The International Real Estate Finance Summit 2008

The IREF conference series now in its sixth year prides itself on bringing to you the most current real estate issues affecting both conventional and Islamic finance circles. Leading institutions and influential market players have over the years addressed important issues, identified exciting opportunities and forged new business relationships at IREF.

Against the backdrop of the current global economic turmoil, IREF 2008 has assumed even greater importance as it is set to explore new avenues, and highlight the potential opportunities that exist between the GCC and key Western markets such as the UK. Clearly GCC investors armed with huge reservoirs of petrodollar liquidity can benefit not just from the abundance of opportunities currently available but also from expertise, knowledge transfer, and mutual cooperation between East and West.

The UK, a traditional real estate investment location for the GCC countries, remains an attractive hub especially for Islamic real estate financing and investments. The UK and GCC have a historical and long relationship in economic cooperation and investment. The UK is also the single largest provider of expertise in banking, legal, consultancy and accounting services to the GCC countries including in the specialized area of Islamic financing.
 
With all these market dynamics, IREF 2008 could not have come at a more opportune time. Real estate will always remain an attractive investment asset class for Middle East investors both in the region and out of the region.

As such IREF 2008 is the real estate event which anyone interested in the real estate market in the UK and GCC whether as a regulator, player, financier, structurer, investor, speculator, analyst or simply as an interested part, cannot afford to miss!