The Frontiers of Innovation in Islamic Finance:
Dar Al Istithmar collaborates with Oxford Islamic Finance to host its second Islamic Finance Round-table

(Oxford, United Kingdom, April 15, 2009) Dar al Istithmar, a leading Islamic Finance advisory firm has joined hands for the second time with Oxford Islamic Finance to organize the second Oxford Islamic Finance Roundtable themed “The Frontiers of Innovation in Islamic Finance”. Hosted at the historic Wadham College at the Oxford University grounds, the Round-Table focused on opportunities and challenges associated with innovation in Islamic funds and shari’a compliant derivatives.

In the traditional Oxford spirit of producing world-class research that brings about global transformations, the Round-Table featured the convergence of pre-eminent Shari’a scholars, intellectuals, academic and practitioners, the likes of Dr. Hussein Hamed Hassan, Dr. Daud Bakar, Dr. Andreas Jobst, Rushdi Siddiqui and Emad Al Monayea. Dar Al Istithmar presented its paper alongside Dr. Daud Bakar on a Universal Platform for Shari’a Compliant Equities Screening, which provides a wholistic perspective to Shari’a compliance screening. Dr. Andreas Jobst, a leading economist at the International Monetary Fund presented a substantial paper on Shari’a compliant derivatives. A number of panel discussions with open question and answer sessions featured a combination of scholars, practitioners and thought leaders. The presenters and panel members discussed the benefits of the Islamic financial system, while reviewing the potential challenges associated with the system, including the Islamic perspective on innovation and the limits of such innovation according to Islamic parameters.

About Dar Al Istithmar

Dar Al Istithmar (DI), a global Shari’a advisory firm, offers a unique combination of Islamic financial expertise and research capabilities to lead the development of innovative Islamic financial products, harnessing the strength of its experienced Islamic financial consultants and its Shari’a supervisory board consisting of world renowned Shari’a scholars. DI been awarded the “Best Islamic Assurance and Advisory Services” in 2006 and the “Best Islamic Advisory House” in 2007 by Euromoney.