Though Islamic finance has achieved significant growth in the last few years, it still represents only about one per cent of the total global banking assets.

As Islamic finance further expands its global scale, the Islamic financial markets still remain fragmented and insulated with little cross-border activities and that will be one of the key issues discussed at the World Islamic Funds and Financial Markets Conference, which will be organised in Bahrain on September 26 and 27.

Held under the theme of 'Achieving International Scale: Creating Vibrant Islamic Financial Markets and Re-Invigorating the Islamic Funds Industry', the conference will plot new growth horizons and forge winning business models fully in tune with the new economic realities of the Sharia-compliant investments market.

Held with the strategic partnership of the Central Bank of Bahrain, the event has over the past seven years firmly established itself as the world's largest gathering of Islamic investment leaders and will this year gather more than 400 leaders in the global Islamic investments industry to tackle some of the critical issues that the industry is facing and take the industry to its next phase of development.

Renewing its long-term association with the event, Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB) has once again confirmed partnership with the event as Platinum Strategic Partner.

'Bahrain Islamic Bank has maintained its leading position in the Islamic banking sector in the kingdom as a pioneer and creative developer of innovative financial Islamic products,' BisB general manager credit and risk management Dr Salah Addeen A Qader Saeed told delegates at last year's event.

'Our support of this annual event over the years demonstrates our confidence in this event and the impetus it introduces in the Islamic financial industry which triggers its potential to provide the most practical financial solutions,' he said.-TradeArabia News Service