Key Strategic Economic Drivers in Southeast Asia: The Islamic Economy and the Islamic Financial Services Industry

Malaysia’s top-down and ‘Islamic first’ strategy has been highly successful as Islamic financial services continue to flourish. What strategies at a governmental, regulatory and institutional level will maintain this success? Does the Islamic financial services sector face a structural imbalance, and how does this impact Islamic financial institutions? What do digital transformation strategies mean for the sector, and what is the ongoing influence of value-based intermediation? Where does Islamic finance play a role in the development of the Halal economy, and are Islamic financial institutions well positioned to serve the corporate and SME sectors? Does Islamic finance need to build appeal and maintain competitiveness in this segment? We ask an expert panel.Moderator:Nitish Bhojnagarwala, Senior Vice-President, Financial Institutions Group, Moody’s Investors ServicePanelists:Ahmad Shahriman Mohd Shariff, CEO, CIMB Islamic BankDr Bello Lawal Danbatta, Secretary-General, IFSBDr Hurriyah El Islamy, CEO and Founder, HGC FirmDr Rusni Hassan, Professor and Dean, IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance (IIiBF)