Islamic Sustainable Finance Masterclass by GEFI

Nurturing a harmonised Ecosystem for Islamic Sustainable Finance

Learning Objectives

1. Contextual Knowledge and Harmonised Understanding
   Develop a clear contextual knowledge of sustainable finance and develop a harmonised understanding of Islamic sustainable finance.
2. Practical Insights and Application Tools
   Develop familiarity with specific regulations, frameworks, tools and sustainable finance products to assist in effective implementation within your professional context.
3. Solid Grounding in Islamic Sustainable Finance
   Build a solid grounding in Islamic sustainable finance, including its correlation with conventional sustainable finance, its application within Shariah principles, and its distinctive nuances.

Dates & Location: 

12, 13 & 14 May 2025  | Heriot-Watt University, Dubai

Topics & Anchor Trainers

Day 1: Sustainable Banking:

• Sustainable Banking Frameworks
• Developing Innovative Sustainable Financial Products
• Overview of UN Principles of Responsible Banking
• Integration of Risk
• Interactive Discussion: Practitioners’ Guide to Sustainable Banking

Day 2: Sustainable Investment:

• Responsible Investment
• Sustainable Investment Frameworks & Standards
• Integrating Sustainability into Investment Mandates
• Risk Management
• Interactive Discussion: Sustainable Investment – From Rhetoric to  Reality

Day 3: Unpacking Islamic Sustainable Finance:

• Framing the Landscape of ISF
• ISF Journey – Lessons from Malaysia over the Past Decade
• The Ummah for Earth Alliance and Islamic Finance for Earth
• Green and Sustainable Sukuk: Prospectus, Performance and Impact
• Islamic Finance and Renewable Energy
• Interactive Discussion: Halal vs Tayyib – Shariah Related Issues in Sustainable Finance

Anchor Trainers

Rafe Haneef Group CEO, MBSB

Rafe Haneef Group CEO, MBSB LinkedIn Academic/Professional Qualification Chartered Islamic Finance Professional (ACIFP), Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals Securities Representative License, Securities and Futures Authority (SFA), United Kingdom New York Bar, Qualified, New York Bar, United States of America Malaysian Bar, Admitted, Bar Council , Malaysia Master of Laws (LL.M), Harvard Law School, United States of America Bachelor of Laws (Hons) LL.B., International Islamic University, Malaysia Past Directorship and/or Appointment Non-Independent Executive Director, MIDF Amanah Investment Bank Berhad Executive Director, MIDF Amanah Investment Bank Berhad Chief Executive Officer, CIMB Group Transaction Banking (2019-2023) Chief Executive Officer, CIMB Foundation (2019-2023) Group Chief Sustainability Officer, CIMB Group (2019-2021) Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director, CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad (2016-2019) Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director/ Managing Director, Global Market, Asia Pacific, HSBC Amanah Bank Berhad (2010-2015) Managing Director, Investments, Fajr Capital Ltd (2008-2010) Regional Head, Asia-Pacific, CitiBank Berhad (2006-2007) Global Head, Global Islamic Finance, ABNAMRO Bank Ltd (2004-2006) Associate Director, Global Markets, HSBC Financial Service ME Ltd (2001-2004) Head of Shariah Department and Transaction Management, Structured Finance, HSBC Investment Bank plc (1999-2001) Associate & Solicitor, Messrs. Mohd Ismail & Co (1994-1999)

Amanda Young Senior Advisor, GEFI

Amanda Young Senior Advisor, GEFI LinkedIn Amanda was the Chief Sustainability Officer for the Investments business at abrdn, where she led the sustainable investment strategy for the firm and the Investment Sustainability Group. She has over two decades of experience in responsible investment. Previously, Amanda held positions at Newton Investment Management, CCLA Investment Management and Rabobank International. Amanda graduated from Lancaster University with a BSc in Psychology and has completed the University of Edinburgh Business School’s Executive Women’s Leadership Programme. She is the Chair of the Sustainability and Responsible Investment Committee of the Investment Association, a board director for Social Investment Scotland’s SIS Ventures fund and represented abrdn on the Scottish Taskforce for Green and Sustainable Financial Services. Previous appointments include Chair, workstream for the UK Government’s Taskforce on social impact investment, co-Chair of the Scottish Purposeful Business Commission, Board Director of the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF) and Chair of the FTSE Russell ESG Advisory Committee. Amanda has appeared on the Financial News top 100 most influential women in European Finance for 6 years. She was the inaugural winner of Women in Investment Awards Sustainable & ESG Investment Woman of the Year in 2021 and was on Financial News’ inaugural Fifty Most Influential in Sustainable Finance list in 2022.

Omar Shaikh Managing Director, GEFI

Omar Shaikh Managing Director, GEFI LinkedIn Omar is the Managing Director of the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI). Omar is a Chartered Accountant (CA) with expertise in ethical and responsible finance, Islamic finance, and private equity. With extensive experience in financial services, he has advised multiple governments and regulators as a leading advocate for sustainable and Islamic finance, specialising in ecosystem building. He began his career at EY London, where he qualified as a CA and served as Head of Islamic Finance. Omar has led the development of several pioneering initiatives in sustainable and Islamic finance. These include the Path to COP, a project focused on leveraging finance for nature-based solutions, and a SDGs Financial Products Platform, created in collaboration with the UNDP to promote innovative financing structures aligned with the SDGs. He also played a key role in establishing the Global Islamic Finance and UN SDGs Taskforce, launched in partnership with the UK Government and the Islamic Development Bank, which advances the integration of Islamic finance with global sustainability goals. Additionally, Omar co-authored the award-winning Edinburgh Finance Declaration, the world’s first interfaith initiative to align Islamic finance principles with those of the Church, creating a shared values approach to ethical finance. Omar earned a Bachelor of Accountancy (BAcc) from the University of Glasgow and holds select board advisory roles, including with the UK Islamic Finance Council and The Prince’s Trust Scotland.

Lead Trainers & Practitioner Insights

Rohit Bhan Regional Head of Climate Risk, HSBC

Rohit Bhan Regional Head of Climate Risk, HSBC LinkedIn Rohit Bhan is the regional Head of Climate Risk and is responsible for leading HSBC’s approach towards managing the risks & opportunities from an accelerating transition, embedding climate change in planning & stress testing, adapting products, ESG regulation and improving disclosures and controls. Rohit joined HSBC in 2006 within Wholesale Banking and has since held various responsibilities across Client Coverage, Risk Strategy and Chief Risk officer roles managing Financial and Non-Financial risks along with leading and operationalizing Strategic Change programmes. Prior to HSBC, Rohit has worked within Wholesale Banking roles for ABN AMRO Bank and Citibank.

Tariq Al-Olaimy Islamic Finance Campaigner & Advisor to the Ummah for Earth Alliance with Greenpeace MENA

Tariq Al-Olaimy Islamic Finance Campaigner & Advisor to the Ummah for Earth Alliance with Greenpeace MENA LinkedIn Tariq Al-Olaimy is an Islamic finance campaigner and advisor to the Ummah for Earth Alliance with Greenpeace MENA. He holds advisory and board roles with entities such as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (UNEP & FAO), the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions’ Race to Resilience Campaign, the Global Shapers Community, 1t.org, and the EAT Forum—the leading science-based global platform for transforming food systems. Often working at the intersection of faith, finance, and sustainability, Tariq has co-founded several social enterprises, serves on faith based boards, and is an advisory board member of the World Economic Forum’s Faith in Action Report.

Vijay Bains Group Head ESG, Emirates NBD

Vijay Bains Group Head ESG, Emirates NBD LinkedIn Vijay is the first-ever Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), Group Head of ESG at Emirates NBD Bank, Head Office. Prior to joining ENBD, Vijay was at KPMG in the UK where he has worked across Sustainability, advising client on Sustainable Finance, ESG Strategy, ESG Regulations. He has held roles across other leading organizations like Ernst and Young, Lloyds Banking Group and the European Bank of Reconstruction & Development. Vijay has extensive experience building and implementing ESG strategies and teams. He has designed and marketed sustainability loans and green bonds, while advising on sustainability for IPOs, as well as designing and building ESG finance products such as mortgages, loans, and insurances Vijay brings over 15+ years of sustainability experience to the role across the Middle East, UK, Europe, and North America. Vijay is responsible for the end-to-end ESG strategy including the introduction of more sustainable practices, policies, and outcomes across Emirates NBD Group. He is not only responsible to increase the Bank’s sustainable finance offerings, investments, provide customers with greater advisory services to support their net-zero transition but also be responsible for the Corporate Governance requirements too. Vijay will significantly increase Emirates NBD Bank’s sustainability investments across the organization.

Flora Petrucci PRB Membership Team Leader

Flora Petrucci PRB Membership Team Leader LinkedIn Flora joined UNEP FI in 2022 as a consultant. She currently leads the PRB Membership Team, overseeing the onboarding of new signatory banks to the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB). Additionally, she manages the PRB implementation support programmes across Europe. Between 2008 and 2022, Flora held various roles at Euroclear, a leading provider of Financial Market Infrastructure (FMI) services. Most recently, she was responsible for developing and overseeing the group’s Climate and ESG risk management framework. Earlier in her career, she worked as a consultant for Eurostat, the European Statistical Office, and served as a markets and policy adviser for the European Semiconductor Industry, focusing on international trade. Flora holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Business from LUISS University in Rome, along with an MBA in Service Sector Management and an MA in European Economic Affairs from the College of Europe. She also serves as the Treasurer for Protection International Africa, an international non-profit organization dedicated to supporting human rights defenders in developing effective security and protection management strategies.

Tayyab Ahmed Head of Research, Islamic Finance, LSEG Data and Analytics

Tayyab Ahmed Head of Research, Islamic Finance, LSEG Data and Analytics LinkedIn Tayyab is Head of Research, Islamic Finance at LSEG Data & Analytics, leading the Islamic finance research team and overseeing the production of thought leadership reports on Islamic finance and MENA related topics. Previously, Tayyab was a Senior Research Analyst at the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), where he helped produce various thought leadership and foresight reports as part of the Islamic finance research team, such as the annual OIC Megatrends, IFDI & Sukuk Reports. Earlier in his career, he was an Associate Director of Strategy in Malaysia for Ernst & Young (EY) where he focused on government strategy, team and stakeholder management, and mentoring associates. Tayyab received his MPhil from Cambridge, LLM from London School of Economics, and Islamic Finance Qualification (IFQ) from the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments.

Dr. Eman Tabet Research Fellow, INCEIF University

Dr. Eman Tabet Research Fellow, INCEIF University LinkedIn Dr. Eman Tabet currently serves as a Research Fellow at INCEIF University, a She specializes in sustainable Islamic finance, including a project to estimating and assessing climate-related financial risks faced by Islamic banks across OIC countries —a project she worked on in collaboration with the Responsible Finance and Investment (RFI) Foundation C.I.C. Dr. Tabet holds a PhD in Islamic Finance from INCEIF University, Malaysia, where she received the Chancellor’s Scholarship. Prior to which she earned a Master’s of Science in Islamic Finance from Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU) in Qatar. Beyond her academic pursuits, Dr. Tabet is an advocate for climate change awareness and preservation of Global Commons as an Arctic Angel. She is actively involved in trainings programs and consultancy projects related to sustainable and social development in the GCC, Malaysia and East Africa. Dr. Tabet’s research interests include Islamic finance, sustainability, climate financial risks, and SME’s

Shaikh Muhammad Abdul Mubeen Head of Shariah Department (Global), Standard Chartered Bank

Shaikh Muhammad Abdul Mubeen Head of Shariah Department (Global), Standard Chartered Bank LinkedIn Shaikh Muhammad Abdul Mubeen has extensive experience in the field of Islamic finance, insurance, and teaching. He is a member of the Shariah Committee, Standard Chartered Berhad Malaysia and Pakistan, and also heads the Shariah Department for Group Islamic Banking function of Standard Chartered Bank. He has done his Takhassus fil Ifta from Jamiah Darul-uloom, Karachi and Shahadat ul Alamiyyah from Jamiat ul Uloom-il-Islamiyyah, Allamah Binnori Town, Karachi. He further pursued his modern study and completed his Master in Commercial Law from The University of Melbourne, Australia and LLB (Hons) Shariah & Law from International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan.

Sohail Zubairi Islamic Finance, Dubai Department for Economy and Tourism

Sohail Zubairi Islamic Finance, Dubai Department for Economy and Tourism LinkedIn Sohail Zubairi is the expert and qualified specialist in Islamic banking and finance, including green Islamic finance. He is AAOIFI Certified Sharia Advisor and Auditor and IICRA Certified Islamic Arbitrator and Expert. He served as Senior Advisor Islamic Finance with Govt. of Dubai from 2017 to 2023 where he managed all advisory matters related to Islamic banking, capital market, asset management, Takaful and Retakaful, green Islamic finance and the Islamic trust (Waqf) based on his strong expertise and considerable contribution to the industry spanning over 2 decades. Zubairi is former Founding CEO of the internationally acclaimed and award winning Dar Al Sharia Group established by him in 2007 as DIB subsidiaries which developed a number of ground breaking products and services for the industry. Under his leadership, Dar Al Sharia won over 2 dozens international awards for being the best Islamic finance consultancy and advisory firm – notably the Dubai Global Islamic Economy Summit Award 2016, 1st Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Award 2016 and numerous IFN Awards. Zubairi holds over 4 decades of rare combined conventional and Islamic banking experience at senior executive and CEO positions in UAE. Zubairi has passion for Islamic finance and is currently authoring weekly article at IFN e-journal. He also participates in various conferences and conducts training workshops. Zubairi has also developed and delivered the syllabus, course handouts, class presentations, quizzes and mid-term and final examination papers for introducing the Islamic Finance semester at universities in UAE.

Naveen Raza Net Zero Transition and Partnerships, HSBC

Naveen Raza Net Zero Transition and Partnerships, HSBC LinkedIn Naveen is a banking professional with over 18 years of experience. Her early career started in Islamic Finance with HSBC Amanah, since then she has worked in various roles at HSBC in the UK and UAE including Private Banking & Wealth Management, Strategy & Planning, Streamlining & Process Excellence. She also has extensive experience in Project Managementand ESG. Recently Naveen was the Head of Sustainability & Financial Inclusion for Wealth & Personal Banking HSBC EMEA. She is now looking after Net Zero Transition & Partnerships in the HSBC MENAT Sustainability Centre of Excellence which includes working on customer’s transitions plans as well as developing HSBC’s external sustainability and philanthropic partnerships.

David Pitt-Watson Global Steering Group, Scottish Green Finance Taskforce, Global Ethical Finance Initiative

David Pitt-Watson Global Steering Group, Scottish Green Finance Taskforce, Global Ethical Finance Initiative LinkedIn David is a leading thinker and practitioner in responsible investment, and serves as a Member of GEFI’s Global Steering Group and Chair of the Scottish Green Finance Taskforce. Born and brought up in Scotland, he was co-founder, and CEO of Hermes Focus Funds & Equity Ownership Service. These became the largest responsible investment group of any fund manager in the world. Throughout his career he has been deeply involved in policy, particularly in the field of corporate governance and financial market regulation. He has led numerous initiatives to improve the performance of the financial system. At GEFI, David is the Chair of the Scottish Taskforce for Green and Sustainable Financial Services, for which GEFI is the secretariat.