KUALA LUMPUR, 3 November 2015 – The 11th World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF), themed “Building Resilience for Equitable Growth” saw nine global leaders come together at the opening ceremony of the annual forum which has more than 3,000 forum registrants coming from 101 countries these three days.
The global leaders are:
The Hon. Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia & Patron of the WIEF Foundation
H.E. Dr. Dragan Čović, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
H.E. Yaqub Eyyubov, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan
H.E. Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali Al-Madani, President of the Islamic Development Bank
H.E. François Kanimba, Special Representative of President Paul Kagame and Minister of Trade & Industry of the Republic of Rwanda
H.E. Sun Chanthol, Special Representative of Prime Minister Hun Sen, Senior Minister and Minister of Commerce of the Kingdom of Cambodia
H.E. Axel Jesson Denis Ayenoue, Special Representative and Adviser of President Ali Bongo Ondimba of the Gabonese Republic
H.E. Benjamin Clement Eghan, Special Representative of President John Dramani Mahama of the Republic of Ghana
The Hon. Tun Musa Hitam, Chairman of the WIEF Foundation
“This year’s theme, “Building Resilience for Equitable Growth” is appropriate, given the challenges facing the global economy. None of us can totally shield ourselves from the vagaries and uncertainties of rapidly changing markets and currency fluctuations. It is therefore more important than ever that we can preserve stability and promote equitable growth. We must also address inequalities in the distribution of wealth, both across and within nations, in order to safeguard social stability and to promote an agenda of global inclusion, peace and prosperity,” said The Hon. Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia and Patron of the WIEF Foundation.
This sentiment was echoed by the global leaders at the opening ceremony.
“We are witnessing a high degree of inequality in the world. The richest use 85 per cent of overall resources while accounting for 20 per cent of the population and producing up to 90 per cent of the waste. That is why it is always important to talk about sustainable development…Sustainable development, as one of the objectives of the strategic development of Bosnia and Herzegovina, implies the development of environment and environmental infrastructure, energy and renewable energy sources, transportation infrastructure and telecommunications, and the development of agriculture and rural areas with the aim of diversifying economic activities,” said H.E. Dr. Dragan Čović, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Indeed in Rwanda, we understand that ensuring sustainable growth means forging frameworks of cooperation that benefit all parties – specifically, increasing trade, and encouraging greater flows of capital, technology and knowledge. To that note, I encourage the Islamic Business Community to take advantage of the existing investment opportunities in Rwanda, as we remain an ideal investment location due to our security, enabling policy and infrastructure environment as well as the provision of focused investment incentives,” said H.E. François Kanimba, Special Representative of President Paul Kagame and Minister of Trade & Industry of the Republic of Rwanda.
This then kick-started numerous activities and programmes for both the forum and the 8th Marketplace of Creative Arts Festival including bilateral meetings, MoU signings, panel discussions, networking sessions, arts and cultural performances, and masterclasses, amongst many others.
Some key highlights from the day include:
MoU Exchanges witnessed by The Hon. Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak namely between:
Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC) and Johor Biotech Park (JBP) to develop an integrated Halal Park in Johor
Islamic Economic Development Foundation (YaPEIM) and Islamic Development Bank Group (IDBG) – a joint working arrangement to drive economic development based on Maqasid Shari’ah.
Dewina Trading Sdn Bhd, Malaysia and Lanzhou Longma eCommerce Technology Co. Ltd on Collaboration and Promotion of Brahim’s brand of products
Lanzhou Longma eCommerce Technology Co. Ltd, China and SQC Management Sdn Bhd as the Main Service Provider For Halal Training and Consultancy Services to North West China
Medini Iskandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd and Telekom Malaysia Berhad for the provision of ICT-related services to develop Medini into a connected and sustainable city
The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between INCEIF – The Global University of Islamic Finance – and Japan’s Keio University, representing the determination of both their drive to internationalise Islamic finance and to make it more accessible in Muslim-minority markets where the industry has witnessed substantial growth in recent years.
The launch of Malaysia’s first central compendium on Islamic insurance (takaful), the Malaysian Takaful Dynamics. The report was jointly developed by the Malaysian Takaful Association and EY Malaysia, providing an overview of the industry’s landscape and performance, as well as steps to help fast-track the industry to achieve its optimum potential.
The launch of Islamica 500 – The 500 who make the Islamic Economy, an independent instrument to assess the dynamics of Islamic economy. Each year, the content of the guide is revised and updated by an editorial team searching the most innovative and substantial achievements in the Islamic economy and the halal industry.
The Hon. Dato Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs. Malaysia will officiate the opening of the SME Business Pavilion tomorrow, the second day of the forum.
The three-day Forum covers topics in the Muslim world including Islamic finance, halal industries, green technologies, education, sustainable living and development, women and youth development, and the Creative Arts.
The World Islamic Economic Forum is the largest international gathering of heads of government, economic experts and stakeholders to share experiences and knowledge about Islamic economy since its launch in 2005.
Find out more about the 11th WIEF here: http://wief.org/forum/11/
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Official event hashtags: #11thWIEF and #8thMOCAfest
To download photos, speeches, presentations, please go to: http://bitly/11thWIEF
About the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) Foundation
The WIEF Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation based in Kuala Lumpur, organises the annual World Islamic Economic Forum, a world-class business platform showcasing business opportunities in the Muslim world, and runs programmes of the various initiatives of the Foundation that strengthen people partnership and knowledge exchange between Muslim and non-Muslim communities across the globe.
The WIEF has previously held forums in Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Kuwait and
Pakistan, the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates and aims to bring together Muslim and non-Muslim communities through the common language of business.
The 11th WIEF will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from 3-5 November 2015.
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