DUBAI: The World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) welcomes critical opinions for it to move forward for the betterment of the society.
“We are entering the second decade. We are shaping it now,” WIEF Foundation chairman Tun Musa Hitam told the Malaysian media in conjunction with the 10th WIEF which is held here for three days beginning Tuesday.
“Tell us how to go about it. The more severe the criticism, the more interested I am,” he said.
The WIEF Foundation has its own International Advisory Panel (IAP) that provides strategic input and intellectual content for the annual global and regional WIEF as well as its related initiatives.
This body consists of business leaders from various industries, thought leaders and heads of OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation)-related organisations.
WIEF is celebrating its 10th year anniversary this year.
It started off from a modest beginning as the OIC Business Forum, which was held on Oct 15, 2003, in conjunction with the 10th OIC Summit in Putrajaya, Malaysia.
The inaugural OIC Business Forum sought to create a business ‘face’ of the OIC.
The forum brought together government leaders, captains of industries, academic scholars, regional experts, professionals and corporate managers to discuss opportunities for business partnerships in the Muslim world.
The second OIC Business Forum was convened in Kuala Lumpur in 2004, a momentous event that brought about the birth of the WIEF and the subsequent convening of the first WIEF in Kuala Lumpur in 2005.
This was an important shift that opened up the Forum to include Muslim communities beyond OIC countries and other non-Muslim communities across the globe.
Throughout the years, the WIEF has succesfully helped the society through the establishment of the WIEF Education Trust (WET), WIEF Businesswomen Network (WBN), WIEF Young Leaders Network (WYN) and WIEF Roundtable Series.
Meanwhile, the 10th edition of the WIEF, themed “Innovative Partnerships for Economic Growth”, aims to forge greater collaboration between nations, bringing a new era of prosperity for the global economy.
The Forum has gathered a stellar line-up of nine leaders, 12 Ministers, four central bank governors, 181 role-players, and more than 2,300 delegates coming from more than 100 countries.
“We look forward to a period of highly creative engagement on the Islamic economy that will benefit the delegates as well as the countries they represent, and enhance the position of Dubai as an Islamic economy hub,” Chairman of Dubai Chamber Abdulrahman Saif Al Ghurair said.
The 10th WIEF is being organised for the first time in Dubai by the Foundation in collaboration with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as part of efforts to support the vision of the emirate to become the global capital of the Islamic economy.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, as the Patron of the WIEF Foundation, will deliver a special address during the opening session Tuesday.
The forum will be held until Oct 30. — Bernama