Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and S&P Global Ratings said in an October 1 announcement that they planned to hold the 16th Annual Islamic Finance Conference at DIFC on October 7. The programme covers the sector’s 2026–2027 outlook and the Gulf Cooperation Council’s capital markets and credit environment. Planned sessions address sovereign credit fundamentals, economic outlooks, global energy markets, bank and corporate credit trends, takaful, and developments in Saudi Arabia, Central Asia and the Caucasus.

The release describes a planned forum for industry discussion; it does not provide a subsequent report confirming that the event took place or that new market data were published. An S&P representative’s assessment in the source concerns credit fundamentals, risk management and capital-market development. The announcement gives no specific return, credit-rating change or economic-outcome forecast.