Islamic Chamber Extends B57+ to Europe

The Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (ICCD) on Sunday launched a European chapter of its B57+ initiative, which will hold its first activities in Brussels in the coming weeks.

ICCD President Abdullah Saleh Kamel announced the chapter at the opening of the second Business Leaders Summit in Istanbul. He said it would bridge business communities in member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and their counterparts in Europe.

“The real challenge is turning this potential into investments, projects and partnerships that serve our shared interests”, Kamel said, referring to the capital, resources, markets and human talent that he said could make the Islamic world a more influential economic force.

Organized by the ICCD under the theme “The Great Convergence”, the summit is held on the sidelines of the 42nd session of the OIC's Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC). Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat attended the opening.

The ICCD launched B57+ in 2025 under the direct supervision of Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz. Its aim is to bring together business leaders from the OIC’s 57 member states and their counterparts worldwide, and to turn their dialogue into investments and partnerships with lasting impact. The Business Leaders Summit is its annual gathering.

ICCD President thanked the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) and its President, Rifat Hisarcıkloğlu, for supporting preparations for the European chapter. He said he hoped a dedicated B57+ office would open soon at TOBB’s premises in Brussels.

A week dedicated to resolving commercial disputes through mediation and arbitration preceded the summit, drawing centers from OIC countries as well as from the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. ICCD President said such cooperation tackles one of the main obstacles to foreign investment, particularly in the least developed countries. “Trust in the business environment is the foundation for attracting investment”, he said.

ICCD President said the measure of any initiative is the projects and investment it delivers on the ground. He added that integration across industries had become a necessity, and that logistics integration securing stable supply routes would ease trade and lift exports among OIC member states. He said the chamber wants B57+ to become a platform for year-round cooperation among business leaders, where “ideas become initiatives, initiatives become projects, and projects become real economic impact”.