Calyon was one of the key sponsors for a conference on Islamic Finance held in Paris on April 1st. In association with the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Paris-Ile de France Capitale Economique, the Kingdom of Bahrain hosted the conference at the Paris Chamber of Commerce.

The conference entitled “Islamic Banking, Insurance and Finance in the Kingdom of Bahrain” was attended by close to 200 people. The discussions mainly focused on Bahrain, its position as a regional financial hub, its strong regulation and its expertise in Islamic finance. This was followed by a roundtable on Islamic Finance where Simon Eedle (Global Head, Islamic Banking) described the effect of the crisis on Islamic Finance, the challenges going forward and the opportunities for Europeans to invest in this growing segment.

The conference ended with a lunch shared by Anne-Marie Idrac, Secretary of State for foreign trade and His Excellency, Mr Rasheed Mohammed Al Maraj, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain. Both emphasized the importance of Islamic finance in the development of the financial industry for France and Bahrain.