10th World Islamic Economic Forum introduces new features to celebrate Dubai as land of creativity and innovation

Detailed agenda unveiled at press conference attended by Dubai Chamber in Kuala Lumpur

Jeddah , KSA August 26, 2014

The World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) Foundation and Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Dubai Chamber) today unveiled at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur details of the upcoming 10^th WIEF which will be held in Dubai from October 28 to 30, 2014 at the Madinat Jumeirah Conference Centre. The annual forum will be hosted in Dubai for the first time following successes across the globe including Kuala Lumpur, Islamabad, Kuwait, Jakarta, Astana, Johor Bahru and London.

Themed 'Innovative Partnerships for Economic Growth', the Forum aims to forge greater collaboration between nations, bringing a new era of prosperity for the global economy. Innovative partnerships is an important dimension required to recognise and develop different models for economic growth, offering tremendous opportunities for players with varying expertise and resources to join forces to create joint ventures that are greater in value than the sum of their parts.

Recognised for its significant contributions to progress in the global Islamic economy over the last 10 years, the annual forum will highlight Dubai's pursuit to play a key role in shaping the US$ 8 trillion Islamic economy, and introduce new features to celebrate Dubai as the land of creativity and city which embraces the culture of innovation. The new features include:

· Ideapad: Technology & Innovation Showcase - Platform for entrepreneurs and innovators to give a 15-minute pitch on stage to capture the attention, interest, and potentially, investment, of the forum's international audience

· Business Exchange - Business match-making programme where selected companies give a three-minute pitch about their business, followed by a networking session with delegates

There will also be a specialised session on the second day of the Forum to inaugurate and drive the Halal bio-economy agenda focusing on food security, healthcare and well-being of the global Muslim community. 'Mobilising Capital from Waqf, Pension Funds and Unit Trusts: Developing Best Practices' is another thought-provoking panel discussion which will be introduced at the 10^th WIEF.

These new features will complement the current programme which includes panel discussions, Masterclass sessions, networking events and the Marketplace of Creative Arts Festival (MOCAFest).

Key topics of the 10^th WIEF include:

· Global Economic Outlook: Developing a Resilient Model for Developing Economies

· Global Financial Landscape

· Islamic Finance's Pivotal Role in Enabling Trade & Streamlining the Halal Supply Chain

· Socialising Education and the Role of Universities

· Retaining Young Talents

· Sustainable Urban Planning - Creating Smart Infrastructure and Holistic Communities

· Rise of Women Entrepreneurs - Developing a Peer Network

The Honourable (Hon.) Tun Musa Hitam, Chairman of the WIEF Foundation said; "The Islamic economy is not insulated from happenings around the world and our focus, at the World Islamic Economic Forum Foundation, is bringing to the fore opportunities which will ensure continued progress for the economy and the people. Three ways we can achieve this are by exploring prospects in smaller, non-majority Muslim markets, leveraging the continued growth of Islamic finance and, represented in our theme for 10^th WIEF, forging innovative partnerships for business success."

"The upcoming 2015 Asean integration, as well as the increasing purchasing power of Muslim consumers, underscores the strong growth potential of the Islamic economy. Our priority for the 10^th WIEF is bringing global leaders, businesses and all members of the community together to realise these opportunities for sustainable development worldwide. We all have a part to play," he added.

His Excellency (H.E.) Abdul Rahman Saif Al Ghurair, Chairman of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry said, "The Arab world offers one of the most comprehensive and attractive Islamic capital market systems in the world, and Dubai, already the region's key business hub, is the gateway for businesses to unlock the potential of the Islamic economy across the Gulf and wider Middle East."

"The close collaboration between the WIEF Foundation, Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and Dubai Capital of Islamic Economy in preparation for this forum is testament to the success formula of innovative partners for economic growth, and we are confident that more such partnerships will be forged when global leaders and businesses converge in Dubai for the 10^th WIEF," he added.

Discussions around economic and social matters continue to be key areas of focus at the annual Forum which is the largest international gathering of heads of government, economic experts and stakeholders to share experiences and knowledge about Islamic economy. The 10^th WIEF which is expected to be attended by more than 2,500 participants from 140 countries, will offer a global platform to form innovative partnerships based on the seven pillars of the Dubai Capital of Islamic Economy initiative launched in 2013: Islamic finance, Halal food industry, Halal tourism, Islamic digital economy, Capital of Islamic art and design, Centre for Islamic economy standards and certification, and International centre for Islamic information and education.

The 10^th WIEF continues to attract international partners and welcomes more organisations to be part of this prestigious, global Forum through various packages. Benefits include special access to key delegates, usage of Forum assets and resources, as well as numerous branding and communication opportunities.

In addition to the annual WIEF, the Foundation also organises and hosts roundtables, workshops, leadership programmes, business networking forums, internship and scholarship programmes and more such activities to educate, empower, exchange expertise and address economic challenges in a more personalised scale.

-Ends-

Appendix: Snapshot of some topics and speakers at the 10^th WIEF

About the 10th WIEF:
Following the remarkable success of the 9th WIEF, the first to be held outside of the Muslim world; London, which attracted 18 Heads of State and Government, 46 Ministers, 7 Central Bank Governors and 2,700 delegates from 128 countries, the WIEF is celebrating its 10th year this year.

The 10th World Islamic Economic Forum (10th WIEF) will be convened this year in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a cosmopolitan metropolis that has grown steadily to become a global city and a business and cultural hub of the Middle East and the Gulf region.

The 10th WIEF is a high level platform for leading global government leaders, captains of industries, academic scholars, regional experts, professionals, corporate managers, policy makers, innovators, business leaders and investors to network and discuss opportunities for business partnerships in the Muslim world. The Forum will address a myriad of current economic and business related issues with the objective of generating innovative and creative solutions to transform the global economy and promoting business collaborations.

Being hosted in Dubai for the first time, the 10th WIEF Forum will be held at Madinat Jumeirah Conference Centre Dubai on 28 - 30th October 2014 with an arching theme 'Innovative Partnerships for Economic Growth' that seeks to position Dubai as a leader of halal industries and raising economic landscape to new horizons. Dubai offers an excellent platform for the WIEF as one of the fastest growing cities in the world. It has emerged as a tourism, trade and logistics hub which has earned the reputation of being the 'gateway between the east and the west'.

The Forum is expected to attract more than 2,500 participants from all around the world. It is in collaboration between the WIEF Foundation, Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Dubai Capital of Islamic Economy.

The WIEF has previously held forums in Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Kuwait, Pakistan and United Kingdom, and aims to bring together Muslim and non-Muslim communities through the common language of business.

For more information, please visit the 10th WIEF website www.10thwief.org

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. The Foundation also runs programmes under the WIEF Businesswomen Network (WBN), WIEF Young Leaders Network (WYN) and the WIEF Education Trust (WET) and the WIEF Roundtable Series, aimed at strengthening people partnership and knowledge exchange between Muslim and non-Muslim communities across the globe. Some of the Foundation's initiatives include the roundtable discussions, leadership programmes, knowledge transfer and skill development workshops, business networking forums, internship and scholarship programmes, the Young Fellows Programme and the Marketplace of Creative Arts Festival (MOCAfest). For more information on the WIEF Foundation, please visit www.wief.org.

About Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry:
Established in 1965, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry is a non-profit public entity, whose mission is to represent, support and protect the interests of the business community in Dubai by creating a favourable business environment, supporting the development of business, and by promoting Dubai as an international business hub.

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