The Second Global Islamic Economy Summit, organized by the Al Baraka Forum for Islamic Economy, commenced Friday in Istanbul. The three-day event, running until Sunday, has drawn the participation of the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, alongside a distinguished gathering of policymakers, economic leaders, and prominent intellectuals from around the world.

According to the organizers, held under the theme “Islamic Economic Strategies: A Path to an Influential Global Economy”, the summit offers a strategic platform to reshape global economic narratives, with Türkiye at the forefront as a dynamic hub for participation finance.

In his opening address, Abdullah Saleh Kamel, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Al Baraka Forum, highlighted the significant development taking place across key Arab and Islamic capitals. He noted that this progress reflects institutional maturity and a sincere commitment to contributing to the future of the global economy through a model that integrates core values with operational efficiency.

Abdullah Saleh Kamel emphasized that the economic transformations unfolding in many Arab countries signal a readiness to adopt a modern economic approach grounded in well-established principles. He affirmed that the Islamic economy is not a theoretical alternative, but a comprehensive financial system that has demonstrated its effectiveness through instruments such as endowments, zakat, takaful, and sukuk – tools that can thrive within responsible and modern regulatory environments.

He also stressed that the Islamic world possesses the human resources, natural wealth, and intellectual foundations needed to build a competitive economic model. He called for broader partnerships among nations, institutions, and societies, with a focus on transforming successful experiences into scalable, internationally viable systems.

Abdullah Saleh Kamel’s remarks reflected a strategic vision for leading a values-based economic movement that remains relevant to contemporary realities, positioning the Islamic world as an active contributor to the global economic order.

The Al Baraka Forum for Islamic Economy is an independent, non-profit intellectual platform. Its first seminar was held in Madinah in 1981. Since then, the Forum has continued to host annual meetings that bring together experts and decision-makers to shape the future of the Islamic economy, support research, and strengthen its knowledge base.