GERMANY - EVENTS - BaFin - Federal Financial Supervisory Authority : Islamic Finance: Not such an alien world at all

www.4-traders.com - Some fundamental principles - governing such things as rigorous risk management or good corporate governance - held good for both the Islamic financial system and its western counterpart, the BaFin President continued. They helped to ensure a safe and properly functioning international financial system.(source)

UK - EVENTS - TheCityUK Islamic finance - Managing Financial Stability : 25 to 26 June 2012

Date & time : 25/06/2012 08:30 - 14:00

Cost of event : Members Price - £550 / Non-Members Price - £550

Synopsis : Senior Islamic Finance experts are set to gather in London on the 25th - 26th of June 2012 at the inaugural Islamic finance - Managing Financial stability Challenges in a Dynamic Environment (MFSC Summit).

Location :Radisson SAS Hotel, Portman Square, London, W1H 7BG

Description : In light of the prevailing global economic conditions, the value of such a focused gathering in providing the platform for facilitating focused industry discourse that should help to nurture the environment for generating business in these difficult times has become all the more necessary. This gathering will address the challenges faced by the Islamic Finance industry and regulatory authorities in maintaining financial stability in the Islamic Financial Services industry. Key Summit sessions will focus on how regulatory standards can facilitate the enhancement of financial stability in the current challenging global environment.

The Summit seeks to address in detail the issues outlined below:

• Regulatory Challenges
• Corporate Governance & Market Discipline Challenges
• Legal Challenges
• Challenges of Developing Islamic Capital Markets
• Liquidity Management Challenges

For a listing of the full facility of MFSC summit speakers please click here.

To register, please click here.  For further information please visit the official website.

IRELAND - EVENTS - Minister Joan Burton speaking at the Islamic Finance & Investment Conference - Dunboyne Castle - 5/6th June 2012

PORTUGAL - 1st Portuguese Islamic Finance Conference & Workshop - July 6th 2012 – Lisbon

Celebrating 100 years of tradition and excellence in serving its members by crossing a new frontier and offering insight into the growing industry of Islamic finance, the British-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, together with its partner Asian Cooperation Enterprise, is privileged to host the first Portuguese Islamic finance workshop in Lisbon.

Attended by high profile personalities in both conventional and Islamic banking, it is set to become a reference point for the cooperation between the two financial worlds. Dignified by esteemed Sharia specialists, from the world's most prominent and successful Islamic finance institutions, it is aimed at both educating the high level conventional bankers with regard to Islamic finance and facilitating networking between powerful entities in Portugal, the Gulf Cooperation Council and South East Asia. (source)

ALBANIA - FINANCE - PM Berisha welcomes participants in International Conference on Foreign Investments in Albania

www.emg.rs -The Conference is organized by the Albanian Investment Development Agency (AIDA) in cooperation with Islamic Development Bank- IDB.

Prime Minister Sali Berisha hosted a welcome reception today evening at the venues of the Palace of Brigades for the participants in the International Conference on Foreign Investments in Albania that holds its proceedings in Tirana.
The Conference is organized by the Albanian Investment Development Agency (AIDA) in cooperation with Islamic Development Bank- IDB.  (source)

CZECH - Can Islamic banking help boost Czech Republic exports?

www.islamic-finance-conference.net -A good deal of the ongoing economic and financial turmoil on world markets has been blamed on the unscrupulous practices of the international banking and financial sector. Islamic banking, on the other hand, is seen as a fairer and more balanced alternative which has been much less affected by the crisis. Can the Czech Republic benefit from a financial system based on the Islamic law? And can Islamic banking help boost Czech exports into Muslim countries? These are some of the issues debated at an international conference on Islamic banking held in Prague. (source)

UK - Islamic Bank of Britain’s first ‘Islamic Finance Question Time’

www.cpifinancial.net - Islamic Bank of Britain plc (IBB) has held an exclusive event, entitled Islamic Finance Question Time – an open, public Q&A session hosted by the Bank’s Shar’ah Scholars.  Islamic Finance Question Time is the first event of its kind, and the only time a UK Islamic bank has given public access to the Scholars that form its Shari’ah Supervisory Committee (SSC).(source)

IRELAND - Gilmore speaks of aim to develop Ireland's involvement in Islamic finance

www.businessandleadership.com - Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore addressed a seminar this morning on the Government’s aim to make Ireland a European hub for Islamic finance.

“Internationally Islamic finance, or Sharia compliant finance, has demonstrated impressive growth rates - annual growth rates have been estimated at 15 -20pc,” he said. “The global Islamic finance industry is currently valued at approximately US$1.3trn.
“We see potential for significant growth in this area and it forms an important part of our strategy for international financial services in Ireland,” he said. “We are determined to ensure that the IFSC will develop as a centre of excellence for Islamic finance and are engaging with key stakeholders to move towards achieving this goal.”  (source)

IRELAND - Islamic Finance Development a "Priority" for Ireland

www.worldirish.com - Developing Ireland’s involvement in Islamic finance is a priority for the Irish Government, according to Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore.
The minister was speaking at the International Fiscal Association Ireland Seminar this morning and outlined his vision for Ireland as a European hub for Islamic finance saying that it is a “good fit” for the country.
Islamic or Sharia law forbids the payment of interest on loans or overdrafts. It also prevents investments in certain sectors such as gambling and adult entertainment. (source)

BELGIUM - Adefi : Conference April 23, 2012 (Brussels - Belgium)

Conférence le 23 avril 2012 à 18h30 sur le thème : "Finance islamique : une alternative éthique pour une relance économique?" Plus d'infos sur www.adefi.be

Intervenants/ Speakers

Eric De Keuleneer : Professeur à la Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management
Inès Wouters : Avocat associé - Association Afschrift - Chargée de cours au Mastère spécial en gestion fiscale à l'ULB
Ibrahim Zeyyad Cekici : Enseignant - Chercheur à l'Université de Strasbourg - Droit et finance islamique

ULB Campus du Solbosh Batiment K
Av. Franklin D. Roosevelt n°50
B-1050 Bruxelles

ITALY - First International Conference on Islamic Finance in Italy

www.mediapuzzlenews.net - It is the very first time that in Italy such conference takes place. Islamic Relief Italy together with ASSAIF (“Associazione per lo Sviluppo di Strumenti Alternativi e di Innovazione Finanziaria” - an Association which promotes alternative tools and financial innovation for economic development), Islamic Relief Germany and Islamic Relief International Fundraising have organized a one-day seminar that brought together the mayor players in the field of Islamic ethical finance in order to analyze and study Islamic financial solutions and their application in Occidental economy. (source)

GERMANY - EVENTS - BaFin Second Conference on Islamic financial services (Mau 10, 2012 Frankfurt am Main)

Beginn:  10.05.2012 - Ende:10.05.2012 - Veranstaltungsort :Frankfurt am Main

Die BaFin veranstaltet am 10. Mai 2012 in Frankfurt am Main ihre 2. Konferenz zu islamischen Finanzdienstleistungen. Auf der Tagesordnung stehen Scharia-konforme Kapitalmarktprodukte und ihre Chancen und Herausforderungen.
BaFin held on 10 May 2012 in Frankfurt am Main, their second Conference on Islamic financial services. On the agenda are Shariah-compliant capital market products and its opportunities and challenges.

Ranghohe internationale Vertreter von Finanzaufsichtsbehörden, Universitäten und Marktteilnehmern konnten für die Konferenz als Vortragende gewonnen werden. Die Veranstaltung findet in englischer Sprache statt und ist in verschiedene Panels aufgeteilt. 
High-ranking representatives of international financial agencies, universities, and market participants could be won as speakers for the conference. The event will be held in English and is divided into several panels.
(more info hereunder - organizing website)

RUSSIA - TATARISTAN - Kazan IV International Islamic Business and Finance Summit - March 1, 2012

islamic-finance.ru - International Investment Forum KAZANINVEST 2012, organized together with IV International Islamic Business and Finance Summit KAZANSUMMIT, will be held in Kazan on 1 March, 2012. KAZANINVEST 2012 is being organized by Tatarstan Investment Development Agency.

The main objective of KAZANINVEST 2012 is to attract foreign direct investment in small and medium business projects. At forum the pick-of-the-day will be investment generation and increasing of regions investment attraction.  (source)

BOSNIA - HERZEGOVINA - SARAJEVO - Ilirika Emerging Europe Islamic Fund - presentation

Open ended investment fund 'Ilirika Emerging Europe Islamic Fund'
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Presentation at Sarajevo Business Forum 2011
download link

BOSNIA - HERZEGOVINA - ARTICLES - Islamic Banking with a Closer Look at Bosnia and Herzegovina: Knowledge, Perceptions and Decisive Factors for Choosing Islamic Banking

Islamic Banking with a Closer Look at Bosnia and Herzegovina: Knowledge, Perceptions and Decisive Factors for Choosing Islamic Banking

Ugur Ergun and Irfan Djedovic

This study investigates the knowledge, perceptions and decisive factors for choosing Islamic banking in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In-depth and usual survey methods are used to identify the factors which influence the success of islamic banking applications based on the result from factor analysis. The sample is selected randomly among the users and non-users of the Islamic banking. The analysis' result indicates that general knowledge about Islamic banking is low. The perceptions of Islamic banking are not positive. Also, the results indicate that the religion is the most influential decisive factor for choosing the Islamic banking. (download link)

IRELAND - CALL FOR PAPERS - Conference 5-6 June 2012 Ireland Islamic Finance as a contributor to global fiscal stability - Co-existence & Islamic Investments Conference (abstract March 26, 2012)

Ireland Islamic Finance as a contributor to global fiscal stability

Co-existence & Islamic Investments Conference

Gresham Hotel, Dublin - Ireland

5-6 June 2012

 

Call for Papers

 

The Islamic financial services industry is growing by 10-15% per year (according to the IMF, 2008), with assets well in excess of $400 billion and with a potential market of $4 trillion. Does this financial system have something to teach the larger Western system? Do Muslims have a responsibility to inform non-Muslims of alternative methods of generating prosperity? Can Western financial systems co-exist with Muslim alternatives? (more info hereunder)

UK - Importance of Islamic finance to the UK economy highlighted at Norton Rose event

House of Lords event brings together parliamentarians and industry practitioners to discuss the future of Islamic finance in the UK

International legal practice Norton Rose LLP held its annual Islamic finance event yesterday led by Farmida Bi, European head of Islamic finance, and hosted in the House of Lords by Lord Sheikh. The event was attended by more than 100 leading experts in the Islamic finance industry including representatives from Islamic and conventional banks. It was also attended by Lord Sassoon, the Commercial Secretary to the Treasury and the minister responsible for Islamic finance, as well as MPs and Peers from all parties.  (source)

GERMANY - EVENTS - Frankfurt - IFSB Workshop on Islamic Finance (Jan 26, 2012)

Category	:	Awareness Programme
Name	:	[EVE00173] Workshop on Islamic Finance
Description	:	This Workshop is hosted by the European Central Bank and participation in this Workshop is by Invitation only. For more information, please email to Ms. Yazmin Aziz at yazmin@ifsb.org
Start Date	:	26/01/2012	End Date	:	26/01/2012
Venue Name	:	Room CII (36th floor Eurotower), European Central Bank
City	:	Frankfurt
Country	:	GERMANY
Event Website	:	-
Registration	:	program hereunder or visit website IFSB

FRANCE - EVENTS - Seminar Paris Feb 6, 2012

 The 3rd annual seminar of COFFIS

February 6 , 2012

Paris

The 3rd annual seminar of the French Council of Islamic Finance will be held February, the 6^th , 2012 in Paris. The subject that will be treated in the seminar

"The success stories of Islamic finance in the world: What can we learn for a real start in France?".

(more info hereunder - or website cofis)

SPAIN - FINANCE - Dubai's DIFC hosts seminar to strengthen economic and financial cooperation between UAE and Spain

Business Intelligence Middle East - UAE.  The Dubai International Financial Centre ("DIFC”), the financial and business hub connecting the region’s emerging markets with the developed markets of Europe, Asia and the Americas, today hosted “UAE and Spain: Economic and Financial Cooperation”, an investment conference held in association with the Madrid Centro Financiero (“MCF”). (source)