IFN OnAir

Can we better utilize Islamic financial services in promoting the Halal economy and managing social finance funds? How can minorities and the disadvantaged be empowered through the application of Islamic finance and social welfare mechanisms such as Waqf, Zakat and Sadaqah? How do we enhance the role of Islamic finance in driving philanthropic initiatives in Malaysia? Where and how do social finan...

Adnan Zaylani Mohamad Zahid , Deputy Governor, Bank Negara Malaysia

How can the performance and impact of Malaysian Islamic capital markets and Sukuk be further enhanced? How significant is the re-emergence of the regulatory capital Sukuk market for the region’s Islamic financial institutions? Can more be done to supply the market with high-quality liquid assets, and to what extent would this contribute to building a yield curve unique to Islamic issuers? How do w...

How is Islamic banking advancing through the growth of Islamic fintechs and the utilization of technology? Where and how will the region’s new digital Islamic banks create competitive advantage, and how are incumbent Islamic banks responding? How is new technology improving data management, risk assessment, compliance and UI/UX for Islamic banks? How is digital transformation increasing efficiency...

John Welling , Senior Director Head of Global Equity Indices, S&P Dow Jones Indices

What potential opportunities are on offer in supporting the transition of population dynamics in Southeast Asia, and what role should Islamic financial institutions play? How can Islamic finance be further deployed as a tool to reduce income and wealth inequality, and drive financial inclusion in the region? How are new technologies shaping strategy for the provision and distribution of Islamic fi...

In this episode with IFN journalist Radhika Das, Aleem Siddiqui Guiapal speaks about the evolving landscape of Islamic finance in the Philippines, exploring the recent inauguration of Maybank's Islamic banking branch in Zamboanga. They delve into its potential impact on local economies and the broader Islamic finance industry.

Tawarruq remains a key tool in Islamic finance despite ongoing debates around its structure. In this episode with IFN journalist Radhika Das, Elias Moubarak discusses the legal challenges, regulatory developments and cross-border complexities of Tawarruq, offering insights into its flexibility and future prospects. 

Private credit strategies are gathering momentum among Islamic investors. In this episode with IFN Managing Editor Vineeta Tan, Walter Gontarek, CEO of Channel Capital Advisors, explores different Shariah compliant private credit strategies, opportunities and prospects of this exciting asset class. 

What are the key technological integrations and partnerships that are reshaping regional Islamic asset management, and how are regulators responding to innovation? How are AI and machine learning remodeling asset allocation and how is the implementation of tokenization set to change the industry? What represent the latest Shariah compliant digital assets in use today, and are ECF and P2P platforms...

Post-COP28, what continue to be key features and challenges of regional Islamic asset management, and how are crucial ESG considerations being incorporated? How are investors continuing to encourage portfolio companies to manage long-term climate-related risk and social impact? How is Islamic sustainable investment being supported by innovative activities such as carbon trading, and what opportuni...

What represents a holistic and efficient Islamic investment ecosystem, and what is an effective regulatory environment to foster growth for the sector? What are notable recent developments in global Islamic investment management, including those influencing investment patterns, asset allocation and product innovation? What role is technology playing in the evolution of Islamic asset management, an...

How is private capital influencing regional financial markets? How is private credit transforming GCC corporate financing, and what approach should regulators take? What are opportunities for private equity investment and how can this market be effectively navigated? What are opportunities for early-stage Shariah compliant venture capital, and can the success of global venture funds be emulated re...

Ahmed Kareem El Kenzi , Director, BTD International Fund House – Luxembourg

Takaful Oman’s CEO Neelmani Bhardwaj shares insights into the burgeoning Islamic insurance sector of the Sultanate, as well as Takaful Oman’s expansion plans in the short and medium term, with IFN’s Nessreen Tamano in this podcast episode.

In this IFN Podcast episode, Munirah Khairuddin, the country head and CEO of Principal Asset Management Malaysia speaks to Nessreen Tamano of IFN about the rising popularity and impact of digital investing, especially in the context of Shariah compliant finance, in Malaysia and around the world.

Estate planning is a major challenge in Malaysia, with the upper bound of frozen assets estimated at RM90 billion (US$19.36 billion). In this episode of the podcast, Marlena Kareem, the editor of ISFI, speaks to Ariffin Sabirin, the founder of Wasiyyah Shoppe, and Khairul Nisa Ismail, CEO of Sedania As Salam Capital, about how they are collaborating to address the Muslim estate planning challenge...

The mainstreaming of digital lending has overhauled the risk landscape for banks and financial institutions. How should the finance industry adapt? In this episode, Vineeta Tan speaks to Guru Raghavendran, the senior vice-president of banking practice at Azentio Software, to explore this topic.

Carbon credits are positioned as a potential avenue to alleviate some of the global climate pressures emanating from carbon emissions. But they are not without critics. Are they a viable asset class and how can we best optimize carbon credits and offsets? My name is Vineeta Tan, the managing editor of IFN. To understand this, in this episode, Vineeta Tan speaks to Professor Lisa Wilson, the managi...

Air Selangor issued its largest SRI Sukuk to date in October 2023. In this episode, Marlena Kereem, the editor of Islamic Sustainable Finance and Investment, sits down with Kevin Lee Shih-Min, the head of finance and strategy at Air Selangor, to talk about this landmark issuance and its SRI Sukuk strategy moving forward. 

There is a noticeable shift from traditional bank financing toward alternative financing across multiple asset classes in the GCC and beyond, which is resulting in the rise of instruments such as venture debt funds. In this episode, brought to you by King and Spalding, Asal Saghari and Mike Rainey explore this trend, bringing us expert insights and analyses to help us understand this shift and how...

There are areas of opportunities in the Islamic private equity and venture capital space, particularly in the GCC and Southeast Asian regions, where Lim Say Cheong, the CEO of Saudi Venture Capital Investment Company, has focused on in the last decade. He shares his insights with IFN in this episode with Nessreen Tamano.

reNIKOLA Solar II issued the world's first Climate Bonds Initiative-certified Sukuk in September this year. Marlena Kareem, the editor of ISFI, speaks to Khong Ho Ming, the executive director and COO of reNIKOLA, about this landmark issuance.

The Islamic insurtech sector in Malaysia is still relatively small, but CEO of Ouch!, Shazy Noorazman, believes that more players will emerge as the digital Takaful opportunity is hard to ignore. Shazy discusses the prospects and pain points of the industry in this episode with Vineeta Tan. 

Ratings play a significant role in the voluntary carbon market space.  Marlena Kareem, the editor of ISFI, speaks to Ronan Carr, the chief research officer at BeZero Carbon, about the role of ratings in the carbon market, its recent issuance of the world’s first pre-issuance rating for a carbon project as well as the mispricing of carbon credits.