Islamic finance is on the verge of bursting onto centre stage in France.  Recent changes to the legal and tax regimes have paved the way for Islamic financial institutions to provide French borrowers lines of credit that can no longer be extended by cash strapped conventional banks.  Several applications have been made to Banque de France by Islamic banks for licenses to operate in France, rumours circulate about an imminent French corporate sukuk, and interest mounts over incorporating Islamic finance into project finance and PPP projects.  The seeds have been sowed for Paris to challenge London as the European Islamic finance hub.  Now is the time to seize opportunities, build business relationships and cement key partnerships.

Euromoney Seminars’ Islamic Finance Paris Conference will be your chance to hear firsthand from the French Finance Minster, Governor of the Central Bank, Finance Commissioner of the French Senate, senior capital markets regulators, shari’ah scholars and leading industry practitioners about their vision to establish a business environment to promote Islamic financial services and debate the real benefits of Islamic finance will bring to France’s economy.

Key speakers include:

• Sheikh Nizam Yaquby
• Christine Lagarde, Finance Minster, French Government
• Christian Noyer, Governor, Banque de France
• Philippe Marini, Rapporteur General, French Senate
• Thierry Francq, Executive Managing Director, Financial Disclosure and Corporate Finance Policy, Autorité des Marchés Financiers
• Patrice Aguesse, Director, Financial Disclosure and Corporate Finance Policy, Autorité des Marchés Financiers
• Michel Cardona, General Secretary, Credit Institutions and Investment Firms Committee, Banque de France

Key issues to be discussed include:

• Establishing Paris as an Islamic finance capital to open a new gateway between the Middle East and Europe
• Reflecting on fatwas, setting industry standards, and wider perceptions of Islamic finance
• Is there an appetite to explore Islamic finance as a funding option amongst French borrowers?
• Assessing Islamic investor appetite to invest into French originated transactions?
• A practical assessment of French sukuk legislation – have the changes really worked?
• Funding France’s infrastructure sector with Islamic project finance – a viable prospect?
• Developing a framework to regulate Islamic financial products on a level playing field
• Outlining the legal and regulatory framework for licensing Islamic banks in France
• Managing assets and liabilities – how do Islamic banks fund themselves once licensed?
• Assessing the development of Islamic finance in North Africa