Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

World Islamic Economic Forum to Focus on the Economic Potential of Muslim world | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
Select Page

Dubai, Asharq Al-Awsat- the Theme for The second World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF), will be “Unleashing the Economic Potential,” to be held at the Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad, Pakistan from November 5 to 7, 2006.

Announcing the event at a press conference in Dubai, Dr Michael Yeoh, CEO of WIEF Foundation and the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI) said: “The Muslim world is at a crossroads today, with governments, leaders and citizens of Islamic states faced with the dilemma of fulfilling their economic aspirations within the value system of their societies while at the same time, having to positively deal with the challenges, perceptions and expectations of the wider non-Muslim world.”

“This historic meeting of business leaders, experts and decision makers from around the world is unique in the sense that it addresses a very important and powerful trend that has acquired centre-stage in the world today and that is the steady emergence of Muslim markets in the context of an ever increasing significance and integration of Islamic finance and services into the international financial system,” he said.

“We are not meeting merely for business collaborations but we are actually saying that we are doing so in the context of a changing system, one that is increasingly favouring and accepting Islamic finance and service as an important component of the international financial system. Thus, the Forum acknowledges this underlying strength and advantage and offers participants with discussion topics that take into account this renewed vigour, unleashing the economic potential that is inherent in our emerging markets,” Yeoh added.