-- More than 1,200 delegates from 50 countries will take part in the World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC), which opens today at the Gulf Hotel in Manama, Bahrain.
Themed New Strategies for New Economic Realities, the event has attracted leading figures from the Islamic finance industry to debate the way forward following the credit crisis and the global economic downturn.
"As cautious optimism returns to the global economy and financial markets begin to move towards stabilisation and economic recovery WIBC 2009 will help to shape the future trajectory of the Islamic finance industry at this crucial time," said Mega Brand organiser and managing director David Mclean.
"WIBC will provide the platform as industry leaders grapple with the need to manage risk, seek new growth markets and deliver on market expectations as well as remain competitive."
He said a major highlight of the conference would be the launch of the 2009/2101 WIBC Competitiveness Report by McKinsey & Company.
Yesterday, the event got off to a start with a series of pre-conference workshops attended by more than 300 delegates covering areas from Islamic capital markets to the marketing challenges facing the industry.
Launched in 1994, the WIBC has become an iconic brand internationally recognised as the largest and most significant gathering of Islamic banking and finance leaders anywhere in the world.
