November 12, 2009

The impact of the credit crunch on Islamic finance will be discussed at a unique UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) roundtable debate at the 16th Annual World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC), being held next month in Bahrain.The discussion, to be broadcast live via the Internet, will feature Bank of London and the Middle East chief executive officer Humphrey Percy, KPMG director Islamic Finance & Investments Darshan Bijur, London Stock Exchange product manager and debt and secutities specialist Gillian Walmsley, Gatehouse Bank chief executive officer Richard Thomas and Simmons & Simmons partner and head of Islamic finance Muneer Khan.

"The UK's position as a key western centre for Islamic finance is unrivalled," said UKTI chief executive officer Andrew Cahn. "The growth of the sector in London and the UK demonstrate the UK's commitment to developing strong global partnerships with regional neighbours from the Gulf to southeast Asian Islamic finance centres.There are 22 banks offering Islamic finance services in London, and five that are fully Sharia-compliant, more than in any other Western country.