AAOIFI

His Excellency Sheikh Ebrahim Bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa carries with him more than 35 years of professional experience in different areas. He has been involved with many global and regional organizations. He
is serving as the Chairman of Accounting & Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), which is the apex standard setting global body for Islamic Financial Institutions.

In addition, he is also serving as:
• Chairman of Board of Trustees of Arab International Center for Entrepreneurship and Investment Training in United Nations Industrial Development Organization - Bahrain
• Chairman of EBDAA Bank - Bahrain
• Member of the Board of Darul Mal Islami and Faysal Bank - Egypt
• He has also held a number of key positions in the past, including:
• Minister for Housing - Kingdom of Bahrain
• Undersecretary of Ministry of Finance and National Economy - Kingdom of Bahrain
• Deputy Governor - Central Bank of Bahrain
• Founding Chairman of Meezan Bank Ltd. - Pakistan
• Chairman of Finance Committee of Bahrain Petroleum Company
• Chairman of Gulf International Bank
• Chairman & MD of GARMCO
• Chairman of the Finance Committee of ALBA

Mr. Al Maraj has been Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), previously the Bahrain
Monetary Agency (BMA), since January 2005. As Governor, Mr. Al Maraj carries ministerial
ranking and is the chief executive of the CBB, which is responsible for ensuring monetary and financial stability in Bahrain. The CBB is also the single regulator of Bahrain’s financial services industry. Mr. Al Maraj has a wealth of experience in finance, engineering and management and
has served with the Government and the private sector. His career highlights include senior
positions with Government, having served as Assistant Under-Secretary at the then Finance and National Economy Ministry and Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Transportation. Prior to his appointment as CBB Governor, Mr. Al Maraj was General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of the Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (Apicorp), which is based in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Currently, Mr. Al Maraj is on the Boards of the Economic Development Board (EDB), Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) and Social Health Insurance Fund Authority (SHIFA). He previously served as Chairman of the Bahrain Telecommunications Company, member of the Consultation Council of the Co-operation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf and board member in the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) and the National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA).

Perry Warj iyo is the incumbent Bank Indonesia Governor for the 2018-2023 period. Prior to his appointment as Bank Indonesia Governor, Perry Warj iyo served as BI Deputy Governor from 2013-2018.

Perry Warjiyo also held the position of Assistant Governor for Monetary, Macroprudential and International Policy after serving as Executive Director of the Economic Research and Monetary Policy Department of Bank Indonesia.

Before returning to Bank Indonesia in 2009, Perry Warjiyo was assigned as Executive Director for two years in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), representing 13 member countries under the auspices of the Southeast Asia Voting Group from 200Z-2009. Perry Warjiyo has enjoyed a long and brilliant career at Bank Indonesia since 1984, with a focus on economic research and monetary policy, international issues, organisational transformation and monetary policy strategy, central banking education and research, foreign exchange and external debt management, as well as the Office of the Governor.

His passion for knowledge has fuelled his love of writing, having published several books, journals and papers on economics, the monetary sector and international issues.

Feras Milhem is a PhD. holder of Law from the Vrije Universities Brussel in 2004, he got his master's degree from Birzeit University in 2000 at Commercial Law. He got his first degree in law from Fez-Morocco.
He has gained in-depth experience in his field; he has served as the team leader of the Rule of Law (Justice and Security) in the International Quartet office for more than seven years, was in charge of the Economic Relationship File on fiscal leakages between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, was in charge of the Palestine Monetary Authority’s Ombudsperson Office for four years, and served for two-time as a member in the PMA’s board before he was appointed as a Governor.

For nearly eighteen years, Dr.Milhem worked as a researcher and consultant on several legislative and judicial projects. Dr.Milhem was a lecturer at Birzeit University Law School from 2004 to 2009, during which time he served as assistant dean of the faculty and was an adviser to the Palestinian Minister of Interior from 2007 to 2009. He has also contributed to several studies, including with the MAS Institute related to economic research.

Before joining IRTI in 2004, Dr. Al-Suwailem managed the Research and Development Center at Al-Rajhi Bank, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He worked at the Institute of Islamic and Arabic Sciences in America, Virginia; Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, USA; and King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Al-Suwailem held membership in several professional committees, including the Technical Committee of the Islamic Financial Services Board; Economic Committee of Awqaf
at the Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Riyadh; Academic
Committee in Islamic Fiqh Academy of Muslim World League; Liquidity Risk
Management Working Group at IFSB; and Task Force for Islamic Finance and Global Financial Stability at IsDB, among others.
He obtained his M.A. from Southern Illinois University in 1990, and his Ph.D. from
Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, in 1995. He authored many books and published several papers on Islamic economics and finance.

Dr. Wassim Manssouri was appointed as the First Vice-Governor of Banque Du Liban (Central Bank of
Lebanon) by decree number 6475 on June 10, 2020. Accordingly, he has the following responsibilities:
- Alternate Governor for Lebanon at the International Monetary Fund and the Arab Monetary Fund
Board of Governors and Alternate Chairman of the Capital Markets Authority in Lebanon,
- Member of the Central Council, the Open Market Committee, and Member of the Higher Banking
Commission,
- He oversees various main departments: Cash Operations Department, Legal Department, Real Estate
and Financial Assets Department, and Branch Network Department.
Dr. Manssouri is an Attorney at law; he held several positions during his career, mainly:
- Member of the National Committee of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (The Hague), since 2012;
- Member of the High Consultative Committee – Ministry of Justice, since 2013;
- Legal consultant of the Minister of Finance;
- Consultant of the Human Rights Commission at the Lebanese Parliament.
In the academic field, Dr. Manssouri was the director of the French section of the faculty of law at the
Lebanese University and a lecturing professor at the Lebanese University. Dr. Manssouri is the author of
numerous articles and studies in the fields of Law, Constitution, Legislation, Political Science, and
Economics.
Dr. Manssouri holds a PhD in Public Law from Montpellier University – France and a PhD of the State of
Lebanon from the Lebanese University. He obtained the title of Professor of Law on September 22, 2010.

Omar Mustafa Ansari is the Secretary General of the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) – global Islamic finance standard setter. Previously, he was Partner – Assurance & Head of Islamic Finance (Pakistan & Afghanistan) at Ernst & Young Ford Rhodes Sidat Hyder - A member firm of EY. He is a Fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP). At AAOIFI, he is responsible primarily for leading the process
of development of accounting, auditing, governance and ethics standards for the global Islamic
finance industry, besides managing the overall affairs of the institution as the rganization’s head. Omar’s key areas of expertise include assurance and advisory services to Islamic financial institutions, including Islamic accounting advisory, audits, Shari’ah Audits, corporate finance advisory, structuring of Shari’ah compliant transactions, accountancy and financial reporting,
Islamic finance training, financial modelling, risk management & development and review of
manuals and systems. He has authored several books and contributed several articles in various newspapers and journals and presented papers in conferences. He is also a regular trainer and speaker on various forums on topics related to Islamic finance. Besides he has served on several regulatory / standard setting boards / committees.

Before joining IRTI in 2004, Dr. Al-Suwailem managed the Research and Development Center at Al-Rajhi Bank, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He worked at the Institute of Islamic and Arabic Sciences in America, Virginia; Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, USA; and King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Al-Suwailem held membership in several professional committees, including the Technical Committee of the Islamic Financial Services Board; Economic Committee of Awqaf
at the Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Riyadh; Academic
Committee in Islamic Fiqh Academy of Muslim World League; Liquidity Risk
Management Working Group at IFSB; and Task Force for Islamic Finance and Global Financial Stability at IsDB, among others.
He obtained his M.A. from Southern Illinois University in 1990, and his Ph.D. from
Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, in 1995. He authored many books and published several papers on Islamic economics and finance.

Dr. Tarifa A. Alzaabi joined ICBA as Deputy Director General in August 2019 and in August 2022 she was appointed as the Director-General. She has 20 years of executive and leadership experience in higher education institutions, developing services and strategies through innovation, research, and capacity development.
As a social scientist, in her current role with ICBA, Dr. Tarifa A. Alzaabi promotes for sustaining food security systems and modernization of agriculture through capacity development, women and youth engagement, as well as agripreneurship. She has also presented ICBA’s research-for-development work at many major international conferences and forums.
Prior to joining ICBA, she was Director of Dubai Women’s College, Higher Colleges of Technology. She is also an edupreneur and a winner of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum SME Award as Businesswoman of the Year 2015. And currently was a winner of the Emirates Women Award 2020 as for the category of Best Career Achievements.
Dr. Tarifa Alzaabi is a graduate of the UAE Government Leaders Program (Executive Leadership) and is certified as a trainer by the UAE Government Leaders Program.

After studying economics at Bilkent University and the University of Virginia, Harun Celik began his career as a consultant with the Union of Chambers of Turkey (TOBB). He also possessed private sector experience in Turkey, where he held managerial positions in companies in the telecommunications and energy sectors.

Mr. Celik joined the Islamic Development Bank in 2006 and later transferred to ITFC- the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation where he worked in various departments, including Strategy, Business Innovation, and Trade Finance, and managed ITFC’s portfolio relationships with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, and Albania. He was appointed as the Regional Head of ITFC in the IDB Group’s Istanbul Regional Hub between 2016-2022 and relocated to Jeddah recently to serve as the Senior Expert in the Trade Solutions Complex at ITFC headquarters.

Mr. Celik holds a Ph.D. degree from Istanbul Zaim University with his thesis titled “Islamic Instruments for Agricultural Finance in Turkey and a Demand Analysis”.

Syed Saad Ali Pasha is an experienced development professional from Pakistan. He is working as a Business Development Manager at the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture working on projects related to poverty alleviation, building climate resilience and private sector development. Saad previously worked as an Economic Empowerment consultant with UNDP in Pakistan. He supported youth vulnerable to violence and extremism and linked them with the private sector for sustainable employment opportunities. Saad’s interest in understanding the asymmetrical relationship between the Global South and Global North, especially in global production chains led him to pursue the Global Markets, Local Creativities Master’s program focused on international development and economic history. For Master's, he received the Erasmus scholarship to study at the Universities of Glasgow, Barcelona and Gottingen. Saad also co-authored the book “Global Issues, Local Alternatives” funded by the AKB foundation in Germany.”

Farrukh enjoys 15 years of extensive and diverse experience in Islamic finance industry. His contribution involves leading Islamic finance projects across 47 different jurisdictions that include policy level advisory to the governments of more than 20 countries across 4 continents, building the infrastructure for Islamic finance, and playing key roles in launching ground-breaking Islamic finance operations across several jurisdictions. He led IFAAS team in various high-profile projects,
form the development of Islamic finance Masterplans, strategic blueprints and regulatory frameworks for several countries to launching over 150 products for institutional clients. He is actively contributing towards the industry’s thought-leadership through his work with the international standard-setting bodies, pushing Islamic finance to a higher degree of Shariah compliance, professionalism and inclusiveness. His latest venture is in FinTech space where he has co-founded IFIN, an Islamic FinTech solution aimed a redefining the Islamic finance industry.

Mrs. Sina Hbous has an overall professional experience of over 17 years in the diversified field of sustainable development. She has two master’s degrees in international Affairs and Development Studies from the Lebanese American University and The London School of Economics, respectively.

She is currently advising and consulting several institutions on reporting, sustainability and governance, Islamic banking and climate and sustainable finance for UNEP FI, IsDB, Insurance federation of Egypt, UN Women, among others. She was assigned as the first interim executive director of the Regional Center for Sustainable Finance in Egypt. She was also chairman’s advisor of Egypt’s financial regulatory authority (FRA) for sustainable development since the beginning of 2019, where she has led efforts to introduce promote climate finance instruments, sustainable insurance and ESG related disclosures, and women leadership in the finance sector. She is also a trainer and a consultant in sustainable development working with international organizations such as UNEP, UNDP, ESCWA, IFC and ILO. She designed and undertaken a national and international process to develop the ESG and TCFD regulation issued by FRA.

Prior to her work at FRA, she assumed the position of associate director of the Gerhart Center for Philanthropy, Civic Engagement and Responsible Business at the American University in Cairo (AUC). Before joining the AUC, she worked as a sustainable development expert for the Sustainable Growth Division, Centre for Environment and Development Arab Region and Europe, Cairo, Egypt starting 2013.

In 2010 and up till end of April 2012, Sina assumed the role of Corporate Social Responsibility Unit Head, National Bank of Egypt, Cairo, Egypt. She held several positions, while working at the Egyptian Ministry of Trade and Industry between September 2009 and till April 2010. Sina was the Program Manager, Minister's Technical Office, at the Ministry of Trade & Industry. She was the Special Assistant to Minister’s Office, from October 2006 till September 2008.

Tariqullah Khan is a Pakistan born academic. In 2022 he was awarded the Islamic Development Bank Prize in Islamic Economics and Finance "In recognition of his distinguished work to integrate Islamic economics and finance with sustainable development and circular economy and infusing them in higher education programs"

Current and past Experience
- Currently, he is Professor at INCEIF University, Malaysia
- Professor of Islamic Economics and Finance at the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences, Istanbul Zaim University
- Managing Director- Ventureethica.com
- President of International Association for Islamic Economics
- Professor and Program Director MSc and PhD Islamic Finance and Economy at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation
- Visiting scholar at Stanford University (2017) as well as at Harvard University (2011).
- Division Chief, Islamic Banking and Finance at the Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI).
- Researcher, Senior Researcher, Lead Researcher and Principal Researcher at the IsDBI
- Academic in Gomal University, Pakistan and International Islamic University Islamabad
- Published several papers, chapters, and books in many research areas of Islamic economics and finance as an established academic over the years.

Qualification
- PhD Economics - Loughborough University, United Kingdom
- MA Economics – University of Karachi, Pakistan
- BA Economics – University of Karachi, Pakistan

Mr Khalid Jawahir is a Senior Islamic Finance Specialist at the Islamic Development Bank Institute. He has designed, appraised and supported the implementation of Islamic Finance technical assistance interventions and Micro, SME and Rural Finance projects and components in several IsDB member countries. He has represented the IsDB in Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) working groups for the development of prudential standards and guiding principles for the Islamic financial services industry, as a panel member for the COP22 session on Building Resiliency to Climate Change in Marrakech and also as a speaker for the Making Finance Work for Africa’s 3rd Webinar on Islamic Finance on the topic of ‘Enhancing Financial Inclusion in Africa’. Mr Khalid holds an MSc in Islamic Banking and Finance from the International Islamic University Malaysia.

Currently a Programme Officer at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. Earlier, the CEO of Taiba Holding Company since 2006, and
Founder and Managing Partner of Atlas advisory in The State of Kuwait, the UAE and the Sultanate of Oman since 2000. Mr. Al-Dajani is specialised in socioeconomic development, Islamic social finance, investment banking,
companies restructuring and funds management. He has conducted studies for
mega urban development projects such as Sabah Al-Ahmad Residential City in the State of Kuwait. Mr. Al-Dajani has over 38 years of experience in the fields
of Institutional Investments, Corporate Finance, Global Economics, Governance
and Risk Assessment.
Al-Dajani was a Lecturer the fields of Islamic Money and Banking, Islamic Corporate Finance & Islamic Banking Services at The Institute of Banking
Studies, the State of Kuwait. Also, he was the Visiting Scholar at Harvard Law School, Comparative Legal Studies Program back in 1997.

Dr. Walid Hegazy has over 30 years of experience in representing and advising clients on transactions and disputes involving the commercial laws and regulations of many Middle East countries, including: Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Libya.

His main areas of expertise include Islamic banking and finance, project financing, corporate restructuring and corporate governance.
Dr. Hegazy has S.J.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science) and LL.M. degrees from Harvard Law School.

In 2011, Dr. Hegazy was named to the "Leading Lawyer 50" in the area of Islamic Finance by Lawyer Monthly Magazine.

In 2015, he was selected for the Board of Ethics of the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), the leading standards-setting body for Islamic banks.

Dr. Hegazy is the co-founder and secretary general of the Egyptian Islamic Finance Association.

Originally hailing from Civil Service of Pakistan (DMG), Dr. Amjad Saqib is founder and Chairman of Akhuwat, the largest interest-free microfinance program in the world. This program has disbursed over Rs. 182 billion to around 5.5 million poor families in Pakistan and has launched Pakistan’s first free ‘Akhuwat College University’ that is open to talent from impoverished families without regard to gender, religion, or politics. He is also working as chairman Punjab Development Network (PDN) which is a network of more than 160 development and charity organizations, working for social and economic development especially in areas like clean drinking water and sanitation. He is Executive Director, Fountain house - an Institute of treatment and rehabilitation of mentally challenged people. His areas of expertise include governance, poverty alleviation, microfinance and rural development. Because of his remarkable achievements in restoring human dignity to Pakistan’s most vulnerable communities, including poor women and trans-genders, through financial inclusion, education, health care, and provision of shelter and housing, Dr. Saqib has received world-wide recognition, including “Ramon Magsaysay Award 2021”, popularly known as “Asia’s Nobel Prize”, the Islamic Economy Award by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Thomson Reuters in 2018. He is also recipient of Social Entrepreneur of the year award for 2018 by World Economic Forum (WEF) and Schwab Foundation and Commonwealth’s 31st Point of Light award by Queen Elizabeth II in 2018. He has also been awarded Life Time Achievement Award, 2014 by Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and Thomson Reuters, for his efforts to promote Islamic finance. President of Pakistan bestowed on him Sitara-a-Imtiaz, one of the coveted civil awards of Pakistan. He is author of seven books and an acclaimed speaker who has spoken at UN, Harvard, Oxford and Cambridge.

Faizal is a UK qualified lawyer and for many years has worked and advised, and is a trusted advisor to institutions, corporates and families across the Middle East and Africa. Faizal specialises in banking and finance and has advised both corporates and families including on their international investment and holding structures.
 
Faizal is responsible for developing the strategy for Jersey Finance’s engagement in Africa, the Middle East and India. He is focussed on his key markets, regularly travelling to all these countries, liaising and working with key stakeholders, including public and private institutions, corporates and families, building long term mutually beneficial relationships.
 
Faizal graduated with a first class in his undergraduate Law (LLB) Honours degree and a distinction in his postgraduate (MSc) degree in Islamic Banking and Finance, both from top tier UK based universities.
 
Having successfully mentored for HRH King Charles’ charities, the Prince’s Trust and Mosiac, over several years, Faizal continues with his passion for mentoring young, dynamic and  promising entrepreneurs globally. Faizal currently mentors MBA students from the prestigious and the world’s leading business school, the Saïd Business School at Oxford University.

He was the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited, the first Islamic Bank established in the year 1983 and MD & CEO of Export Import Bank of Bangladesh Limited, another Islamic bank of Bangladesh. He was associated with the establishment of an Islamic Bank named Jaiz Bank in Nigeria. He is now Chairman/Member of Shariah Supervisory Committee of several Islamic Banks/IFIs. He is also Chairman of Shariah Supervisory Committee of two large corporate organizations for issuance of Sukuk. Besides, Mr. Farid is an Independent Director of ICB Islamic Bank. He acted as the Advisor/Consultant of two Islamic Banks.
Mr. Farid was bestowed with the ‘Central Shariah Board Islamic Banking Award’. He was awarded Sir Salimullah Gold Medal for his remarkable contribution for establishment, growth, and development of Islamic banking in Bangladesh.
Mr. Md. Farid Uddin Ahmed is a graduate in Commerce and obtained higher management training from USA. He visited KSA, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Malaysia, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, India, USA, UK, Germany, France, Switzerland, Australia, Japan, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau.

Khaled Khalifa is a professional humanitarian worker with more than 25 years of experience in relief and development. He led humanitarian operations in various settings of natural disasters and complex
emergencies.

Khaled Khalifa worked in several senior managerial positions with major international organizations in many countries and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Management Leadership and Organizational Strategy. He
holds an MA degree in English Literature & Humanities, an MSc in Sustainable Development, and a Project Management Diploma. He is a well-known international trainer in disaster management and an expert speaker on humanitarian affairs and the Middle East.

In addition to his role as a representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council,
Mr Khaled leads UNHCR’s Islamic philanthropy activities globally and has
been instrumental in the success of the Refugee Zakat Fund, which
supported over 2 million beneficiaries in 13 countries last year. This success was made possible thanks to Khaled Khalifa’s role in building
key partnerships with diverse Islamic philanthropy stakeholders.

Mohamad Noranuar bin Sajari (Anuar Sajari) is the Head of Shariah Structuring at Bank Nizwa SAOG, the first fully-fledged listed Islamic bank in the Sultanate
of Oman. His main task is managing the product engineering and Shariah
affairs of the bank mainly to supervise the structuring and bespoke transactional
advisory activities. He previously had the additional role as the Lead of the Product Development Task Force where the Task Force has successfully delivered more than 20 comprehensive Product Program Development
Documents covering both the Wholesale Banking & Retail Banking segments
respectively.

Currently he and the team are pursuing new initiatives for Bank Nizwa being a core member of the Bank’s Task Force on Sustainable Banking, Green Initiative and Islam Social Finance.
Anuar Sajari has close to 20 years of Islamic finance experience and possesses practical experience, a solid understanding in Shariah and experience in a diverse range of business management applications, including transaction
structuring, implementation of holistic product development cycle and product
management as well as Shariah governance vis-à-vis corporate governance.

The recent 11 years of his experience were within the GCC (Oman and UAE)
and previously in ASEAN (Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Brunei). Anuar Sajari is credited as the first Malaysian Islamic banker to join Oman’s
Islamic finance industry from ground zero back in 2012. He is also the International industry advisor for Universiti Malaya and Universiti Tunku Abdul
Rahman where he provides his industrial insight on a pro-bono basis.

Dr. Bello Lawal Danbatta was appointed the Secretary-General of the IFSB effective 29 January 2018. Dr. Danbatta, previously the Director of the Centre of Consultancy and Executive Programmes at INCEIF, has over 29 years combined experience in the private, academia, as well as in the financial services regulation and supervision sectors across Africa, Europe, Asia and the
Middle East. He is a Member of the Accounting and Auditing Board of Accounting and Auditing
Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), the Basel Consultative Group (BCG),
the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA), the International Auditing
and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) and has chaired various working groups for the
issuance of financial accounting standards for Islamic financial institutions. He has also been
involved in the development and drafting of standards, guidelines and frameworks for capital
adequacy, accounting, as well as supervision and regulation of Islamic finance for various
countries.
Dr. Danbatta holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Banking and Finance from the International Islamic
University Malaysia (IIUM), and an MBA in Corporate Finance. He is a Chartered Accountant
(Fellow) with the Association of Certified Chartered Accountant (ACCA-UK), a Licensed
International Financial Analyst (LIFA-UK), and a member of the Chartered Institute of Islamic
Finance Professionals (CIIFP), Member of Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), Institute of
Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), and International Council for Islamic Finance
Educators (ICIFE). Dr. Danbatta is a known Islamic banking and finance consultant, and has
been active in providing Islamic finance training and consultancy to central banks, securities
commissions, deposit insurance corporations and Islamic banks. He also has a number of
publications on Islamic banking, corporate governance and earnings management.
In addition to these corporate engagements, he also held the positions of Assistant Professor
at Sultan Qaboos University Oman, a Research Fellow at the Accounting Research Institute
(ARI) of University Technology MARA (UiTM), Malaysia and Academic Fellow at Insaniah
University Malaysia. He has worked with the Highland Bank of Nigeria Plc, Peugeot
Automobiles and Securities and Exchange Commission of Nigeria.

Darrel Scott CA(SA) is a financial consultant working with the World Bank, regulatory authorities and national and international accounting standard setters.  He is a former member of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), having completed his second five-year term on 30 September 2020. While he was with the IASB, he chaired the IASB Emerging Economies Group and the IASB SME Implementation Group and was a Board advisor on the IFRS 9, IFRS 16 and IFRS 17 projects. 
Prior to joining the Board, he was the Chief Financial Officer of FirstRand Banking Group, one of the largest financial institutions in South Africa.

Assoc. Dr. Yusuf Dinç graduated from Dumlupınar University, Department of Economics in 2005. He started his career in Islamic finance at AlbarakaTürk Participation Bank in 2007. He joined Duke University Faculty of Law as a researcher in 2015 and received his doctorate from Marmara University Banking and Insurance Institute in the same year. He worked as an assistant professor at Trakya University between 2016-2017. He has numerous books, articles and publications on Islamic finance, insurance, banking and shadow banking. At the same time, he carried out the execution of national and international institution projects such as the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in the field of interest-free finance. Since 2017, he has been a faculty member of the English Department of Islamic Economics and Finance at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University. Dinç, who also served as the Director of the Management, Entrepreneurship and Leadership Research Center at the same university, is the winner of the Smart Economy Lab award from the Islamic Development Bank Institute. He was appointed as a member of the Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Board on July 7, 2022, by the Presidential Decision. Dinç is married with two children. He fluently speaks English.

Azeem’s most important role is that of a home educating father and spouse of a home educating mother. They started this adventure in 2008 when they took all their children out of school to begin the process of learning without the involvement of a school. Given this most important role he ends up spending a lot of time trying to assess how to contribute towards a better society for future generations.

On the professional front he is the CEO of Pak-Qatar Family Takaful (PQFTL), the first and largest dedicated Takaful group in Pakistan. On the social front he is one of the founding trustees at Ihsaas Trust, a provider of microfinance, for developing a sustainable livelihood for the economically challenged, and social support.

A PGD in Islamic Banking and Finance from the Center of Islamic Economics in Pakistan, an MBA in International Business from the University of New Brunswick in Canada, and a BBA in Finance from the University of Houston in the USA are his academic credentials.

Mr. Muhammad Kashif Siddiqee, a Fellow Chartered Accountant, Fellow Public Finance Accountant, PGD in Islamic Banking & Takaful and Certified Shariah Compliance Auditor, with an extensive knowledge and more than 20 years of experience of Takaful & insurance regulatory supervision, development of national and international legislations, accounting / reporting standards related to Takaful & insurance industry, regulatory off-site examination and on-site inspections and advisory and consulting services.

He is currently associated with the Capital Market Authority (CMA - Oman) as an expert advisor (insurance & Takaful) and previously served at Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) as a Joint Director, head of supervision wing of insurance division. He has also practiced the profession of Chartered Accountancy while associated with a firm of chartered accountants as a senior partner in Pakistan.

He is at present a member of various workings groups formed by AAOIFI (Bahrain) and IFSB (Malaysia) for the development of standards for Takaful companies and supervisory authorities and Arab Union of Insurance Regulators for Implementation of IFRS 17 in the region. He is also a member of FinTech committee, technical auditors’ advisory committee, XBRL committee of the CMA. He also served as a member of Shariah advisory board of SECP.

Dr. Humayon Dar is a world-known expert in Islamic banking and finance. In a career spanning over 25 years, he has served in academia, investment banking, advisory and most recently in advocacy. His last career job before joining Cambridge-IIF was Director General of Islamic Research & Training Institute (IRTI), a member of the Islamic Development Bank Group. Prior to that, he founded arguably one of the most formidable Islamic financial advisory and advocacy groups in the world, namely HD-Edbiz Group of Companies, comprising Cambridge IFA and Edbiz Consulting, among others. Between 2007 and 2011, he served as CEO of BMB Islamic, a global Shari’a advisory firm. Before that, he worked as Managing Director at Deutsche Bank AG London, where he also led a team of Shari’a technicians to help the bank develop the most pathbreaking range of Islamic structured products.

Dr. Dar’s numerous industry-level engagements include memberships of Board of Directors, Advisory Councils and Shari’a Advisory Boards.

He is the founder of Cambridge Islamic Finance Leadership Programme, which Cambridge IFA has been running since 2013. He was also a main architect behind the several executive qualifications in Islamic Finance offered by leading Business Schools around the world.

Dr. Dar is a graduate of International Islamic University Islamabad from where he received BSc. (Hons.) and MSc. in economics. Later he attended the University of Cambridge from where he obtained MPhil. and PhD. degrees.

Dr Aishath Muneeza is an Associate Professor at INCEIF, Malaysia which is known as the global University of Islamic Finance. She has served as the first female Deputy Minister of Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Maldives; Deputy Minister of Ministry of Finance and Treasury in Maldives; Head of Islamic Finance of Capital Market Development Authority of Maldives; member of
Islamic Fiqh Academy (National Fatawa Council of Maldives); first chairman of Hajj pilgrimage
fund, Maldives Hajj Corporation Limited; chairman of Maldives Center for Islamic Finance Limited which was set by government of Maldives to strategize Maldives as the hub of Islamic finance in South Asia; Islamic Finance consultant who developed the first shariah compliant Islamic
microfinance scheme offered in Maldives; the Shariah Advisor who structured all the corporate
sukuks offered in Maldives; Shariah Adviser who structured the private sukuk and Islamic
treasury instruments for the government of Maldives; and the consultant who drafted the Islamic capital market legal framework for the country. Dr Muneeza is a registered Shariah Adviser with the Capital Market Development Authority of Maldives to structure Islamic capital market products and she is a registered Shariah Adviser at Securities Commission Malaysia. Since 2011, she has been the chairman of apex Shariah Advisory Council of Capital Market Development
Authority of Maldives and she is the chairperson of different in-house shariah advisory
committees. She is also a member of Board Shariah Committee of CIMB Islamic, Malaysia and Munich Re. She is also a member of Public Interest Monitoring Consultative Committee (PIMCC)
of Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI).

The First Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Syria, supervising: The Supervision Directorate Responsible for Supervising the Banking Sector - Directorate of Public Debt and Securities - Directorate of Risk Management - Directorate of Accounts
a master's degree in economics/accounting.
Syrian certified public accountant (SCPA)
a Member of the following boards: Board of Directors of the central bank of Syria, the Monetary and Credit Council, the Accounting and Auditing Council, the Real Estate Finance commission, Damascus Stock Exchange Council (formerly)
published researches titled: Early Warning Indicators for Banking Risk Prediction (2017)
Research in progress:
-1- PhD thesis entitled: "The impact of Basel resolutions on international financial reporting standards and their role in improving the quality of performance in Syrian banks".
2- "The impact of exchange rate fluctuations on the performance of Syrian banks listed on the Damascus Securities Exchange".
3- "The performance of microfinance banks in Syria">

Prof Dr. Syed Nazim Ali is the Director of Research Division at College of Islamic Studies (CIS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar. He has spent the last thirty years spearheading interdisciplinary research in Islamic finance and faith-based initiatives in finance as well as community development. He was formerly the founding director (1995-2014) of the Islamic Finance Project at Harvard University and Acting Executive Director (2010-2013) of the Islamic Legal Studies program at Harvard Law School and a Visiting Fellow (2014–2017) at the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Islamic Studies Program at Harvard. Among his academic and research initiatives in the field of Islamic Finance is the Harvard University Islamic Finance Conference (HUFIC) in 1995. The biennial conference has continued ever since and has recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary on Oct 21 and 22, 2022. The event has proved to be a platform for intellectual discourse of Islamic finance as a subject of academic interest whose ideas eventually get into practice. Another initiative is the annual Islamic Finance workshop at the London School of Economics since 2007 and now continued at SOAS-University of London. Dr. Ali had been actively involved with the US Treasury, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, US Department of the Treasury, and central banks in other countries, working to improve understanding of and combat misconceptions about the Islamic Finance Industry. Most of his work focuses on Social Financing, Islamic Finance, and Islamic Information Systems. He continues his efforts now at HBKU with the same pace and passion, leading to the initiation of the annual International Conference on Islamic Finance (ICIF), and the annual CEOs and Islamic Finance Leaders Roundtable. His recent books include: The Edinburgh Companion to Shari‘ah Governance in Islamic Finance; Waqf Development and Innovations: Socio-Economic and Legal Perspectives; Fintech in Islamic Finance: Theory and Practice; and Islamic Finance and Circular Economy. Dr. Ali received his PhD from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Great Britain.

Dr. Muhammad Bilal is an expert in the field of Islamic Banking and Finance. He is currently working at the General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions (CIBAFI) as a Research Economist, primarily handling research projects related to Islamic banking and sustainable finance. He is well-versed with Islamic finance and sustainability practices and is a subject matter expert on structuring Islamic financial products and services.

Before joining CIBAFI, Dr. Bilal was a Sustainable Development & Finance Consultant at Z Consulting Group, Malaysia where he has contributed to several industry projects, research in Islamic banking, capital market, affordable housing and sustainable & ethical finance, and consultation work. Dr. Bilal has also developed an alternative Islamic credit card model (AlMuqassah model) and a Shariah-compliant affordable public housing model, and his research work is published in reputed international journals (indexed by SSCI, SCOPUS and EBSCO).

Dr. Bilal holds a PhD degree in Islamic Banking & Finance and a Master’s degree in Islamic Finance from International Islamic University Malaysia.

Firas Sadek Hamdan born in 1971 in Lebanon. Graduated from Beirut Arab University with a BA in Accounting in 1993. Worked as a Graduate Assistant during his Master’s study in 1994-1995.
He started his career in the private sector in 1993 until 1997 where he moved to the ministry of Finance in Lebanon. At the end of 1997 he moved to Banque Du Liban and became a member of the accounting department. In 2017 he became the Executive director of the Human Resources Department at the Central Bank of Lebanon (Banque Du Liban BDL). Since the beginning of his practical experience he was highly involved in the field of accounting and was a certified trainer for International Accounting standards with IMF and EU. In addition to this, he became an expert in Islamic Finance and as a result of this exposure, he became an active member in AAOIFI Accounting Board for three terms and CIPA certified Trainer. His involvement in Islamic Finance made him the coordinator of the Islamic Banking Regulatory Committee at the central bank and the main representative of BDL with IFSB in Malaysia.

Professor Dr. M. Kabir Hassan is Professor of Finance in the Department of Economics and Finance in the University of New Orleans. He currently holds three endowed Chairs-Bank One Professor of Business, Hibernia Professor of Economics and Finance, and Bank One Professor in Business- in the University of New Orleans. Professor Hassan is the winner of the 2016 Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Prize in Islamic Banking and Finance. Professor Hassan has over 450+ papers published/forthcoming in refereed academic journals. He has presented 500+ papers in professional academic conferences and gave 300+ keynote lectures and presentations in many universities and conferences in the world. Professor Hassan has also been cited as one of the most prolific authors in finance literature in the last fifty years in a paper published in Journal of Finance Literature. His publication record puts him among the top 5.6% of all authors who published in the 26 leading finance journals. He is among the top 5% authors according to number of Journal Pages at RePAC/IDEAS. Professor Hassan has been included in its 2022 edition as 2% of top scholars in the world in a study published by Standford University and Elsevier Publishing Company. Professor Hassan is the 2019 recipient of University of Louisiana System Outstanding Educator, 2019 Life-long Research Achievement Award, and 2018 UNO Nick Mueller International Leadership Medallion Winner and 2019 UL System outstanding Educator Award. Professor Hassan is the Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, and Journal of Economic Cooperation and Development published by SESRIC and Quarterly Journal of Finance and Accounting, University of Nebraska-Omaha. In addition, he serves on the Editorial Board (Associate Editor, Guest Editor and Board Member) of a good number of academic journals in banking, economics, and finance. Professor Hassan is a member of the AAOIFI Ethics and Governance Board and Education Board. He served as an advisory Board Member of Oxford University Faith-Aligned Impact Finance Project and sits on the Advisory Board on Michelson Institute Project on Islamic finance in Norway. Professor Hassan has consulted the World Bank (WB), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and many Governments and private and public organization. He has been awarded a Senior Fulbright Scholar for 2022-2023.

Mr. Al-Hamad has held several senior posts at the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB).

His current responsibilities include supervision of all banking institutions, including Islamic banks, financing companies, Payment Services Providers and Card Services providers licensed by the CBB, as well as inspection of all financial institutions, comprising banks, insurance firms, investment firms, financing Cos., microfinance Cos., money changers, capital market licensees and ancillary services providers.

Mr. Al-Hamad began his career in 1987 with the Bahrain Monetary Agency, the predecessor of the CBB. From 1990 till 2003, he served as Acting Director, Inspection and then as director, Banking Supervision. In 2003 he joined Ernst & Young in Bahrain, serving as Senior Consultant on Risk Management & Regulatory Services. He rejoined the CBB in his current post in February 2006.

Mr. Al-Hamad has a Bachelor degree in Business Administration from the University Of Portland, USA, and a Strategic Leadership and Executive Management Program certificate from the University of Columbia, New York.

Mr. Al-Hamad is Chairman of the International Islamic Financial Market (IIFM), Board of Trustees member in Islamic Development Bank Training Institute (Jeddah), Board member in Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (Bahrain) and Council member of Business School at University of Bahrain.

Ali Allawala has 25+ years global experience having worked in United Arab Emirates, Malaysia,
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Pakistan.
Ali is currently working as Head of Islamic Banking in UAE as well as managing Standard
Chartered’s global consumer and wealth management business covering UAE, Pakistan, Malaysia,
Bangladesh, Bahrain, Indonesia, and Brunei.
Previously, Ali has performed senior management roles including Chief Executive Officer at
Standard Chartered Saadiq in Malaysia, Head of Retail Banking at Samba Pakistan, and Cards
Business / Portfolio Manager at Samba Saudi Arabia and Citibank Egypt. He has extensive
experience of launching new markets, business transformation, product management, distribution,
digital banking, wealth management and marketing.
As an advocate of fintech, sustainable finance, and financial inclusion, Ali has launched programs
across geographies to create value in the Islamic finance ecosystem.
His team has been recognized for multiple global and country awards such as ‘Best Islamic Retail
Banking Group’, ‘Best Digital Islamic Bank’ and ‘Best Islamic Consumer Banker in Pakistan’.
He is passionate about people development and is a certified Master Life Coach of Neuro Linguistic
Programming (NLP).
Ali has an MBA from the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi, Pakistan.

Prof. Dr. Mohamad Akram Laldin is currently the Executive Director of ISRA Management Centre, and Professor at INCEIF University. Prior to joining ISRA he was an Assistant Professor at the Kulliyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, International Islamic University, Malaysia (IIUM). In the period 2002-2004, he was a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

At present, he is the Member of Bank Negara Malaysia Shari’ah Advisory Council, Chairman of Shari’ah Board of Employees Provident Fund Malaysia (EPF), Member of Shariah Supervisory Council of Labuan Financial Services Authority (FSA), Chairman of Shariah Advisory Committee For Shariah Compliant Fund (SACF) of Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad (ASNB), Member of The Shariah Advisory Committee of Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), Chairman of ASNB Wakalah Sdn Bhd, Member of Shariah Board DDCAP, London, Member of Internal Shariah Supervisory Committee, Dubai Islamic Bank, Member of Shariah Advisory Council International Islamic Financial Market (IIFM),Bahrain, Member of AAOIFI Public Interest Monitoring Consultative Committee (PIMCC), Member of First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) Internal Shariah Supervision Committee, Chairman of the Shariah Supervisory Board (SSB) of the “Amanat Advisory” LLC, Member Financial Regulation Advisory Council of Experts (FRACE), Central Bank of Nigeria, Member of Shariah Supervisory Board, Bank Musqat Meethaq Islamic Bank, Member of The Panel of Recognized International Market Experts in Finance (“P.R.I.M.E. Finance”), Member of Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia (ICDM) and other boards locally and internationally.

Prof. Akram holds a B.A. Honours degree in Islamic Jurisprudence and Legislation from the University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan and a Ph.D. in Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence (Usul al-Fiqh) from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. He has presented many papers related to Islamic Banking and Finance and other Fiqh topics at national and International level and has conducted many training sessions particularly on Islamic Banking and Finance for different sectors since 1999. He is a registered Shariah Advisor for Islamic Securities with the Securities Commission of Malaysia and has acted as Shariah advisor in the issuance of several sukuks. In addition, he is also prolific author of academic works specifically in the areas of Islamic Banking and Finance. He is the recipient of Zaki Badawi Award for Excellence in Shariah Advisory and Research. Recipient of the Most Outstanding Individual Contribution to Islamic Finance during KLIFF 2016 organised by CERT. Winner of the 2017/1439H Malaysian Islamic Personality Award conferred by The Government of Malaysia on the occasion of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

MBA, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Pakistan; BSc. Electrical Engineering, University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore, Pakistan.  

Mr. Hassan has over twenty-seven years of banking experience, spread across Corporate & Consumer Banking, Global Transaction Services, and Islamic Finance. He has been with Bank ABC Islamic since 2005. Prior to joining Bank ABC, Mr. Hassan worked for over eleven years with Citigroup and its affiliate in Saudi Arabia, Samba Financial Group. Mr. Hassan joined Citigroup in 1994. In 2005, Mr. Hassan joined Bank ABC Islamic as the Head of Coverage. In his current role, he is the CEO for Bank ABC Islamic, Bahrain as well as the Group Head of Islamic Banking for Bank ABC. Mr. Hassan represents Bank ABC Islamic on the boards of IIFM and Waqf Fund, Bahrain.

Abdulaziz Saoud Al Mualla is an Islamic finance specialist. He was awarded his Bachelor’s degree in Financial Services from The Higher Colleges of Technology, UAE.

Abdulaziz is currently serving as Senior Examiner - Shari'ah Compliance, Banking Supervision at the CB UAE. Before that, he was part of the Higher Shari’ah Authority Secretariat at the CB UAE; before joining the CB UAE, Abdulaziz worked as a Relationship Manager at the Corporate baking department of Sharjah Islamic Bank.

Mr. Hamza is Head of Shariah at the NCB, supervising Shariah functions like support &development, Compliance & Governance, Advisory & Research and Audit for all NCB Group and its affiliates, including Treasury, Corporate, Retail, NCBC and ATC. He has 16 years of professional experience starting with Bank Aljazira as a Shariah Auditor responsible for the Treasury and Corporate Groups. He then joined SABB as a Shariah Auditor and then as a Shariah Advisor and later moved to Corporate Division handling products development. Later he joined NCB as the Head of Shariah Support and Development, supporting all NCB business groups including Treasury, Corporate and Retail. Hamza is a member of the Board of Trustees of AAOIFI and of the Board of Directors of IIFM and CIBAFI.

Mr. Hamza holds an Executive MBA certificate.

Ashar Nazim is the founder and Group CEO of Aion Digital, he is a
fintech entrepreneur, investor, and board advisor. Formerly, he was
a senior partner at Ernst & Young and global head of Islamic
banking practice.
Ashar is engaged in the build-out of the fintech ecosystem in MENA,
advising several Islamic banks on structuring and implementation of
fintech solutions. Over past 20 years, he has helped in the
operational buildout of more than 30 Islamic financial institutions
and national level programs.
In 2020, Ashar won the MEA Finance Award for “Best Technology
Leadership” in his role as Founder and CEO of Aion Digital.

Born in Istanbul, Turkiye in 1966, Dr. Albayrak graduated from Technical University of Istanbul as an
industrial engineer in 1988.
He received his MS degree (1993) from University of North Carolina at Pembroke in Organizational
Leadership and Management, and PhD degree from Technical University of Istanbul, Management
Department with his thesis on technology management in 2007.
Joined in Islamic Banking Industry 34 years ago, Dr. Albayrak has been working for Kuwait Turkish
Participation Bank as Executive Vice President (EVP) since 2005.
Until October 2012 he worked as COO of the bank ( responsible for IT, Operations, Admin, HR &
Strategy), being effective onward from same date, he was assigned to Treasury and International
Banking Group of the Bank as EVP and Deputy CEO. He has two board memberships at two
subsidiaries of Kuveyt Turk, namely KT Asset Management Co. (as Chairman of the Board) in
Istanbul and KT Bank AG in Germany (as Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board).
He also served Turkish NGO’s and Waqf’s with different roles on their boards and currently board
member of “Hamilik Okulu Vakfı”. Having a PhD as an Islamic Banker, he felt obliged to teach at the
universities and wrote book chapters and articles on Islamic Banking specifically in Governance and
Ethics. He is also editor of two books on Islamic Banking. Served Islamic Banking Association of
Turkey within different committees including Treasury, HR, Ethics and Editorial Board for the
Association’s publications. Recently he has been assigned as a Board Member of AAOIFI Governance
and Ethics Board.
Married with Tuba Albayrak and has 3 children

Dr. Shaher is the founder and CEO of IFIN, the first-of-its-kind Islamic Fintech that is geared to redefine the way Islamic finance industry. He is also the co-founder of IFAAS, an international consultancy specialised in Islamic finance.
Dr. Shaher has over 20 years of experience across the Islamic finance landscape, including banking, Shariah governance, product development, auditing, and training with extensive knowledge in the Fintech sphere.
His technical expertise and ability to innovate has been internationally acclaimed and endorsed as he received the ‘Ethical Finance Innovation Challenge Award’ twice; in 2013 for IFAAS and in 2021 for IFIN.
Dr. Shaher holds a PhD in Islamic Financial Engineering from Durham University, UK and a Master's degree in Islamic Economics, Banking and Finance from Loughborough University, UK. He is also an AAOIFI Certified Shariah Advisor and Auditor (CSAA).

Umar Munshi is a social entrepreneur from Singapore. He is the co-founder of Ethis Global (Ethis.co), an award-winning group of investment and Crowdfunding platforms with regulatory approvals in Malaysia, Indonesia and Oman. Ethis has firmly established itself as the leader in Fintech for impact-focused and shariah-compliant alternative investments. It serves large and small investors from more than 84 countries, to invest in companies, startups and projects in Southeast Asia and the GCC. Ethis Indonesia (Ethis.co.id) is a licensed P2P lending/ financing/ platform that matches impact investors to short-term SME financing projects. Ethis Malaysia (Ethis.co/my) is the country’s first Shariah-compliant Equity Crowdfunding platform, funding future-tech, circular economy and Islamic economy startups and SMEs. EthisX (EthisX.com), a cross-border investment platform, will have an expanded scope of fundraising and investment options and opportunities. GlobalSadaqah.com is Ethis’s Islamic Social Finance marketplace that matches charity, Zakat and CSR from Foundations, Corporations, Islamic Banks and the public to support NGOs and social enterprises. Umar is the president of the Islamic Fintech Alliance, a group of pioneer Islamic fintech founders.