After a five-year hiatus, IFN is excited to be back in Australia once again as interest Down Under swells and Shariah investment flows increase. The IFN Australia Forum will take place on Tuesday 27 March 2018, 9:00 am – 2:30 pm at King & Wood Mallesons (KWM), Level 61, Governor Phillip Tower, 1 Farrer Place, Sydney. 

    Register Now 

    The country may still be lacking in dedicated Islamic finance laws; however, its stability, as proven by its unbroken record of continued economic expansion over the last 26 years and lucrative real estate sector, has attracted strong interest from Shariah investors from Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

    Malaysia’s Lembaga Tabung Haji is one of the biggest Islamic investors into the country but more institutional investors from the likes of the UAE and Saudi Arabia are also eyeing a slice of the Australian property pie.

    To cope with the demand, the very first Islamic bank Australia project is currently underway by IBA Group with the intention to offer investment-linked retail and fund management products and services, compliant with Shariah governance and Australian regulatory rules.

    This is a significant initiative to facilitate and enhance Shariah compliant banking and finance in Australia.

    The Shariah rush into the Australian property market may be relatively recent; however, the buildup for Islamic investments has long been in the making on the domestic front.

    Housing the largest funds under management in the world after the US and Luxembourg, Australia is home to a growing number of Shariah compliant investment funds; experts forecast the Islamic investment fund industry to grow up to US$22 billion by 2020.

    Shariah compliant mortgages continue to gain positive traction so much so that Australia’s largest banks are also designing Muslim-friendly products to cater to this burgeoning market.

    In the backdrop of rising local and international demand for Islamic financial products and proactive measures by market participants – both domestic and foreign – to meet this demand, IFN is proud to be returning to Australia to host regulators, senior industry players and key stakeholders to explore and engage in construction discourse on Australia’s Islamic finance sector which will be officiated by Prof Dr John Hewson, the former Opposition Leader of Australia.

    Admission is complimentary. Register Now http://redmoneyevents.com/main/event.asp?IFN=Australia2018

    Agenda

    09:00 – 09:05 Opening Remarks
    09:05 – 09:15 Welcome Remarks
    Chaaban Omran  –     CEO, Islamic Financial Services Council of Australia (IFSCA)
    09:15 – 09:30 Keynote Address
    Professor Dr John Hewson  –     Board Member, IBA Group (former Opposition Leader of Australia)
    09:30 – 10:30 Shariah Compliant Investment Opportunities in Australia: Where do we stand now?

    • Australian regulatory constraints and entry barriers hampering the growth of Islamic financial products and services
    • Vexed taxation and compliance issues facing the nascent industry in Australia and other countries with Muslim minorities
    • Why competition remains a real problem for many Islamic finance providers operating either as mortgage brokers or tightly controlled financial intermediaries without the ability to raise funds in the money market.
    Moderator: Muzzammil Dhedhy – COO, Hejaz Financial Services
    Panelists: Professor Dr John Hewson  – Board Member, IBA Group (former Opposition Leader of Australia)
    Almir Colan –    Director, Australian Centre for Islamic Finance
    Dale Rayner – Partner, King & Wood Mallesons
    Dr Abul Khair Jalaluddin – Director, Islamic Financial Services Council of Australia (IFSCA)
    10:20 – 10:30 Presentation: Responsible Islamic Finance in Australia

    Presenter: Chaaban Omran  – CEO, Islamic Financial Services Council of Australia (IFSCA)
    10:30 – 11:00 Coffee Break
    11:00 – 11:50 Portfolio Construction and The Importance of Diversification

    Moderator: Mohamed Hage – Head of Research and Investments, CPG Research and Advisory Pty Ltd
    Panelists: Ariff Sultan – Regional Director – Asia, IdealRatings Inc
    Hakan Ozyon –     CEO, Hejaz Financial Services and Senior Portfolio Manager, Global Ethical Fund
    Dr Rashid Raashed – Chief, Sharia’h Audit Executives (SAE) and Board Member, Islamic bank Australia Project/IBA Group
    Hilton Wood – Chief Representative Officer, Doha Bank, Australia
    Issam Eid – Portfolio Manager, Sigma Funds Management
    11:50 – 12:20 Presentation: Further Growth and Opportunity in Shariah Compliant Investment Funds and Superannuation

    • Current Economic conditions and demand for Islamic financial products.
    • Difference between Islamic and conventional funds from the industry perspective.
    • Dynamic Global opportunities for funds with Ethical and Sharia overlay.
    Presenter: Hakan Ozyon – CEO, Hejaz Financial Services and Senior Portfolio Manager, Global Ethical Fund
    12:20 – 12:30 Presentation: Islamic Banking and Finance in Australia; A dynamic Alternative to their Conventional Peers

    Presenter: Dr Rashid Raashed – Chief, Sharia’h Audit Executives (SAE) and Board Member, Islamic bank Australia Project/IBA Group
    12:30 – 13:30 Islamic Real Estate Investment, Property and Construction Finance

    • Indicative of greater Islamic investment interest in the Australian property market, the year saw the arrival of leading ethical real estate.
    • Also, broader interest in the Australian real estate market from a number of other Middle East and Southeast Asian investors, and further Shariah compliant property transactions, particularly in the commercial property space, are expected.
    Moderator: Mahanoor Hassan Khan  – Operations Manager, Islamic Cooperative Finance Australia Ltd
    Panelists: Ariff Sultan – Regional Director – Asia, IdealRatings Inc
    Chaaban Omran  –     CEO, Islamic Financial Services Council of Australia (IFSCA)
    Christopher Aylward     – Partner, Banking and Finance, Madison Marcus
    Dr Imran Lum – Director, Islamic Capital Markets, National Australia Bank
    Dr Muhammad M Khan – CEO, Halal Australia
    13:30 – 14:30 Networking
    14.30 End