With the IBF industry on the cusp of entering a brand new decade, the 4th Islamic Finance Forum of South Asia (IFFSA) is scheduled to be held on the 28th of November 2019 at Hotel Jen, Male. It will witness several leading players in the industry as well as from the corporate sector converge on the resplendent archipelago of the Maldives to engage in constructive debate and discussion on contemporary topics that would impact the industry. These delegates will arrive from as far as away as Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia, joining luminaries from South Asia in a day of deliberation and discussion on several topics of significant regional and global relevance in today’s context.  

The 4th IFFSA is to be held for the first-time outside Sri Lanka, following the first three editions held in Colombo. Hosting the event in Male would provide the stakeholders in the Maldives the opportunity to showcase the giant strides the country has made, not just in Islamic Finance but as a country, as a whole.  

Some key areas of discussion will revolve around the UN’s SDG initiative and the role that the IBF industry can play in achieving the UN’s targets, the Impact of emerging technologies on banking, how Digital Technology is a catalyst for change and the general State of Islamic Finance in the region and its Prospects for the next decade. There will also be discussions on Capacity Building Initiatives for Shariah Scholars and the foray by South Asian entities into other regions such as Africa. The Halal Food Industry and Islamic Tourism will also feature in the day’s discussions.  

The event will be held in conjunction with the IFFSA Awards Ceremony, which will recognize outstanding performances of entities across the South Asian region and being held for the fourth successive year. Several Maldivian entities are expected to carry away some of the prestigious Awards on offer, which is in itself a testament of the giant strides the country has made in the IBF industry, being able to hold their own in a very competitive marketplace. It is also proposed that Male would be a base for the soon to be formed umbrella body, the Islamic Finance Association of South Asia (IFASA), which is expected to be launched officially at 4th IFFSA 2019. This is also expected to be a significant boost for the aspirations of Maldives to be a regional hub for Islamic Finance in South Asia.  

The Conference is organised by UTO EduConsult, Sri Lanka, an entity with over a decade’s experience in the MICE sector. It is supported by many Maldivian and international organisations; Adl Capital, Sri Lanka, Maldives Islamic Bank, Amana Takaful (Maldives), Litus Automobiles, Bank of Maldives, Amana Bank Sri Lanka, Meezan Bank Pakistan, HDF Maldives, Ayady Takaful Maldives as well as the Maldives Centre for Islamic Finance (MCIF)as the Local Event Partner, and also the Maldives Capacity Development & Governance Institution (MCDGI) as the Strategic Partner