Kuwait Finance House – Bahrain (KFH-Bahrain) has announced its support for the 21st Annual World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC) as Gold Strategic Partner, which was held under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain and with the official support of the Central Bank of Bahrain. The Conference was held at the Gulf Hotel between the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of December 2014 where more than 1,200 industry leaders, senior decision-makers and key regulators from over 50 countries have gathered for the WIBC 2014. In today's changing landscape, promises of new opportunities and the arrival of the next phase of growth for those forward-thinking Islamic finance institutions are on the horizon. The theme for this year’s World Islamic Banking Conference, “Islamic Finance: Towards the New Paradigm Shift in Global Financial Markets”, addressed new opportunities in terms of expanding the industry on an international level – boosting cross-border transactions, accessing new markets and creating new products that point the way forward towards renewed growth horizons. A number of specialists covered this important topic at the WIBC with the noticeable support provided by CBB, which was instrumental in the success of this annual conference. The WIBC was attended by H.E. Mr. Rasheed Al Maraj, Governor of CBB, who delivered the opening speech and inaugurated the exhibition on behalf of the conference’s patron, His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa. It is noteworthy that a number of CBB officials participated in the various seminars within the conference. Furthermore, The Rt Hon. the Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, who was elected by the UK Government to develop the Islamic Banking sector in the UK, delivered a very important speech emphasizing the importance of this industry and highlighting the success of the United Kingdom in this regard and in the issuance of Sukuks. For 2 decades, the WIBC has firmly established itself as the largest gathering of Islamic finance leaders in the world and has strengthened its pivotal role as the platform where the future of the industry is shaped. As a Gold Strategic Partner, KFH - Bahrain is pleased to support such important occasions. The WIBC is aiming to develop and strengthen the Islamic finance industry by making it competitive and a preferred choice for clients worldwide. The WIBC has emerged as a global forum for communicating the values of Islamic banking to a wider audience.