About the Contributors xiiiThese services include: Shari’a compliance for financial transactions,
investment and equity funds, including stock screening; product innovation
and development; Shari’a review and audit; research and development.
Iqbal Asariais head of European operations of Yasaar Ltd, and a trained
economist and accountant. For the last 10 years, he has been involved in
consultancy on financial products structuring and niche marketing services
to faith and ethnic communities in the UK. As part of these services, Iqbal
has advised many banks in the UK on their launch of Islamic financial
services. He is also a consultant to a number of institutions on structuring
and marketing Islamic financial products in the UK. For four years, he was
the chair of the Business and Economics Committee of the Muslim Council
of Britain. He is now a special advisor on business and economic affairs to
the secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain. He was also a
member of the governor of the Bank of England’s Working Party−set up to
facilitate the introduction of Shari’a-compliant financial products in the UK
market−as well as the Islamic finance sub-committee of the Financial
Markets Law Committee. He is an associate of the Islamic Banking and
Finance Institute of Malaysia, and was awarded a CBE in the 2005 Queens
Honours List for services tointernationaldevelopment.
Majid Dawoodis an experienced financial services professional. He has
been a key individual in the establishment of Yasaar Ltd−the first Shari’a
compliance services company. In his capacity as chief executive of Yasaar
Ltd, Majid assists financial institutions structure cost-effective, Shari’a-
compliant financing structures around the globe. He is a director of BRR
Investments, set up in the early 1980s with shareholders including Robert
Fleming and the International Finance Corporation, who are the managers
of the first and largest Islamic leasing company in Pakistan. Prior to setting
up Yasaar Ltd, Majid held the position of country representative for Credit
Lyonnais Securities (Asia) Ltd, as well as capital markets consultant to
Credit Lyonnais and Jardine Fleming, advising on privatization and capital
market issues.