MANAMA: As the global economy is bearing brunt of the record low oil prices, the future of Islamic finance will take a center stage during the 11th AAOIFI-World Bank Conference which opens on Monday (Nov 06) at the Ritz Carlton Hotel and Spa.
The opening session will feature two presentations on the topic which is quite important for the Islamic Financial Institutions (IFIs) operating in most markets having strong Islamic finance presence, as well as their governments and fiscal policy makers. The floor will be open to the audience for discussion and comments. Overall, the session aims to establish a link of the conference theme with the government fiscal policies and the budgetary deficits in the wake of economic changes brought in by the changing oil prices and the new vision of the regional governments of planning for the post oil economic scenario.
Organised jointly by the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions(AAOIFI), the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) and the World Bank Group, participants in the two-day event will also discuss the role of Islamic finance and Governments in in the changing regional economic environment.
The main topics will include the existing and the possible role of Islamic finance in bridging the budgetary deficits; Islamic finance and the government infrastructure projects – enhanced levels of interaction expected; role of sovereign Sukuk in region: from liquidity support to meeting the government funding needs; can Islamic finance meet the medium-term financing needs of the regional governments – does it have the capacity and capability to handle that? and new and innovative structures for supporting government funding needs.
The other important session titled “changing economic environment: effect on Islamic finance strategies” will feature a panel discussion on the topic which is quite important for most markets having strong Islamic finance presence. The floor will be open to the audience for discussion and comments. Overall, the session would focus on the theme of the conference and the impact of macro-economic changes on the Islamic finance industry across the globe, but particularly in the oil rich Muslim countries where Islamic finance has the strongest presence.