More than 1200 distinguished guests from more than 45 countries and 300 organizations participating this December

22 November 2015, Manama, Bahrain

Key players from the global Islamic finance industry will be participating with the 22nd annual World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC) 2015, taking place on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of December at the Gulf Hotel, Bahrain. Focusing on 'New Realities, New Opportunities', WIBC will play host to more than 1200 leaders including Central bank governors, regulators, C-suite bankers & asset managers, policy makers, Fintech entrepreneurs and contemporary thought leaders.

WIBC 2015 will host 5 central bank Governors and deputy governors and feature speeches and discussions by the Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain, H.E. Rasheed Al Maraj, the Executive President of the Central Bank of Oman, H.E. Hamood Sangour Al Zadjali, Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, Riaz Riazuddin and the Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, Nurlan Kussainov.

In addition, WIBC will be attended by central bank leaders from Bahrain, Pakistan, Oman, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, South Africa and Sudan, as well as senior officials from Abu Dhabi Global Market, Dubai International Financial Center Authority, Qatar Financial Centre Authority, Toronto Financial Services Alliance, Luxembourg for Finance and the Ministry of Finance & Treasury of the Republic of Maldives.

Ithmaar Bank, which has helped pioneer the development of the regional Islamic banking industry since its early inception, is a key partner for the WIBC. The Bank's Chief Executive Officer, Ahmed Abdul Rahim, stated: "Over the years, the Conference has grown to become a key fixture in the global Islamic banking and finance calendar, and we are pleased to continue our support. World-class conferences like the WIBC help bring global Islamic banking experts together to discuss current issues and help drive future growth. This, we believe, is even more important today with the ever growing US$2 trillion Islamic finance industry, as it was when the industry was still in its infancy."

Another pioneer in the Islamic finance industry is Luxembourg for Finance (LFF). Luxembourg is one of Europe's leading Islamic finance centers, as well as a reputed wealth management hub in the Eurozone. The CEO of LFF, Nicolas Mackel, said: "[Luxembourg] has a reputation for developing innovative solutions in both fields, thereby often acting as a first mover. This can be illustrated by various initiatives including the Luxembourg Stock Exchange being the first in a non-Muslim country to list a sukuk, in 2002, as well as the Luxembourg Government issuing the first sovereign Euro-denominated sukuk in 2014.

He continued: "This annual gathering provides an opportunity to benchmark our experience over the previous 12 months and to present Luxembourg as a diversified Islamic finance platform in Europe. "

The conveners, Middle East Global Advisors - an intelligence platform serving emerging and frontier markets for 22 years - have once again partnered with a powerful lineup of premier organisations for what promises to be a truly successful industry event. They include the Central Bank of Bahrain - WIBC's strategic partners - Ibdar Bank, Al Baraka Banking Group, Jordan Islamic Bank, INCEIF, Bahrain Islamic Bank, Venture Capital Bank, Kuwait Finance House, First Energy Bank, DDCAP, Al Salam Bank, Khaleeji Commercial Bank, Bank ABC Islamic, Qatar Financial Center, BOK International, Ernst & Young, Luxembourg for Finance, Thomson Reuters, ELIAN, Path Solutions, IFAAS , Bahrain Economic Development Board, SAB, EIGER, 3i Infotech, Islamic Finance Advisory & Assurance Services, Aafaq Center for Research in Islamic Economy, Institute of Finance and Management, Shariah Review Bureau, Bahrain Bourse, The Gulf Bond and Sukuk Association and the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance.

WIBC 2015 is a three-day gathering of the financial industry's leaders, taking place on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of December at the Gulf Hotel in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain. For more information, visit www.wibc2015.com.

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ABOUT MIDDLE EAST GLOBAL ADVISORS
Connecting markets with intelligent insights & strategic execution since 1993.
Middle East Global Advisors (MEGA) is the gateway connectivity and intelligence platform to opportunities in the rapidly developing economic region that stretches all the way from Morocco in the West to Indonesia in the East - The Middle East North Africa Southeast Asia (MENASEA) connection. We pride ourselves for being at the heart of these diverse markets for over 22 years.

Visit us at meglobaladvisors.com.

ABOUT WIBC
The World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC) has established its reputation as the world's largest and most influential gathering of international Islamic banking and finance leaders for over two decades. With the strategic support of the Central Bank of Bahrain, the next generation WIBC will focus on transforming Islamic finance into a global proposition by facilitating strategic opportunities, addressing systematic challenges and connecting international market players and institutional investors to the industry's catalysts, thought leaders, partners and institutions.

 For over two decades, WIBC has served as a key platform for bankers, institutional investors, asset managers, policymakers, academics and other stakeholders within Islamic finance and banking from key markets such as Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Sudan, Nigeria, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and other Asian growth markets. Over the years it hosted globally renowned leaders such as Sir Howard Davies, Former Chairman of the European Central Bank, Professor Robert Kaplan of Harvard Business School, Nicholas Naseem Taleb, the author of "The Black Swan," and Dr. Mark Mobius, Emerging Markets Guru and Executive Chairman of Templeton Emerging Markets. With its strong focus on cutting edge content, WIBC remains the strategic event for staying ahead of the innovation and technology forces that will shape the Islamic financial services industry in the near future.

To find out more, visit www.wibc2015.com.

Join the global conversation on Twitter via @wibc_2015 #wibc2015

Nikita Kandath
Marketing & Media Manager
ME Global Advisors
Tel: +971 4 441 4946
Email: nikita@meglobaladvisors.com

© Press Release 2015