User:Omar Azami/Majid Siddique Dawood
Majid Siddique Dawood
[edit]Summary
[edit]Majid Siddique Dawood | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November, 1947 Bantva, Gujrat, India |
| Citizenship | Naturalised British |
| Education | St. Patrick's High School,
Karachi, Pakistan; St Peter's School, York, England; University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA, BA Economics |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, Investor, Entrepreneur & Philanthropist |
| Years active | 1970 - Present |
| Organization(s) | Yasaar Limited, Yasaar Research Limited |
| Known for | Islamic Finance, Capital Markets, Innovation, Author |
| Spouse | Angela Dawood (M: 1992 - Present)
Susan Dignan ( M: 1986 - 1989) Yasmeen Latif (M: 1974-1980) |
| Children | Shezad, Mikayl and Samya |
| Parents |
|
| Family | Siblings - Dr Farooque Dawood;
Rafique Dawood; Farida Rokadia Dawood Family |
| Website | https://www.yasaar.org/home.ph |
Majid Dawood. is a British businessman and entrepreneur of Pakistani/Indian origin, known for his contributions to Islamic finance and financial sectors.
He is the founder and CEO of Yasaar Limited [1] , a pioneering advisory firm that specialises in providing Shariah compliance services to both conventional and Islamic financial institutions, Regulators, and policy makers. Majid Dawood has played a crucial role in bridging the gap between traditional Islamic principles and modern financial practices.
Early Life and Education
[edit]Majid Dawood was born in India post partition and his family emigrated to Pakistan. In Pakistan, Majid attended St Patrick's High School in Karachi, until the age of 15.
At the age of 15, he attended St Peter’s in York, the oldest public boarding school in the United Kingdom.
He has spent a large portion of his life in the United Kingdom, where he currently resides.
He completed his secondary education in the UK and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Massachusetts in Boston.
After spending his early formative life in many business activities. He was headhunted as Pakistan representative of Credit Lyonnais Securities Asia (CLSA) as was instrumental in the early of Privatisation during the Benazir Bhutto government, He worked closely with the Minister of Privatisation, Syed Naveed Qamar and got awarded the mandate for the privatisation of the United Bank Limited as well as getting the allocation for Pakistan Telecom increased for CLSA clients.
In 1998, Majid, he was the founding partner of the Japanese Knife Company.
He later developed a keen interest in Islamic finance and business. His diverse cultural background and education provided him with a unique perspective on integrating Islamic principles into the global financial industry.
Business Career
[edit]Majid Dawood began his career in finance, focusing on providing consultancy and advisory services to financial institutions, and Islamic financial institutions.
Majid recognized the growing demand for Shariah compliant financial services and the missing attributes to the industry. In response to this, Majid founded Yasaar Limited in 1998. The company provides Shariah advisory services to institutions seeking to operate in compliance with Islamic law, particularly in banking, insurance (takaful), asset management, and capital markets. Yasaar Limited has since become one of the leading firms in the field, advising clients across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.
Under Majid Dawood's leadership, Yasaar has expanded its services to offer consultation on ethical and socially responsible investing, aligning Islamic financial principles with global trends in sustainable and responsible investing.
In 2006, Majid Dawood negotiated a partnership with FTSE Russell FTSE Indices[1] , which, after more than a decade, continues to provide Shariah compliant stock screening services to Global FTSE Indices, specifically the FTSE Global Equity Shariah Index Series
In honour of this relationship, in January 2024, FTSE Indices rebranded their Global Shariah Compliant Index to FTSE Yasaar Global Equity Shariah Index Series
In 2018, Majid opened Yasaar's offices in Brunei[2]
Contributions to Islamic Finance, Interviews, Publications and Articles.
[edit]Majid Dawood is recognized as a key figure in the Islamic finance industry for his work in promoting transparency, risk management, and ethical practices. He has contributed to the development of Shariah compliant financial products and services, facilitating the growth of Islamic finance as a globally recognized alternative financial system.
Majid Dawood has also been an advocate for the standardization of Islamic finance practices, working with Scholars and Financial experts to ensure that products are compliant with Islamic principles while being competitive with conventional financial products.
Throughout his career, Majid has been asked to contribute to a number of conferences, interviews, publications and authored a number of articles (both as an individual and also as a team).
In October 2008, Majid Dawood was invited to The International Islamic Finance Forum to speak about Growth in Islamic Finance in New markets like Climate Change, Sustainability, Green investment[3]. The forum was held in Istanbul, Turkey.
One of Majid's major contributions is to enhance Shariah Scholarship in Islamic Finance. In August 2009, Majid was interviewed by The Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance (IIBI) regarding Shariah scholar training and the demand for Shariah Scholars (Fiqh al Mualumat) in the Islamic Finance industry[4] and Demand for Shariah Scholars[5].
In March 2010, Majid was invited by Harvard University to be part of a panel discussion looking at Recovering from a Recession[6] , for their Ninth Harvard University Forum on Islamic Finance.
In 2010, Majid was asked to write the foreword for the book entitled, “Current Issues in Islamic Banking and Finance: Resilience and Stability in The Present System” [7]authored by Angelo M Venardos.
One of the publications who Majid was asked to contribute to was the Harvard University Forum on Islamic Finance, Islamic Finance after the Global Financial Crisis, a joint article written with Huma Sodher (Page 69)[8] in 2012. In the publication, Majid Dawood has been described as an experienced financial services professional, establishing Yasaar Limited, the first Shariah compliance services company. They also mention that he has won a number of awards, including Deloitte and Touche award for most innovative Islamic Finance Product for Caravan Sukuk. In December 2007 and again in January 2008 (Page 313 to 314) best Islamic award for Yasaar Limited.
In January 2020, Majid was the key note speaker invited by White and Case at their 5th Annual Islamic Finance Seminar, where he discussed opportunities for Islamic Finance in relation to Climate Change through Green bonds and sustainability
In January 2022, The Halal Times[9] (a digital only media platform publishing news and views about global Halal, Islamic Finance and other sub-sectors in the global Islamic economy), interviewed Majid Dawood covering the topic of the Role of Islamic Finance in Boosting trade.[10]
Philanthropy and Advocacy
[edit]In addition to his work in finance, Dawood is known for his philanthropic efforts and advocacy for education in underprivileged communities. He supports various charitable initiatives aimed at improving access to education and healthcare, particularly in developing countries.
Majid was a Trustee at the Festival of Muslim Cultures, one year limited charity to highlight Islamic Art, Literature, Music and Culture. ( the Patron of the Festival of Muslim Cultures was King Charles lll, and the International Patron was Princess Haya of Jordan).
Majid is also a member of the Founders Circle of the British Asian Trust.
Personal Life
[edit]Majid Dawood is a family man who divides his time between the UK and the Middle East. He is married to Angela Dawood and has 3 children, Shezad Dawood [2], Mikayl Dawood and Samya Dawood.
Majid Dawood parents are Hanifa Dawood (Mother) and Siddique Dawood (Father). His Father was part of the founding members of Pakistan.
He is also a frequent speaker at international conferences and forums on Islamic finance, Social and ethical investing. Majid home residence is London, England.
Recognition and Legacy
[edit]Majid Dawood'
s contributions to Islamic finance have been widely recognized, and he continues to be a leading figure in the industry. Through his work, he has helped shape the modern landscape of Shariah compliant financial services, making them more accessible and appealing to a global audience. His requests for writing articles, talking at conferences and the influence he has shown in pushing Islamic Finance forward has been recognised by the industry.
References
[edit]- ^ "FTSE Russell Indices, Insights & Data". www.lseg.com. 2024-11-27. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ Release, Press. "Yasaar Group announces opening of an office in Brunei". www.zawya.com. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ "13 – 16 OCTOBER 2008 – ISTANBUL : "ISLAMIC FINANCE FORUM – NEW MARKETS" – ASSAIF". Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ IIBILondon (2012-01-03). Shari'ah Scholars Training | Mr Majid Saddique Dawood, CEO Yasaar Limited. Retrieved 2024-11-29 – via YouTube.
- ^ IIBILondon (2012-01-30). Demand for Shari'ah Scholars | Mr Majid Saddique Dawood, CEO Yasaar Limited. Retrieved 2024-11-29 – via YouTube.
- ^ Ninth Harvard University Forum on Islamic Finance, Building Bridges Across Financial Communities, March 27th 2010, https://www.assaif.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/AGENDA-27-28-March-2010.pdf
- ^ Venardos, Angelo M (4 May 2010). Current Issues in Islamic Banking and Finance: Resilience and Stability in The Present System (Illustrated ed.). World Scientific Publishing Company. pp. Foreward. ISBN 978-9812833921.
{{cite book}}: line feed character in|title=at position 34 (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Nazmi, Ali, S. (2012). "Building Bridges Across Financial Communities, The Global Financial Crisis, Social Responsibility and Faith-Based Finance" (PDF). Harvard University Forum. 1 (1): Page 69, Pages 313 to 314 – via Harvard University.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "The Halal Times". The Halal Times. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ The Halal Times (2022-01-21). Majid Dawood From Yasaar Group, on the Role of Islamic Finance in Boosting Trade. Retrieved 2024-11-29 – via YouTube.