IFN OnAir

BLOMINVEST BANK's debut UK green investment project

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Saudi-based BLOMINVEST BANK has launched the GBP300 million (US$384.09 million) SAED Green UK Fund as its debut endeavor in the UK market. ISFI speaks...

The development process for Islamic sustainable products

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Gatehouse Bank is looking to launch an additional financing product to existing customers to improve the energy efficiency of their homes this year. I...

The chicken-and-egg problem of a debut VC fund

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ficus Capital is targeting to close its inaugural Islamic Southeast Asian Tech Fund in the third quarter of this year. ISFI speaks to Rina Neoh, the m...

2023 Islamic finance observations and projections

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With escalating geopolitical tension weighing on the global economy, the banking and finance system is under immense pressure. Vineeta Tan speaks to M...

Halal metaverse – what is it about?

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Vineeta Tan speaks to Mohammed Alim, CEO of IBF Net, which built the first Halal metaverse, to understand what the Halal virtual worl...

Kayseri Seker's innovative agricultural Sukuk: a sweet deal

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Turkiye’s largest beet growers cooperative brand Kayseri Seker issued a TRY85 million (US$4.44 million) Sukuk in February 2022.  The facility was t...

Shifting away from debt-based financial paradigm

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In a conversation with IFN Managing Editor Vineeta Tan, global finance pundit Andrew Sheng expounds on the ways we could move toward a more equitable ...

The challenges of issuing Sukuk in the Maldives

07 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Aishath Muneeza, who was personally involved in structuring all the corporate Sukuk offered in the Maldives as well as the private sukuk and Islami...

Re-building trust in Canada's Islamic finance industry

28 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

S Zuhair Naqvi, the founder and CEO of Halal mortgage business EQRAZ, talks to IFN's Nessreen Tamano about what he would like to see more of in t...

Climate risk management for financial institutions

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There is increasing pressure on banks to adopt effective climate risk management practices. Vineeta Tan speaks with Madelena Mohamed, the director of ...

Allen & Overy discusses legal challenges in Islamic sustainable finance

16 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With the upcoming COP28 to be held in a Muslim jurisdiction for the second year in a row, the spotlight is very much on the Islamic finance industry o...

Germany: A changing Islamic finance narrative

02 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Vineeta Tan speaks to the co-founders of German Islamic fintech start-up INAIA, Bilgehan Akbiyik and Emre Akyel, to understand how CO...

Labuan prepares for Islamic digital offerings

30 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Shahruladeri Mohamad Adnan, CEO of CIB Capital and formerly the director of business development at the Labuan International Business and Financial Ce...

Salaam Takaful talks upcoming partnerships and launch of digital life Takaful company

20 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

ISFI speaks to Rizwan Hussein, CEO and managing director of Salaam Takaful, about the challenges of offering crop Takaful coverage as well as its plan...

Dialogue 2: Islamic Sustainable and Responsible Investing

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Opportunity knocks: the dazzling global prospects for Islamic sustainable finance and investment.Important considerations in the development of effica...

Session 3: Digital Assets, Digitalization and the Evolution of Islamic Financial Services

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The digitalization of Islamic financial services: what is working, what is viable and what is not? What do the answers to these questions mean for the...

Session 1: Global Shariah Compliant Asset Management and Islamic Capital-Raising

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Inflation, a rising interest rate environment and the implications for potential issuers of Islamic capital market products.What do these factors also...

Islamic investing in Australia

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nick Heuzenroeder, CEO of Haven Wealth, talks about the Australian Islamic investment landscape and Takaful market, as well as his company’s plan to...

Session 2: IFN Singapore OnAir Roadshow 2022 - Keynote Address

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, Member of Parliament, Singapore

Session 1: Islamic Finance and Investment in Singapore: A Golden Opportunity

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With the emergence of the first Shariah compliant balanced fund in Singapore to use quant investing technology and ESG screening in Singapore, what is...

Indonesian Islamic Capital Markets: Fit for Purpose

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What represents innovation in the Indonesian Sukuk market: pioneering structures, sourcing underliers, and the transition from ESG to Impact? What opt...

Technology Roundtable: Digitalization and the Evolution of Indonesian Islamic Financial Services

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The digitalization of Islamic financial services: what is working, what is viable, and what is not? What do the answers to these questions mean for th...

Doing the Right Thing: Successfully Positioning Islamic ESG and Sustainable Finance and Investment in Indonesia

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why is a united regulatory response to climate risk so important for the financial services industry, and how do we evaluate initiatives that encourag...

Building Momentum: Indonesian Islamic Financial Services, the Halal Economy and Social Finance

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We offer a critical analysis of the applicability of Islamic financial services to two vital, burgeoning sectors in Indonesia: The Halal economy, and ...

IFN Indonesia 2022 - Keynote Address

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Astera Primanto Bhakti, Director General of Fiscal Balance, Ministry of Finance, the Republic of Indonesia, Secretary General of the Indonesian Associ...

Session Two - Islamic Green & Sustainable Finance Solutions in Pakistan

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How should Pakistan further employ Shariah-based green and responsible financing solutions in response to important challenges such as limiting climat...

Session One - Enlarging the Footprint of Islamic Financial Services in Pakistan: Digitalization and Conversion

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In conjunction with the State Bank of Pakistan’s Licensing and Regulatory Framework for Digital Banks, and with five digital banking licenses availa...

IFN Pakistan OnAir Roadshow 2022 - Keynote Address

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ghulam Muhammad Abbasi, Director, Islamic Banking Department, State Bank of Pakistan

Building Momentum: Islamic Finance in Bangladesh

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With the Bangladesh Sukuk market achieving several firsts in 2021, what is next for this burgeoning sector, and what effects will tax and regulatory c...

IFN Bangladesh OnAir Roadshow 2022 - Keynote Address

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Mizanur Rahman, Commissioner, Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC)

Islamic Social Finance: Offering Relief, Creating Opportunities and Improving Lives

06 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What is social finance, why is it important and how can Islamic financial institutions play a significant role in its growth and development? In a pos...

Technology Roundtable: Digitalization and the Evolution of Southeast Asian Islamic Financial Services

06 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The digitalization of Islamic financial services: what is working, what is viable, and what is not? What do the answers to these questions mean for th...

Contemporary Islamic Capital Markets: Fit for Purpose

06 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What represents innovation in the contemporary Sukuk market: pioneering structures, sourcing underliers, and the transition from ESG to Impact? What o...

The New Paradigm of Marketplace Financing and Alternative Funding Channels

06 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How has the evolution of regional equity crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending platforms created opportunities for the joint ownership of Shariah comp...

Leaders’ Question Time: The State of the Industry

06 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We pose a series of high-level strategic questions to senior representatives of Islamic financial services industry. How can Islamic finance and inves...

IILM spearheading new initiatives

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, IFN Managing Editor Vineeta Tan speaks to Dr Umar Oseni, the CEO of the International Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation (IILM)...

A closer look at Al Rajhi Bank Malaysia's digital bank

02 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Al Rajhi Bank Malaysia has launched Malaysia’s second cloud-native Islamic digital bank, underscoring yet another promising development in the Islam...

Understanding the creative chaos of Islamic ESG standardization

29 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Industry players in the Islamic and sustainable finance space consistently highlight standardization, or the lack thereof, as a main challenge for the...

How sustainability ratings are derived in the Islamic sustainable finance space

25 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

ESG ratings play a critical role in sustainable finance and investment. To learn about the role of sustainability ratings in the Islamic sustainable f...

Islamic Sustainable Finance & Investment Forum 2022: Presentation by HSBC Amanah

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 Raja Amir Shah Raja Azwa, CEO, HSBC Amanah

Islamic Sustainable Finance & Investment Forum 2022: Presentation by Bursa Malaysia

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 Julian Hashim, Chief Regulatory Officer, Bursa Malaysia

The UK – where it is now and where it is going

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Several market developments in the UK including the closure of Islamic retail banking branches and the suspension of certain Shariah compliant financi...

Keynote Address - Dr Awang Adek Hussin, Chairman, Securities Commission Malaysia

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Fostering Green Credentials: Key Funding Considerations & Options for Islamic Sustainable Issuers (Session Four)

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

ESG and sustainability continue to dominate issuer funding strategies. What is a realistic assessment of the instruments and routes on offer to Sharia...

Building for the Future: Islamic Sustainable Investment (Session Three)

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What specific challenges face the Islamic, sustainable investor, and what opportunities? As an industry, how do we continue to widen our investor base...

Innovating Shariah Compliant Green Financing Solutions to Drive Climate Action: A Session by the Joint Committee on Climate Change (JC3) Sub-Committee on Product and Innovation (Session Two)

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

• How Islamic finance can contribute towards meeting sustainable development and climate goals• Innovative Shariah-compliant sustainable finance p...

Positioning ESG and Sustainable Finance and Investment - Policy, Regulation and Action (Session One)

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Positioning ESG and Sustainable Finance and Investment - Policy, Regulation and Action (Session One)Why is a united regulatory response to climate ris...

Islamic finance fills funding gap for Saudi SMEs

22 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There has been, in the past couple of years, a strong push in Saudi Arabia for both Shariah compliant financing and SME funding, and the results are e...

Huge need for Islamic social finance

15 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the backdrop of Norton Rose Fulbright lending a hand to UK charity Save the Children to access Zakat funds, the firm’s global chair, Farmida Bi, ...

The Deployment of Shariah Compliant Capital in the UK: Trends and Opportunities (Sesion Five)

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What are the global investment flows and trends that continue to influence the deployment of Shariah compliant capital in the UK today? What are recen...

Islamic Capital Markets: Fit for Purpose (Session Four)

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What represents innovation in the contemporary Islamic capital market: pioneering structures, sourcing underliers or the transition from ESG to impact...

Building Momentum: Successfully Positioning Islamic ESG and Sustainable Finance and Investment in the UK (Session Three)

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How do policymakers balance the fulfillment of energy demands with the achievement of the principal goals of COP26? Why is a united regulatory respons...

Technology and Marketplace Financing Roundtable: Digitalization and the Evolution of UK Islamic Financial Services (Session Two)

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The digitalization of Islamic financial services: what is working, what is viable and what is not? What do the answers to these questions mean for the...

Leaders’ Question Time: New Challenges — Islamic Finance’s Response (Session One)

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We pose a series of high-level strategic questions to senior representatives of the UK Islamic financial services industry. What is Islamic finance’...

Keynote Address - Naz Shah

13 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Keynote Address

13 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Islamic & Sustainable Financial Services in Africa: A Golden Opportunity

11 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

IFN Africa Dialogue 2022•With ESG now driving financial innovation on the continent, what role will the symbiosis between Islamic finance and sustai...

Agrarius discusses South Africa's first listed sustainability Sukuk

10 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Agrarius Sustainability Engineered listed its inaugural Sukuk worth ZAR500 million (US$28.15 million) on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on the 28th O...

UK's growing Islamic fintech sector

08 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The UK's fintech scene is vibrant and has great potential to grow, while demand in the real estate sector from Islamic investors remains high, Ma...

Funding the Future: Islamic Sustainable Finance and Investment (Session Four)

08 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What does the transition to green and sustainable financing potentially mean for Omani issuers, and how will Islamic structures play a meaningful role...

Digitalization and the Evolution of Omani Islamic Financial Services (Session Three)

08 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Identifying and evaluating key governmental and private sector initiatives designed to modernize and digitally transform the national economy, with a ...

Building a Nation: Funding National Development through Islamic Finance (Session Two)

08 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With Islamic real estate finance well established in the Sultanate, what is the scope for complex project and asset financing in Oman via Shariah comp...

Omani Islamic Financial Services: Momentum and Success (Session One)

08 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How are the key features of Oman Vision 2040 enabling growth of the Islamic banking and finance markets in Oman? How have successful regulatory initia...

Fulfilling Potential: Islamic Financial Services in Qatar

07 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With notable consolidation in recent years, what is a realistic assessment of the current Qatari Islamic financial services ecosystem, including banki...

ESG and Shariah familiarity driving Islamic fund activities

03 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Despite rising inflationary pressures and the threat of a global recession looming, Islamic funds and investment activities are picking up, according ...

Islamic Sustainable Finance & Investment: Moving Forward (Session Five)

25 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In an open discussion, we ask an expert panel to consider and highlight key points, ideas and initiatives, and how these can be put into action to dri...

Islamic financial institutions key to achieving Malaysia's ESG targets

21 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Chung Chee Leong, president/CEO of Cagamas, sits down with Vineeta Tan to discuss the national mortgage corporation's plan to support Malaysia’...

The Deployment of Shariah Compliant Capital into North America: Trends and Opportunities

04 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What are the global investment flows and trends that continue to influence the deployment of Shariah compliant capital in north America today? What ar...

The rise of Islamic P2P financiers in Malaysia

30 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia has seen a surge of Islamic peer-to-peer (P2P) finance service providers in the last 12 months. One of the latest entrants is Funding Societi...

Swiss Re discusses sustainability risk for Takaful and re-Takaful operators

26 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As we move into the tail end of 2022, we are globally facing an increasing number of climate- related challenges, from the devastating floods in Pakis...

Securities Commission Malaysia discusses new SRI-linked Sukuk Framework

30 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Securities Commission Malaysia launched the Sustainable and Responsible Investment linked Sukuk Framework on the 30th June 2022 as an extension of...

Opportunities in Halal investing

23 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There are many opportunities to build better tools to support the Islamic investor in their personal finance journay, says Saad Malik, the CEO and co-...

CIMB Islamic talks about landmark sustainable collateralized commodity Murabahah transaction

17 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

CIMB Islamic Bank recently entered into a RM1 billion (US$224.74 million) sustainable collateralized commodity Murabahah (CCM) transaction with Standa...

Islamic finance boom in Australia

09 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With soaring inflation compelling the government to raise interest rates, yet unemployment at historic lows, Australia finds itself in a rather unique...

QFC talks about sustainable Sukuk and bond issuances

29 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) launched the QFC Sustainable Sukuk and Bonds Framework in March 2022. The framework is part of the financial center’...

CIBAFI discusses sustainability agenda

22 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions (CIBAFI) launched its Sustainability Guide for Islamic Financial Institutions on the 12th...

Tanzania’s Sukuk market gears up

14 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There have been some significant developments recently in the Tanzanian Islamic finance industry, particularly in the Sukuk and Takaful sectors, which...

The Indonesian Islamic finance industry's bright future

25 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The future looks good for Indonesia's Islamic finance and banking industry, given the support it has been receiving from the government. Things a...

Turkey’s second green Sukuk coming up

11 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The first-ever green Sukuk facility to come out of Turkey was issued by state-owned Emlak Participation Bank in late 2021, and the bank is now prepari...

Islamic finance: A story of resilience and grit

21 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are seeing mixed projections for the different sectors of the global Islamic finance industry. For example: A strong growth momentum for Shariah co...

Islamic investment in the GCC – disrupted?

06 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When robo-advisors started becoming a reality in the investment space, many pundits hailed them as a disruptor of traditional financial services, but ...

The dawn of Islamic robo-advisors in the US

07 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Digital investment management or robo-advisory is growing phenomenally in the US – but what is the reality like with Islamic robo-advisors? In this ...

Nigeria's Sukuk market gears up for 2022

14 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Nigerian Sukuk landscape has a busy year ahead, as regulators tighten up guidelines for issuances and both the government and the private sector t...

South Africa: Leveraging Islamic Finance to Develop a Sustainable Capital Market

09 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Nigeria: Leveraging Islamic Finance to Develop a Sustainable Capital Market

09 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sustainable finance – the future of Islamic finance

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Khurram Hilal, Standard Chartered Bank’s CEO of global Islamic banking, describes Islamic and sustainable finance as a match made in heaven. In this...

The hunt for yield in sustainable Islamic investments

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Craig Reeves, the founder of Prestige Funds, talks to IFN's Nessreen Tamano about the hunt for yield in the sustainable Islamic investment space,...

A Cagamas Islamic sustainable finance case study – what can issuers learn?

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sustainable and green Sukuk are the poster child of the Islamic ESG sector. But what are the factors an issuer needs to consider before tapping this a...

Making the Islamic ESG case for corporates and financial institutions

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We speak to Jennifer Schwalbenberg, chief governance office of DDCAP Group, a market-leading Islamic intermediary firm which has positioned sustainabl...

The cost of Islamic ESG compliance

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Compliance has a cost – and this also true in the case of Islamic sustainable finance. In this episode, we speak to Farmida Bi, the chair for Europe...

Understanding the Islamic sustainable finance landscape

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sustainable finance is touted as the future of the Islamic finance industry. But how has the asset class fared so far? What innovation are we seeing i...

Understanding Islamic ESG issues and issuers

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Islamic sustainable finance is a very compelling proposition. But while it looks good on paper, it is harder to materialize in reality. In this episod...

Leveraging on tech to miniaturize the Islamic economy

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How does one miniaturize the Islamic economy? One tech company is attempting to do that. IBF Net Group, which has a presence in Singapore, Kuala Lumpu...

Islamic ESG within the context of indices

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We often use the terms ethical finance and Islamic finance interchangeably. But there are meaningful differences between Shariah compliant finance and...

Islamic investors venture into new real estate markets

16 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Shakeel Adli, a partner and the global head of Islamic finance at CMS, provides his analysis on the global real estate market which, ...

Islamic project finance — Adjusting to market changes

09 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Despite the pandemic which has caused project delays globally, the Islamic project finance has performed relatively well. Mohammed Paracha, the head o...

Growing interest in Islamic syndicated financing

02 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Shariah compliant syndicated financing facilities have become an attractive option for many corporates and entities in the MENA region, as Samer Eido,...

Islamic offshore finance gains momentum

27 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The world of offshore finance is shrouded in mystery, and controversy. But offshore finance centers are gaining in popularity including within the Isl...

Sustainability to dominate Islamic financial deals

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

More and more, we are seeing Sukuk issuers and Islamic finance transactions featuring green and sustainability elements in Malaysia and around the wor...

Islamic fintech in a post-COVID world

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...