November 18, 2009

As cautious optimism returns to the global economy and financial markets begin to move towards stabilisation and economic recovery, more than 1,200 industry decision-makers from over 50 countries including Malaysia, are preparing to meet in Bahrain at the 16th Annual World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC 2009).The conference from Dec 6-8, will focus on "New Strategies for New Economic Realities".

The WIBC 2009 has set the stage for discussions that will shape the post-crisis landscape as Islamic banks grapple with the need to manage risk, seek new growth markets, deliver on market expectations as well as remain competitive.The theme of the WIBC 2009 reflects this fresh outlook that leading Islamic financial institutions are currently adopting as they compete in an increasingly challenging landscape.In a statement issued here today ahead of the conference, Tirad Mahmoud, the chief executive officer(CEO) of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank,was bullish about the long-terms prospects for the Islamic banking industry.