On 2- 3 May 2018 the General Council of Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions (CIBAFI), the umbrella of Islamic financial institutions hosted the global forum whose theme was, “The New Face of Financial Services: Disruptions, Opportunities and the New Normals”. The venue of the forum was Istanbul, Turkey.
The event highlighted some of the most important transformation agendas of the Islamic finance industry. Speakers at the Forum discussed industry megatrends and provided insights on key expansion areas and opportunities to ensure continuous growth. Participants had the opportunity to present their views on the most recent challenges and opportunities that shape the future of the industry, including organic growth drivers, risk outlook, technical capabilities and infrastructures, etc.
Some of the agendas that were covered included:
• Global and regional Macroeconomic Outlook and Regulatory responses
• Overview of the Islamic Financial Institutions Development in the Digital Age
• Innovation and Technology: Bringing Islamic Finance Industry to the Frontier
• Human capital and the future of employment in the Artificial Intelligence and enhanced automation era
• The role of Islamic financial Institutions in promoting Entrepreneurship for all Round Development
• Leveraging the Industry Growth with Fourth Industrial Revolution
Mohammed Abbes, the Public Policy Director, from the GSMA chaired the session themed “Role and Power of Mobile in Expanding Financial Inclusion”. The panelists of the session included Mr. Fadi Al Faqih, Chief Executive Officer, Bank of Khartoum, Sudan; Mr. Mohammed Kateeb, Group Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Path Solutions, Kuwait; and Mr. Mehmet Cantekin, General Manager, Turkcell Finansman A.Ş, Turkey.
The Session focused on the power of mobile banking, and the future of business in the shadow of Banks and Telecom.