QInvest, one of Qatar’s leading Shariah-compliant investment bank, sees Turkey as being a key driver of growth in Islamic finance worldwide, and will be exploring the opportunities at the Turkish-Arab Economic Forum, which is opening today in Istanbul.

QInvest’s Turkey Country Head, Can Guclu, will be a panelist at the two-day forum, which will conclude on May 29.

Guclu, said: QInvest is proud to have a strong track record in being involved with Islamic finance in Turkey. We expect to play a major role in the increased Shariah-compliant finance activities in Turkey by corporates and the government including growth in sukuk issuance, asset management and real estate financing and advisory. This growth will be driven by the rapid increase in demand for Islamic finance solutions we are witnessing in the country.”

The 9th edition of the Forum will witness participation of prime ministers, Turkish and Arab ministers, prominent business people and investment and finance leaders to discuss the macroeconomic developments and major investment opportunities in the two regions. QInvest has an office in Istanbul and offers cross-border services to clients from its presence in Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The bank has been involved in a number of high profile sukuk issuances in Turkey, including its recent role as joint lead manager for Turkiye Finans’s $500m sukuk and the $1.25bn Turkish sovereign sukuk.

QInvest has also been active in other areas of Islamic finance in the country, including Murabaha, and mezzanine and equity finance. It is active in the Turkish asset management industry and is in talks with a leading portfolio management company to advise on shariah-compliant asset management.

QInvest has a strong track record in managing sharia’a-compliant funds via its QInvest Managed Account Platform (QMAP), the world’s first open architecture Islamic managed account platform. The Firm brings best practice from the conventional fund industry to sharia’a investors through a range of global partnerships with managers around the world.

*This article was originally published on The Peninsula on 28 May 2014. Read the original article here.