November 2005

Middle East Global Advisors (MEGA)

May 16, 2005

WORLD ISLAMIC FUNDS CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN BAHRAIN

Shamil Bank, Solidarity, Credit Suisse & Deutsche Bank Key Partners for Event

The World Islamic Funds conference will be inaugurated in Bahrain on 29 May 2005. This elite gathering of investment professionals will bring together investors, fund managers and the key players to identify new growth opportunities in the multi-billion dollar Funds industry.

Bahrain’s Shamil Bank and Solidarity have announced their platinum partnership of the World Islamic Funds Conference (WIBC), being held under the patronage of the Governor of the Bahrain Monetary Agency, HE Rasheed M. Al-Maraj.

The conference, supported by the Bahrain Monetary Agency, will run from May 29 to 30 at the Gulf International Convention & Exhibition Centre in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

HE Rasheed M. Al-Maraj, Governor, Bahrain Monetary Agency said" The World Islamic Funds conference will offer asset managers the opportunity to exchange ideas with the investment community from different countries. I look forward to the debate during the opening session on Regulation, Supervision & Innovation in the Global Islamic Funds Industry".

Ziyad Arekat, General Manager, Solidarity – Fund Management, said "Our support for this prestigious event, the first World Islamic Fund Conference, is aimed at highlighting the importance of providing a conclusive forum for industry leaders and financial professionals in the domain of Islamic investments. The objective is  to convene and discuss an important segment of Islamic finance; Investment Funds, and to provide the medium through which leading Islamic institutions can co-ordinate their efforts to further advance this rapidly growing sector locally and internationally. Investment funds as a financial instrument cuts across asset class barriers and meets the investment requirements of both institutional and retail client base, it further helps to widen the universe of Islamic products and their target markets".

2/2

A distinguished faculty of speakers and panelists including leaders of international and regional institutions will address more than 150 delegates at this impressive industry event.

Jamal Tartir, Group Head, Private Banking at Shamil Bank said "The event comes as a real benefit to the international investors community who will get the first hand information about the many Shari'ah compliant investment opportunities that are either already available in the region or will be in the offing in the near future. The investors will also be able to meet and discuss investment opportunities with the investment and private banking gurus from all over the world. The event can potentially serve as a common marketplace where the investors will get the product information and investment advisory services enabling them to evaluate returns and finally take their pick."

Introduction

The extraordinary growth in Islamic investment funds and products has exceeded all but the most bullish projections as Islamic investment institutions and conventional asset managers create new innovative Shari’ah-compliant investment products and collective investment schemes.

While the supply-side flourishes, the appetite of the cash-rich institutional investors, pension funds and big capital providers for Shari’ah-compliant products continues to grow at a rapid pace. With increasing sophistication in the types of investment products available and the emergence of a genuinely global market, there is a strong need for the key players to come together to map out the next phase of growth.

The World Islamic Funds Conference, working in strategic collaboration with leading international strategy advisory firm, McKinsey & Company, has the key objective of providing a high-profile platform for capital providers and investors to engage asset managers and investment product developers to address the new growth opportunities and product innovations in the most topical segments of the market, including:

¦ Real Estate Funds ¦ Hedge Funds ¦ Private Equity

¦ Wealth Management solutions ¦ Asset management trends and directions

To facilitate this interaction, the format of the Conference strikes an effective balance between Keynote Plenary sessions which address the big picture issues and highly interactive discussion-driven sessions that enable you to pose your key questions to expert international panelists, while case studies by pioneering product developers provide practical insights into the latest trends and innovations in the industry.

The Pension Funds & Institutional Investors Roundtable will provide a unique platform for investors and capital providers to put forward their requirements and key criteria when selecting investment funds and vehicles. The focus of discussions will be on meeting market needs and establishing new growth opportunities as more investment capital seeks Shari’ah-compliant structures.

Tackling the critical issues of compliance in new product innovation, The WIFC Shari’ah Open Forum features 3 pre-eminent scholars who will address your most pressing concerns. Shaikh Dr Mohamed Elgari, Shaikh Nizam Yaquby and Imran Usmani will bring their vast experience and knowledge into play during this interactive session, dynamically facilitated by Norton Rose’s Mohammed Paracha.

The World Islamic Funds Conference brings together investors, fund managers and the key players to identify new growth opportunities in this multi-billion dollar industry.

-ENDS-