Salaam Muharram 1439 Hijri. The new hijri year has started with new ventures and partnerships in the global Islamic economy.

The United Arab Emirates and Malaysia are set to forge closer ties in the halal sector as Malaysia's national halal certifier JAKIM has announced its recognition of the UAE's halal products control systems. UAE authorities believe this will better facilitate the nation's exports and acceptance in the Malaysian market as well as in jurisdictions that accept the Malaysian halal systems certification.

Dubai-based Zileej, the company behind the board game 5Pillars, has acquired design company Gould.Sydney. According to the company, the acquisition will help Zileej support the new brands it is developing, which include Smart Muslim, a wearable technology for Muslims.

In a first for the halal travel sector, the United Kingdom's Serendipity Tailormade has been appointed Muslim-friendly travel supplier for bespoke leisure and corporate solutions provider Travel Counsellors, marking a first ever tie-up with a big mainstream travel company for the Islamic economy firm.

In another first, Germany and the Eurozone saw the opening of its first Islamic bank in 2015. Two years later, the bank, KT Bank AG, speaks to Salaam Gateway about how it's grown, saying that it sees opportunities in its position as an intermediary for trade finance between the wider Middle East and the Eurozone.

Further reading from Salaam Gateway:

© Zawya 2017