Islamic banking among key topics for Turkish-Arab Economic Forum

The 8th Turkish-Arab Economic Forum will be held on Thursday (April 4) in Istanbul, with the support of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The forum will bring together 600 participants from Turkey and Arab and European countries led by ministers, central bank governors and leaders of major companies operating in the fields of investment, banking and real estate development, industry, trade and tourism.
The forum starts with a business lunch with Turkish Minister of Finance Mehmet Simsek, followed by an official opening, where Iraqi Minister of Construction and Housing Mohammed Suhaib Al-Daraji, Egyptian Minister of Investment Osama Saleh, Simsek and Turkish Deputy Prime Minister for Economic and Financial Affairs Ali Babacan will successively take the floor.
The forum’s program will include keynote speeches delivered by Ukrainian First Vice-Prime Minister Sergei Arbuzov who will announce the Arab-Ukrainian Forum being organized by Al-Iktissad wal-Aamal on Oct. 3 of this year in Kiev, as well as Chairman of the Istanbul Stock Exchange Ibrahim Turhan who will make public during the forum the launch of the Stock Exchange in its new name after it was turned into a private company.
This will be followed by the launch of the Istanbul Financial Center (IFC) real estate project.
As for the program of the sessions, it will cover the following topics: First: The prospects of bilateral cooperation in the field of real estate development through the developments in Turkey and a selection of Arab countries. Second: The dynamics of Turkish-Arab regional cooperation in the aftermath of the Arab Spring.
In this session, the speakers will be Egyptian Investment Minister Osama Saleh, Central Bank of Kuwait Gov. Mohammed Youssef Al-Hashel and Strategic planning Director at Audi-Saradar Group Freddie Baz. Third: The prospects of Arab-Turkish integration in the field of financial markets and its positive impact on both sides. Fourth: Arab-Turkish cooperation in the fields of investment in Turkey, and specifically in the sectors of petrochemicals, health and trade. Fifth: The potential of Islamic banking in the region and the use of sukuk to fund major projects in Turkey.
The forum is also expected to include on the second day a session dedicated to strategic political affairs with the active participation of Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in Qatar Khalid Al-Attiyah, and former Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Amre Moussa.