By Our Reporter
Islamic banking leaders and dignitaries from across Africa and the Middle East gathered at the 2nd annual International Forum on Islamic Finance (IFIF 2016) held on 9th February. The 2 day event which concludes today was held under the patronage of the Government of the Republic of the Sudan, the Central Bank of Sudan and the Ministry of Finance & Economic Planning – and in strategic partnership with the Bank of Khartoum. IFIF hosted 200 dignitaries, central bank representatives, Ministers, C-level bankers, thought leaders and experts who gathered at the Al Salam Rotana Hotel in Khartoum to deliberate on strategies to enable Islamic finance gain prominence and spur economic growth across Africa.
Keynote addresses were delivered by several speakers including; Fadi Al Faqih (CEO of Bank of Khartoum), Musaed Mohammed Ahmed (Head of Sudan’s Banks Union), H.E. Abdelrahman Hassan Abdelrahman Hashim (Governor of the Central Bank of Sudan), H.E. Badr El-Din Mahmoud Abbas (Minister of Finance and National Economy of the Republic of the Sudan) and H.E. Bakri Hassan Salih (First Vice President of the Republic of the Sudan).
Also present was Dr. Anindya Ghose, Professor at New York University Stern School of Business, who was named Business Week’s “Top 40 Professors Under 40 Worldwide”.
“Industries and markets are being transformed by a growing shared technology infrastructure. Indeed, Africa is emerging as an inspiring hub of innovation for social media in the banking sector, enabling unbanked individuals in Africa to access risk averse financing through Islamic banking. The International Forum on Islamic Finance (IFIF) is an outstanding platform to help build awareness of Africa’s digital media proposition in the context of Islamic finance’s push for financial inclusion across the continent,
