sii.uk

1. WCOA 2006 Istanbul Islamic Finance 16th November 2006 Ruth Martin Managing Director www.sii.org.uk

2. SII Involvement in Islamic Finance • Who we are • Setting professional standards • The IFQ • Educational standards as benchmarks for industry • Standards first or Qualifications first?

3. Key Information • Origins in London Stock Exchange Setting professional standards • A not-for-profit organisation • Board of Trustees • 85 Full-time Staff • 25,000 individual members • 8,000 student members • 38,000 exams each year • 10,000 publications sold pa • International offices • 53 countries

4. Mission Statement “ To set standards of professional excellence and integrity for the securities and investment industry, providing qualifications and promoting the highest level of competence to our members, individuals and firms “

5. Three Main Activities: • KNOWLEDGE: An Awarding Body for Qualifications • SKILLS: A provider of Continuing Professional Development • BEHAVIOUR: A leader in Integrity & Ethical thinking

6. Who Takes our Qualifications? • Aviva • Barclays • Citigroup • Credit Suisse • Deutsche Bank • Goldman Sachs • HSBC • J PMorgan • Lloyds TSB • Merrill Lynch • Morgan Stanley • Nomura International • UBS

7. Alliances • Alliances & Partnerships vital • Firms • Training Deliverers • Professional bodies • Exam delivery partners • Islamic experts

8. Securities & Investment Institute • A wide range of qualifications in the UK Financial services Industry • Used by firms to satisfy the Regulator to ensure staff are competent • Supported by HM Treasury • On the appropriate list of the UK Government’s Financial Services Skills Council (FSSC) • An approved Awarding Body by the UK Government regulator in Education, the QCA • Reputation as Centre of Excellence

9. Skills and experience Knowledge and understanding Continuing personal and professional development Setting Professional Standards Competence

10. Why a UK Professional Body for the Islamic Finance Qualification? • Professional bodies focus on the conduct of the person as well as the passing of exams • The beliefs and philosophies underpinning Islam are totally synergistic with the professional body ethos • SII experience of setting Regulatory exams for Middle East Regulators • As the UK professional body for the Investment industry, this led to SII involvement in IFQ • SII familiar with working to national standards; deliver leading compliance exams in UK for FSA • SII’s respect for necessary involvement of Islamic finance practitioners and training skills: partnership with the Ecole Superieure des Affaires – the Leading Business School in the Middle-East

11. Islamic Finance Qualification An added-value for a fast growing industry • Initiated by Leading Central Bank - Banque du Liban • Partnership with leading Business School in Middle East - ESA • Advisory council for Islamic Finance • SII leader in conventional investment banking standards of competence • SII leader in ethics and integrity for investment sector • ESA successful experience in Islamic Finance Through its foundation for research and development in Islamic Finance: “Al Multaqa” • Draw on experience working with Government regulators in Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Lebanon • Recognition of value of wide spectrum of Islamic finance specialistsand authors from many countries

12. What is unique about IFQ Islamic Finance from both a technical perspective and Sharia’a perspective • Existing employees • New employees • Young people seeking a career • Muslims and non Muslims • Tested globally by Computer IFQ Islamic Expertise Training and Education expertise + =

13. IFQ Setting international benchmark accessed by all Available from March 2007 Dr Abdul Sattar Abu Ghuddah Dr Ahmad Jachi Dr Mohamad Nedal Alchaar Mansoor Shakil Professor Simon Archer Samir Salameh Stella Cox Abdulkader Thomas Michael Saleh Gassner Brian Kettell Imane Karich Dr Mohammed Imran Usmani Jean-Marc Riegel Samer Hijazi Ahmad Sabbagh Paul Sherrin Waheed Qaiser Training and examination assessment expertise from ESA and SII Staff

14. Qualifications can…….. • Benchmark standards • Provide the foundation for measurable continuous learning regimes • Combine knowledge, skills and behaviour • Be used for ‘Approved Persons’ regimes to ‘police the perimeter’ of Financial Services • Become a global standard • Save many years of conventional standard setting in the field of personal and professional competence • ‘Licence practitioners’

15. Islamic Finance Qualification (IFQ) Combines the expertise of Islamic scholars and banking practitioners, Trainers and Business School leaders with the traditions of UK Professional Body standard setting for ethical conduct in the investment sector Is available globally using the latest assessment technology Is supported by major banks and finance institutions Is a practical qualification blending knowledge and application

16. The IFQ – what does it cover? • The basis of Islamic banking and finance • Islamic law of contracts • The major contracts – Mudaraba, Musharaka, Murabaha, Ijara, Salam, Istisn’a, etc.. • The accounting treatment of Islamic Finance Institutions: financial transactions according to IFRS and AAOIFI financial accounting standards • Corporate governance for Islamic Finance Institutions • Islamic asset and fund management • Islamic Bonds - Sukuk • Islamic insurance - Takaful

17. IFQ – Highlighting new standard setters (1) • Regulatory and prudential Standards: • The Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB): • Corporate governance, • Risk Management, • Capital adequacy etc..

18. IFQ – Highlighting new standard setters (2) • Accounting & Sharia’a standards: • Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) • Need for new accounting standards which include new dimensions such as: • Religious & Ethical dimensions as a matter of religion • New Accounting classes such as the Investment Account Holders. The latter are (to a certain extend) similar to depositors in conventional banking • Sharia’a supervisory Board Report which is not included in Institutions financial reports and notes.

19. Potential accounting challenges • Islamic Finance Institutions apply different accounting standards according to local regulations: • Different reporting policies, • Potential extra work needed for consolidation of subsidiaries’ accounts, • Potential transparency challenge for shareholders and investors (mainly Islamic Account Holders), • Big challenge for Islamic Finance Institutions who are looking to expand globally. • Challenge in case Islamic Finance institutions decide to go public,

20. Why potential resistance for new standards? • Extra work required from Islamic Finance Institutions, • Requires new knowledge and expertise of both regulators and practitioners: • Need to develop the expertise of the Islamic Finance industry, • Need to develop the knowledge and understanding of employees • Need for more global qualification: the IFQ

21. Accounting & Sharia’a standards (AAOIFI) Standards Harmonisation Regulatory & Prudential standards (IFSB) Promoting Global Growth In Islamic Finance Product Innovation An International Benchmark Qualification IFQ Meeting Customer Needs