Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Vice-Chairman of Bait Al Mashoura Finance Consultations Company, Prof. Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, with Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Dukhan Bank, Talal Al Khajah.
Doha: Under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Doha hosts the 7th Doha Islamic Finance Conference under the title “Digital Economy and Sustainable Development”, which is organized by Bait Al Mashura Finance Consultations Company with the strategic partner and exclusive sponsor “Dukhan Bank”.
The conference will be held from March 30 to April 1, 2021, on ZOOM platform, in line with the precautionary measures against the spread of Coronavirus, with the participation of governmental bodies, international organizations, financial and academic institutions in the fields of economics, finance and technology. And, in an academic partnership with the College of Sharia and Islamic Studies at Qatar University, the College of Islamic Studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, and the University of Central Lancashire in the United Kingdom. The conference is expected to contribute to the development of the Islamic finance industry in Qatar and the world.
Prof. Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Vice Chairman of Bait Al Mashoura Finance Consultations Company, said that the 7th Doha Islamic Finance Conference is of a special importance this year because it is taking place at a time where the world witnesses the repercussions of COVID-19 pandemic. That’s why we were keen to hold the event to forseethe features of the global economic recovery after the pandemic, and to shed light on the role of Islamic finance at this stage, reviewing models for the economies of thevirtual world, and the governing legal and sharia controls, highlighting the importance of the participatory economics, and its role in overcoming crises and achieving sustainable development goals.
Al Sulaiti explained that Qatar is among the fastest growing markets in the Islamic finance sector, in light of the rapid development witnessed by the sector and the supervision approach of Qatar Central Bank, which adopts the best international banking and financial practices. In addition to, the high rates of demand for Islamic financial products and services and the immunity the sector has shown against various crises, starting from the global financial crisis in 2008, through the drop in oil prices in 2016, and up to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic that we are currently witnessing.
Al Sulaiti pointed out that the strength demonstrated by Islamic financial institutions in Qatar facing the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic indicates that it will lead the growth of the Islamic finance sector at the regional level, especially after the good financial results disclosed by Qatari Islamic financial institutions and the generous dividends that reflect its strong capitalization, high solvency and the success of its strategies to hedge against potential risks and to continue achieving growth despite challenges. This coincides with the accelerated digital transformation witnessed by Qatari Islamic financial institutions, aiming at introducing new financial services and products that keep pace with the aspirations of their customers while enhancing contactless payment technology and providing wearablepayment devices.
Talal Al Khajah, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Dukhan Bank (formerly Barwa), expressed gratitude that the bank has been sponsoring this conference since its first edition, stressing that this continuous support for Doha Islamic Finance Conference stems from Dukhan Bank’s firm belief in the importance of evaluating the Islamic banking experience and discovering the features of the future that we believe is promising.
As the bank seeks to facilitate seamless payment and to implement its vision and strategy trailing a digital transformation of banking services, products and transactions, Dukhan Bank announced the launch of Dukhan Pay (D-Pay), its contactless payment platform, to meet customers’ increasing demand for digital banking products and services. Additionally, the bank has released wristbands that will facilitate payment under the D-Pay payment platform.
Customers can benefit from worldwide acceptance of the new technology at millions of merchants. This is available at points of sale across fast-food restaurants, convenience stores, pharmacies, and petrol stations. As a digital-forward bank, Dukhan Bank’s efforts remain focused on leading massive transformation across its operations and scaling digitisation of its services.
Leveraging digital processes and facilitating pioneering technologies follow in the bank’s promise to offer secure, simplified, and seamless banking experience to its customers as it seeks to emerge as ‘Qatar’s Bank of Choice’
