Dr. Amel Makhlouf and Dr. Jonathan Ercanbrack are highly experienced in Islamic commercial law (fiqh al-muamalat), in Islamic finance and in the laws of the Arab Middle East. They have over 15 years' experience in structuring, documenting and negotiating complex Islamic finance transactions including hawala, ijarah, istisna, mudarabah, murabahah, musharakah et wakalah agreements.
The team advises domestic and international clients on the structuring and regulatory aspects of Islamic finance transactions, delivering innovative, commercially driven solutions. It is further dedicated to advancing a new generation of Islamic financial products and supporting the growth of Islamic digital finance—including FinTech, cryptoassets, and smart contracts—throughout the MENA region, with the objective of strengthening financial inclusion.
The team’s dual expertise in international arbitration and Islamic finance enables it to act in a wide range of arbitration proceedings arising from Islamic finance transactions, particularly in the MENA region. As a member of the AIAC Rules Revision Committee, Dr Amel Makhlouf contributed to the review of the AIAC i-Arbitration Rules 2026, a set of arbitration rules guided by Sharī‘ah principles.
Dr Jonathan Ercanbrack serves as Director, and Dr Amel Makhlouf as Research Associate, at the Centre of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law (CIMEL) at SOAS, University of London. Dr Amel Makhlouf is also a member of the Management Committee of the SOAS Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Centre (SADRC). Their research encompasses the Islamic law of contract, Islamic digital finance, Islamic insurance (takaful), comparative law, and international arbitration, with a particular focus on the MENA region. In June 2023, Dr Makhlouf submitted a report to the Qatar Financial Centre examining the legal and regulatory challenges associated with the rise of FinTech and Islamic cryptocurrencies in the region.
Dr Amel Makhlouf is a former Managing Editor of the Country Surveys section of the Yearbook of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law (Volumes 21 and 22), widely regarded as a leading English-language journal on contemporary Islamic law and the laws of the Middle East. Dr Jonathan Ercanbrack is a member of the journal’s editorial board.
