Human Capital “Millennium Goals” for Islamic Finance to be launched at World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC)

28 October 2015, Manama, Bahrain:  The World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC) 2015 will serve as a launching pad for a critical report by Simply Sharia Human Capital - the UK's first recruitment and knowledge portal solely dedicated to Islamic finance. The report entitled “The Human Capital Challenge: Shaping The Future” aims to meaningfully establish the industry’s very own human capital roadmap – a set of global “Millennium Goals” for the Islamic finance human capital space.

The development of human capital in the Islamic finance industry is a topic that has been raised for several years without any concerted or organised action. Indeed, human capital development has dominated as a central theme at many industry forums and yet we have seen little robust industry-led goals that are both set and executed.

Today, WIBC – the leading Islamic finance platform for 22 years - announces a ground-breaking initiative with SSHC to address this inertia.
The underlying premise of the report is the need to secure a far more sustainable future for the industry through competent, impassioned and qualified people.
Indeed, the contributors to the report include pioneers that embody these qualities.

Daud Vicary, CEO of INCEIF said the report constitutes “a significant call-to-action based on a collation of many of the important issues that we all have been thinking about for some time."

Stella Cox, Managing Director of DDCAP highlighted the report’s pivotal role in answering the industry’s long sought-out need to focus its human capital resources with a “formulated plan that sets firm goals and prescribes actions for the roadmap to achieving our objectives;”  reaffirming the report’s relevance and benefit to practitioners, market observers and‎ prospective new entrants alike. 

Abdulla Mohammed Al Awar, CEO of The Dubai Islamic Development Centre (DIEDC), said: “The report validates the need for the development of a knowledge ecosystem as an integral aspect of the growth of the Islamic economy. With young people increasingly making up more of the Islamic economy’s workforce, it is imperative businesses meet their own and employees needs through human capital development.”

Leading the initiative is Nyra Mahmood, Director at SSHC, who said: “for us there is no better place to launch this Report than at the heart of one of the biggest and most significant gatherings of IF practitioners – the World Islamic Banking Conference.”

The report will address a wide range of topics to provide a comprehensive and timely viewpoint of key areas such as understanding the Millennial ‘mindset’, shaping graduate programmes into compelling opportunities for growth, adapting HR practices in the digital age and female participation in Islamic finance.
“The Human Capital Challenge: Shaping The Future” Report will be launched at the 22nd annual World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC) on the 2nd of December 2015.

WIBC 2015 is a three-day gathering of the industry’s leaders taking place on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of December at the Gulf Hotel in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain. 

Report contributors include: Stella Cox (DDCAP), Will Cooper & John Thompson (EY MENA), Dr Sayd Farooq (ME Global Advisors), Abdulla Al Awar (DIEDC), Raja The Maimunah (Hong Leong Islamic Bank), Daud Vicary (INCEIF), Dr Engku Rabiah Adawiah (IIUM), Emmy A Alim (Thomson Reuters), Prof Nora Ann Colton (UEL), Dr Amat Taap Manshoor (Financial Accreditation Agency, FAA), Dr. Siraj Sait (UEL), Mohamed Tantawi (ICD), Dr Tahreem N. Khan (Al Yamamah University, KSA), Akhtar Mohammed (Islamic Finance Ethics Societies, IFES). Individual commentators also include: Stephanie Ting (Ellwood Consulting, Malaysia), Samina Akram (WIEFF), Ahmed Ali Siddiqui (Meezan Bank, Pakistan), Faizal Karbani (SSHC) & Nyra Mahmood (SSHC).