Efforts by the UK government to introduce Islamic finance into the mainstream economy as an alternative investment mechanism are becoming more evident with the set-up of the UK Islamic Finance Task Force, and other government-led initiatives pioneered by TheCityUK as well as regulatory amendments to accommodate Shariah compliant transactions.

As the UK fights to keep its leading edge as the world’s foremost financial center, Islamic finance has been suggested as a booster to the nation’s economy; primarily to encourage inflows of liquidity from the GCC and Asia and to accommodate the banking and investment needs of its growing Muslim population. Although privately-placed Islamic deals involving real estate and the acquisition of property assets in a Shariah compliant manner are currently abundant in the UK, there are still real hurdles affecting the proliferation of Islamic finance, including: A lack of media coverage, skepticism stemming from inadequate understanding of Islamic banking and investment products among the Muslim consumer and liquidity management issues; among others.

In this exclusive roundtable brought to you by Islamic Finance news, our panelists: Jawad Ali, managing partner of the Middle East offices of King & Spalding and global deputy leader of the firm’s Islamic finance practice; Massoud Janekeh, director and head of Islamic capital markets at the Bank of London and The Middle East; Jonathan Lawrence, partner at K&L Gates and Richard Adler, director of financial and professional services at TheCityUK, come together to discuss ways to drive sustainable growth in the UK’s Islamic finance market.

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Jawad Ali Managing partner, King & Spalding Middle East offices and global deputy leader of Islamic finance

Jonathan Lawrence Partner, K&L Gates

Massoud Janekeh Director and head of Islamic capital markets, Bank of London and the Middle East

Richard Adler Director financial & professional services, The City UK