The Islamic corporate finance market has steadily undergone an evolution in terms of product sophistication and market reach, said an expert ahead of a key summit in Abu Dhabi.

This is mainly due to an increasing number of businesses looking to include Islamic finance as a component of their corporate funding mix, remarked David McLean, the managing director of Mega Events which is hosting the International Summit on Islamic Corporate Finance (ICFS 2011) next month.

The event will be held at Le Royal Meridien, Abu Dhabi from October 10 to 11.

The summit will create the ideal platform to bring all key components of the deal-making value chain together - the corporate banking leaders, both Islamic and conventional - and the corporate end users of these services to develop long-term successful business relationships and ensure the objectives of both are achieved, he noted.

'The summit represents a new and innovative concept in our portfolio of meetings,' said McLean.

'It was originally suggested by senior corporate bankers who have taken part in our large-scale conferences but wanted to engage the corporate end users of Islamic finance in a more intimate and focused environment,' he said.

'Similarly, the financial decision-makers within large corporations expressed an interest in exploring Islamic finance as an increasingly important component of their overall financing mix.

'The concept has developed into an innovative new form of summit, which is specifically tailored to expand business opportunities and meet the funding needs of large businesses.

'The uniquely structured platform of ICFS 2011 provides a sophisticated environment to enable in-depth interactive discussions and high profile networking opportunities to create the most productive and results-orientated environment,' McLean added.-TradeArabia News Service