IFN OnAir

Shariah compliant syndicated financing facilities have become an attractive option for many corporates and entities in the MENA region, as Samer Eido, a partner at Allen & Overy with a focus on banking and finance in the Middle East, discusses with IFN’s Nessreen Tamano in this episode of the IFN Podcast.

The world of offshore finance is shrouded in mystery, and controversy. But offshore finance centers are gaining in popularity including within the Islamic finance community as they offer a host of attractive incentives including ease of issuance and tax favorability. Vineeta Tan speaks to Ayman Khaleq, co-leader of the Middle East practice of global law firm Morgan Lewis, also the winner of the IFN Best Offshore Finance Law Firm of the Year 2021 award. Ayman helps us understand how this asset class has evolved within the Shariah finance space. 

More and more, we are seeing Sukuk issuers and Islamic finance transactions featuring green and sustainability elements in Malaysia and around the world. Azman Othman Luk and Kelvin Loh of Rahmat Lim & Partners discuss with IFN’s Nessreen Tamano what can be expected in this area.

In this episode, IFN Managing Editor Vineeta Tan sits down with Muneer Khan, a partner and the regional head for the Middle East at award-winning law firm Simmons and Simmons, to understand how Islamic fintech deals and the Shariah fintech sector are adapting to a rapidly changing world triggered by the global pandemic.

There is an area of opportunity within the Indonesian Islamic finance and banking sector for Islamic fintechs to bridge the gap between technology and Shariah finance, that ALAMI has pinned its focus on. Dima Djani, the CEO of the Shariah peer-to-peer platform, joins IFN's Nessreen Tamano in a podcast episode to discuss the work needed in this area.

The pandemic has accelerated the digitalization of the Islamic finance and banking industry, and while it is a challenge, Shariah financial institutions have turned to digital solution providers to support their transformation. Mohammed Kateeb, the group chairman and CEO of Path Solutions, speaks to IFN’s Nessreen Tamano about how these challenges are addressed.

As Hejaz Financial Services gears up to launch Australia’s first fully-fledged Islamic bank pending an official licence from the regulator, its COO Muzzammil Dhedy speaks to IFN’s Nessreen Tamano about the current status of Islamic finance and banking in the country.

At the start of this 2021, the AAOIFI Shariah Standard 59 on the sale of debt took full effect in several markets including the UAE. The standard impacts both the banking and Sukuk sectors, as it concerns with rollover of debts as well as tangibility ratios of assets. The new rules are seen by some as disrupting Sukuk growth, but some also see this as the right step toward ensuring Shariah integrity of Islamic financial instruments. This is a rather tricky issue.  

DLA Piper's Paul McViety and Sohail Ali share their thoughts with IFN'S Nessreen Tamano on how well the global Islamic finance industry responded to the pandemic, as well as the opportunities the industry can take to hold a position of global significance.

The Iran Fara Bourse’s Structured Financial Product Market Manager Neda Bashiri and Strategy Director Mahsa Tavakoli speak to IFN’s Nessreen Tamano about the upcoming products and initiatives in the Iranian capital market.