• QInvest’s Dr Ataf Ahmad speaking at Opalesque Gulf Roundtable in Dubai
QInvest, Qatar's leading investment bank and one of the most prominent Islamic financial institutions in the world, expects to see increasing appetite for sharia’a -compliant funds including non-Muslim investors across a range of products and investments. The comments were made by Dr Ataf Ahmed, Head of Asset Management at QInvest, at the Opalesque Gulf Roundtable, which took place in Dubai on 20 October 2014.
Dr Ataf Ahmad, Head of Asset Management at QInvest, said:
“Across the industry we are seeing an increase in non- sharia’a investors across a range of products and investments. The types of non-Muslim investors looking at sharia’a products can be broadly broken down into two groups. The first group are investors that are attracted to the ethical and social characteristics of the assets sharia’a funds invest in; those investors for which Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors are an important investment criterion. The second group of investors look to sharia’a funds to diversify their portfolios away from certain assets that are more prominent within conventional funds and are seen as being more susceptible to economic volatility. The important thing to remember is that a well-managed sharia’a fund can perform just as well and if not, actually better than a conventional peer.”
The Opalesque Roundtable Series brings together leading asset managers and investors from around the world, sharing unique insights on the specific trends, developments and issues facing the industry.
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. It brings best practice from the conventional fund industry to sharia’a investors through a range of global partnerships with managers around the world.