he 18th Annual World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC) which is currently being held between 21 - 23 November 2011 at the Gulf Hotel, Kingdom of Bahrain. More than 1,200 industry leaders, senior decision-makers and key regulators from over 50 countries have gathered at the 18th Annual World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC 2011). While the global financial crisis had put a hold on economic growth and also forced leading players in the international Islamic finance industry to re-think key strategies, today's changing landscape promises new opportunities and the arrival of the next phase of growth for those forward-thinking Islamic finance institutions. The theme for the 2011 World Islamic Banking Conference, "Competing for Global Growth", is addressing 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. For almost 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 of the 18th annual World Islamic Banking Conference, 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. As per the conference theme "Competing for Global Growth", financial institutions need to ensure that they are well positioned to address the progressive market and regulatory requirements before they step into new geographical regions and expand regionally and internationally. The WIBC is aiming to highlight emerging trends in the Islamic finance sector and potential new markets.This year's conference is featuring a host of new and value-added topics that set it apart from all other conferences. It is also the platform to launch the 8th edition of the WIBC McKinsey Competitiveness Report, the world's only original research into the performance and key trends of Islamic banking worldwide.This year's edition also includes a UK Roundtable: Islamic Finance and the UK: entitled "Building International Partnerships". The topics being discussed in the conference includes: Managing the Challenges of Industry Globalization; Competing for Global Growth; The Game Changer: A New Alternative for Islamic Banks and Financial Markets; How Can Islamic Banks Scale Up to Access Complex Cross-Border Deals?; Islamic Finance new Development in France - Growth & Opportunities, What is Next for the Shari'a Role?; Upgrading Regulatory Frameworks and Risk Management Capabilities; Strengthening Liquidity Management in the International Islamic Financial System; and many other topics.