Faizal Bhana

Director – Middle East, Africa and India at Jersey Finance

Speaker

Faizal is a UK qualified lawyer and for many years has worked and advised, and is a trusted advisor to institutions, corporates and families across the Middle East, Africa and India. Faizal specialises in banking and finance and has advised corporates, family offices and families including on their international investment and holding structures.

Faizal is responsible for developing the strategy for Jersey Finance’s engagement in Africa, the Middle East and India. He is focussed on his key markets, regularly travelling to all these countries, liaising and working with key stakeholders, including public and private institutions, corporates and families, building long-term mutually beneficial relationships.

Faizal graduated with a first class in his undergraduate Law (LLB) Honours degree and a distinction in his postgraduate (MSc) degree in Islamic Banking and Finance, both from top tier UK-based universities.

Faizal is a regular contributor and an international speaker, providing thought leadership at both public and private engagements across the Middle East and Africa. A regular contributor to both regional and national publications across the Middle East and Africa, Faizal has been interviewed on various platforms including the BBC, CNBC, Bloomberg, CGTN, Arab News, Gulf News and various other leading global and regional media outlets.

Faizal is a member of the invitation-only prestigious TheCityUK’s Middle East and Africa Sub-groups, which provide strategic direction to the TheCityUK and its membership on its activity relating to the financial and related professional services (FRPS) industries in the Middle East and Africa markets. Additionally, Faizal also sits on the Financial and Professional Services and Investment focus groups for the Riyadh Group for British Business in Saudi Arabia, one of the largest British Business Groups globally, and in 2023, Faizal was nominated to the Financial Services Task Group, the Saudi financial services focussed working group of the Saudi British Joint Business Council (SBJBC).

Faizal has a passion for mentoring young, dynamic and promising entrepreneurs globally, having successfully mentored over several years for HRH King Charles’ charities, the Prince’s Trust and Mosiac, and MBA students from the prestigious, and world-leading business school, the Saïd Business School at Oxford University. Additionally, Faizal also mentored select NexGen UHNW family members from his region, supporting and guiding them as they take on more responsibility and positions of leadership within their global family businesses.