For queries, please contact Mrs. Ida Shafinaz Ab. Malek at [email protected] Event Snapshots   The IFSB organised the Seminar on Islamic Finance which was supported by Banco De España in collaboration IE Business School. The Seminar themed The Real Economy and Financial Sector was held on 24 May 2016, in Madrid, Spain. The Seminar is part of the IFSB European Forum Series. The Opening Remarks were delivered by H.E. Luis M. Linde, Governor, Banco De España, Mr. Jaseem Ahmed, Secretary-General, IFSB and Mr. Guillermo de la Dehesa Romero, Chairman, IE Business School. The Seminar was designed to encourage broad interaction among the delegates to explore the potential re-alignment of economic policy frameworks in a manner that strengthens the linkages between the real economy and the financial sector as well as offering some perspectives of Islamic finance principles, and financing modalities, which directly relate to the real sector from both the viewpoints of risk and return. The sessions discussed the following issues: Panel Discussion - Islamic Finance: Legal and Regulatory Considerations Sukūk – A Growing Alternative Asset Class to Fund the Real Sector Equity-based Financing and its Effects on Macroeconomic Resilience Banking the Unbanked: Enhancing Financial Inclusion using Risk-Sharing Instruments The Seminar was attended by over 80 delegates, with a line-up of 15 chairpersons and speakers from among regulators, academics and Islamic financial sector experts and practitioners from among the European as well as global financial community. An Introductory Seminar on Islamic Finance was also held on 23 May 2016. This half-day event aimed to provide a better understanding, especially to the local delegates, on Islamic Finance. Over 60 delegates attended the Introductory Seminar. Programme - Event Session(s) Date Time Topics Day 1 23/05/2016 SEMINAR ON ISLAMIC FINANCE: AN INTRODUCTION 14:00 - 15:00 Registration and Networking 15:00 - 15:10 Welcoming Remarks 15:10 - 16:10 Session 1 - Islamic Finance: Facts and Figures Over the last decade, Islamic finance has gained much acceptance in the global arena with estimates indicating the presence of more than 600 Islamic financial institutions operating across nearly 70 countries. The industry has approximately USD2 trillion worth of assets having expanded from offering basic banking services in the 1990s to become a holistic financial sector offering Sharī`ah-compliant capital markets, asset management as well as insurance products and services. The stakeholders of the industry include both Muslim majority and non-Muslim majority jurisdictions as well global multilateral development banks and international organisations. In Europe, Islamic financial transactions are actively undertaken in some countries including in the United Kingdom, Luxembourg and Germany. This session aims to: Highlight the growth and development of the global Islamic financial services industry (IFSI) across diverse regions globally. Detail out the progress made in each of IFSI’s three main segments – Islamic banking, Islamic capital markets and Takāful (Islamic insurance). Discuss the regulatory developments in Islamic finance, and the role and work of the IFSB. Discuss the initiatives and prospects for Islamic finance in Europe. 16:15 - 17:15 Session 2 - Challenges and Opportunities for the Implementation of Islamic Finance in Spain Islamic finance provides a new and alternative source of funds for families, companies and public institutions. Although this system has originated from the Middle East and Asia, it is gaining traction globally during times when many are deliberating viable alternatives to the traditional financial systems in the Western countries. In Spain, a particular segment that experiences difficulty in steady availability of credit is the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Islamic finance principles propose a risk-sharing and equity-based financing mechanism that potentially provides a more viable modality for financing entrepreneurs, SMEs, as well as corporations and the whole society in general. Nonetheless, there will be challenges in the implementation of Islamic finance in Spain. This session aims to: Explore the value proposition for Islamic finance as an alternative financing modality for Spanish businesses Explain key features and models of Islamic finance Discuss the opportunities for Islamic finance in Spain, and its implementation challenges 17:15 - 00:00 Coffee Break and Networking Day 2 24/05/2016 SEMINAR ON ISLAMIC FINANCE: THE REAL ECONOMY AND FINANCIAL SECTOR 08:30 - 09:30 Registration 09:30 - 10:00 Welcoming Remarks 10:00 - 10:30 Coffee break 10:30 - 11:45 Session 1: Panel Discussion - Islamic Finance: Legal and Regulatory Considerations The rapid growth of Islamic finance in recent years has spurred increasing interest in the subject including in Europe. Estimates indicate the size of Islamic finance assets in Europe range between $60 billion and $70 billion as of end-2014. Almost 40 banking institutions have Islamic banking operations across the European continent, while in the Islamic capital market segment, a total of 294 Islamic funds were domiciled in Europe (as of Sept 2014). Similarly, Sukūk has been used as a fund-raising instrument across the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Germany and France with the former two having floated debut sovereign Sukūk in 2014. Fundamental to sustaining the growth of Islamic finance growth in Europe is, among other factors, an enabling environment with an appropriate regulatory and supervisory framework, and supporting legal basis, that provides for a level playing field. The scope and implementation of the needed legal and regulatory reforms can differ across jurisdictions but contain certain core elements that can draw from international core principles and standards with a view towards strengthening real sector linkages. 11:45 - 13:00 Session 2: Sukūk - A Growing Alternative Asset Class to Fund the Real Sector In the backdrop of global macroeconomic challenges and financial pressures in major markets, the fast expanding global pool of Sharī`ah-compliant capital has become an attractive source over the years for various sovereigns, government-related entities and corporates to tap into in order to meet their financing needs. In particular, Sukūk instruments have gained widespread acceptance among stakeholders as economically viable tools to achieve funding diversification and offer tailored financing (especially for infrastructure investments). In the past five years, global Sukūk outstanding has been the fastest expanding asset class in the Islamic financial services industry, achieving a compounded annual growth rate of more than 19% (2009-2014). Nonetheless, several key imperatives remain in order to expand the