Global Summit in Abu Dhabi will focus on how to improve risk management and provide scale for responsible finance in the MENA region

The RFI Summit 2019 announces that Early Bird registration will close on 7 March, the last chance for participants to benefit from an exclusive 30% discount to join leaders from the regional financial sector.  The RFI Summit, which will be held at Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) will provide participants with an opportunity to learn about how responsible finance can benefit participants, highlighting how banks and asset managers can improve their risk management while identifying new business opportunities.

Now in its fourth year, the RFI Summit 2019 builds upon the outcomes that were developed by participants at the previous RFI Summit in April 2018 during the final ‘unconference session’.  This session, which asked Summit participants to develop outcomes based on the case studies presented earlier in the day, coalesced into the following four recommendations, which were incorporated throughout the RFI Summit 2019 agenda recognizing that responsible finance depends on:

• Managing risks, creating scale and demonstrating impact;

• Understanding the preferences of the ultimate beneficiaries of finance;

• Creating continuous transformation using measurable results to add scale; and,

• Redefining business success to include long-term social, environmental and economic sustainability.

The conclusions from last year’s Summit provide cross-cutting support throughout the RFI Summit 2019 agenda and in its theme: “A New SRI: Can Sustainable, Responsible and Islamic Finance Deliver More Impact Together?”  The theme reiterates the opportunities that can be gained through a convergence between different types of responsible finance.  Sustainable finance, responsible investment and Islamic finance provide complementary features that fundamentally affect risk, returns and impact differently.

In addition, to support global trends in responsible finance, we have oriented this year’s Support Disruption for Good Challenge, our annual FinTech business competition that is open for applications through 24 March, to feature three winners whose products can benefit financial institutions that are integrating responsible finance.  The winners of the Challenge will be selected by their potential to support financial institutions addressing key risks they face as a result of their exposure to environmental and social impacts through their financing. 

Blake Goud, CEO of RFI Foundation commented: “The RFI Summit brings a focus on the business impacts of the environmental and social impact that economic activity creates.  The Summit highlights how financial institutions can improve their risk management with a focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) data.  We will go beyond theory by showcasing examples of banks, asset managers and capital market instruments that demonstrate a tangible value-add from responsible finance. ”

Mounir Khouzami, Executive Board Member, Chairman of the Advisory Board and Co-Founder of Swiss Arab Network said: “Participants will leave the RFI Summit 2019 having met and engaged with leaders from business, finance and the public sector.  The Summit will provide them with a starting point to seize the opportunities presented by responsible finance, and will be a link into a wider network of organisations active on the cutting edge of responsible finance in the region.”

For more information about the RFI Summit 2019, please visit www.rfisummit.org.  To register with a limited-time 30% discount, please complete your registration before 7 March 2019.