Dear respected readers,
S&P Global Ratings has issued a positive forecast on the growth of the Islamic finance industry due to favourable dynamics in some core markets, albeit slower than before the pandemic. Despite that, many challenges lie ahead for the industry to navigate. Accordingly, IF HUB Issue 1 2024 sheds light on key challenges and explores potential opportunities lying behind those challenges.
Assistant Professor Dr Ali Zhang contributes his ideas in the In Person Column on the sustainable path that Malaysia has gone through, highlighting the interrelation between Islamic finance development and climate change issues.
The INCEIF Students & Alumni Column features Mohamed Al Amine Sano, who discusses retirement preparedness among baby boomers in the Middle East and North African region. In the INCEIF Young Talents Column, Amnan Hanani Badruddin presents some alternative Islamic banking solutions beyond the tawarruq structure, while the Practitioner’s Insights Column, by Dr Nurul Liyana Mahmud, examines future talents in Islamic finance.
The editorial team of IF HUB would like to take this opportunity to congratulate every member of the INCEIF community on its impressive achievements throughout 2023: being accorded ‘Competitive’ for the SETARA Rating; winning the top three in the IFN Service Providers Awards 2023—Best Islamic Finance Research Firm by ISRA Research Management Centre, Best Islamic Finance Consultancy Firm by ISRA Consulting, and second runner-up for the Best Educational Institution Offering Islamic Finance Courses; also, securing various high-impact research projects, industry training and consultancy projects; and organising numerous local and international events.
Until we meet again in the next issue, we hope that 2024 will be a blessed and prosperous year with more remarkable achievements for everyone!
Dr Marjan Muhammad
Editor-in-Chief
