Al Maraj, the Central Bank of Bahrain’s Governor, will deliver the keynote address with the vision of furthering the ecosystem for Islamic finance entities to thrive and grow globally.
Rapidly embracing the prevalent disruption and forging partnerships over efforts to sharpen operational efficiency have taken precedence in the digital era. A key focus for WIBC has been on the financial technology (FinTech) space and forging a technology-enabled phase of the industry’s development.
Key features for WIBC 2018 will include a high-profile regulatory debate among central bankers and a conversation with a distinguished Islamic finance veteran on the future course of the Islamic economy. In addition, panel discussions will be held on sustainable, equitable & inclusive growth, as well as cross-jurisdictional issues on Sharia standards & practices.