Speakers

H.E. Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser

Chairman

Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group

H.E. Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser

Chairman, Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser served as an Advisor at the General Secretariat of the Saudi Council of Ministers and Chairman of the General Authority for Competition from 2016 to 2021. He also served as the Minister of Economy and Planning and Governor and Board Chairman of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA), the Saudi Central Bank. In addition, he was a member of several ministerial councils, boards, and committees, including the Council for Economic Affairs and Development, the Supreme Council for Civil Defense, the Board of Directors of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, the Board of Directors of the Public Investment Fund, the Higher Committee for Hajj (Pilgrimage) Affairs and the Ministerial Environmental Committee, among many others.

Academic Life

Dr. Al Jasser obtained his M.A. (1981) and Ph.D. (1986) in Economics from the University of California. Earlier, he received his B.A. in Economics with honors from San Diego State University in 1979. Dr. Al Jasser gained a wide range of leadership experiences in the public and private sectors, having held senior positions in several institutions.

Other Previous Positions

He served as the Alternate Governor for Saudi Arabia at the IMF, the World Bank, and the Islamic Development Bank, as well as Vice Governor and Vice Chairman of the Board of SAMA, Deputy Minister of Finance and National Economy, IMF Executive Director, Chairman of the GCC Monetary Council, Member of the Governing Body of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Saudi Telecom Co. (STC), Chairman of the Board of the Arab Investment Company and Chairman of the Council of Islamic Financial Services Board.

Participation In G20 At All Levels

Dr. Al Jasser participated in the G20 summits and meetings at the ministerial, governors, and deputies levels. Moreover, he participated in the monthly and annual meetings of the Bank for International Settlements over the period 1997-2011. In addition, Dr. Al Jasser took part in several local and international symposia and gave lectures on economic and monetary policy.

Medals & Awards

Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser received several medals and awards, most notably the King Abdul Aziz Medal of the First Order in 2001.

H.E. Oussama A. Kaissi

Chief Executive Officer

Islamic Corporation for Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC)

H.E. Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol

Chief Executive Officer
International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC)
Acting Chief Executive Officer
The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD)

Adly Mohamed

Chief Commercial Officer

Halal Development Corporation Malaysia

Afdhal Aliasar

Director Halal Product Industry

National Committee for Islamic Economy and Finance, Republic of Indonesia (KNEKS)

Afolabi Obisesan

Senior Manager, Guarantees and Specialised Finance

Afreximbank

Ahmed S. Osilan

Executive Board Member & Managing Director

Tanmiah Company

Amadou Hott

Special Envoy and global champion for the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa (AGIA)

African Development Bank Group

Ameen Al Saadi

Chief Investment Officer

Halal Products Development Company

Amer Bukvic

Acting Director General Global Practice & Partnerships

Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)

Amnah Shaari

Chief Executive Officer

Serunai Commerce

Arshad Mohamed Ismail

Chief Executive Officer

EXIMBANK Malaysia

Aurélien Vincent

Partner

Strategy &

Cornelia Meyer

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
MRL Corporation
Chairman and Chief Economist
LBV Asset Management

Dr Marco Tieman

Chief Executive Officer

LBB International

Dr. Abdulrahman Alkhayal

Chairman

Saudi Cables Company

Dr. Mohammed Alyami

Director Development Effectiveness Office

The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD)

Dr. Rabah Arezki

Senior Fellow

Harvard University

Eng. Abdullah AlRakhis

Chairman

Al Madinah Institution for Policy

Eng. Nasser Al Thekair

General Manager of the Trade & Business Development Department

International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC)

Eng. Sayed El-Wazir

Board Member

The Arab Contractors

Fahad Al Nuhait

Chief Executive Officer

Halal Products Development Company, KSA

Fatih Yilmaz

Research Fellow

King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center

H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat

Minister of International Cooperation

Ministry of International Cooperation, The Arab Republic of Egypt

H.E. Eng. Saad Bin Abdulaziz AlKhalb

Chief Executive Officer

Saudi Exim Bank

H.E. Mohamed EL KETTANI

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Attijariwafa Bank Group

H.E. Mr. Bahlil Lahadalia

Minister of Investment/Chairman

Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) of the Republic of Indonesia

H.E. Mr. Sami Ibrahim Alhussaini

Governor

Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monsha’at)

H.H. Prince Waleed Al-Saud

Founder and CEO

Mukatafa

Hairol Ariffein Sahari

Chief Executive Officer

Halal Development Corporation HDC, Malaysia

Hamzah Kassim

Chairman

Hong Leong Islamic Bank

HE. Dr. Ghassan Alsulaiman

Chairman

National Center for Family Businesses

Husein Kavazović

Reis ul Uleman

Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia

Ihsan Ovut

Secretary General

Standards And Metrology Institute For Islamic Countries (SMIIC)

Ilham Habibie

Co-Founder

PT ILTHABI Rekatama Indonesia

Kenan Jusufspahic

Lead PPP Investment Officer, PPP Division

Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)

Khalifa Sarr

Head of the Office of the Special Envoy

Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa

Latifa El Bouabdellaoui

Director General

Islamic Center for Development of Trade (ICDT)

Line Bitar

Senior Manager, Acquisitions & Project Finance

ACWA Power

Lotfi Zairi

Manager of Sovereign Operations

The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment & Export Credit (ICIEC)

M Asheque Moyeed

Acting Director, Banking Department

Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD)

Maha Akeel

Mohamed Ali Merchaoui

Managing Director of Halal Product Advisory

Halal Products Development Company

Mohamed EL Ansary

Group Treasury and Corporate Finance Director

Elsewedy Electric Group

Mohammed Alemam

Business Development Manager KSA

EDF Group (Electricity de France)

Mohammed Alsayed

Manager, PPP Division

Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)

Mr. Abdulaziz Almulhim

Vice President

National Center for Privatization

Mr. Nurul Ichwan

Deputy Minister for Investment Promotion

Ministry of Investment/Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM)

Ms. Fatimetou Bellamech

Director of the One-Stop Shop

Investment Promotion Agency of Mauritania (APIM)

Muhammad Imaduddin

PPP Portfolio Manager, PPP Division

Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)

Muhammadu Dikko Ladan

Chief Executive Officer

Dar Al Halal Nigeria

Muna AbuSulayman

Musaad Aloabidi

CEO Senior Advisor

Saudi Exports Development Authority

Oskar Henkelman

Director Credit Risk, Trade & Export Finance

Royal Boskalis b.v.

Perry Warjiyo

Governor

Bank Indonesia, Bank of Indonesia

Selim Bora

Chairman

Summa Construction

Shashank Rath

Partner

Synergy Consulting

Susan Olsen

Unit Head – Private Sector, Financial Institutions

Asian Development Bank

Tayyab Ahmed

Senior Research Analyst

London Stock Exchange Group

Walid Sarieddine

Executive Director, Head of Islamic Finance

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation

Yves Jacob

Managing Director, Global Head of Public Sector

SOCIETE GENERALE

Afdhal Aliasar

Afdhal Aliasar is an Islamic Economy and Finance practitioner and Islamic Philanthropist. He is now a Director of Halal Industry in the National Committee for Islamic Economy and Finance, Republic of Indonesia (KNEKS). After accomplishing his degree from the Faculty of Engineering in Universitas Indonesia in 1997, he started his professional career in the banking industry by joining Executive Management Training at Bank Niaga where he engaged in various fields of banking and investment. Later on, he continued his career by joining Citibank N.A., responsible for Global Transaction Services Business while also pursuing a Master’s Degree in Strategic Management at Prasetiya Mulya Business School. He was entrusted to establishing a subsidiary, Citigroup Securities Indonesia, in the Citigroup Global Market, and served as Vice President, Head of Operations Indonesia. In 2011, he was entrusted to reactivate Nomura’s securities business and served as the Vice President, Head of Operations of Nomura Asia Ex-Japan before retiring from the investment and capital market industry in 2016. His interest in Islamic finance and Islamic economy made him pursue the industry by continuing to explore knowledge and expertise in various places, including Master of Islamic Finance Practice (MIFP) INCEIF Malaysia, Durham University UK, and Islamic Finance Qualification/IFQ – Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment/CISI, UK. In 2016, Afdhal established PT. Pengelola Aset Islami Indonesia, and as a founding director, he directly takes part in various Islamic economy development and Islamic business projects that are directly associated with the real economy sector. Afdhal pioneered the productive waqf scheme that is applied to business assets which fosters the sustainability of its business and benefits. The business focuses on the healthcare and agriculture sector, etc. as founder and Chairman of Yayasan Wakaf Produktif Pengelola Aset Islami Indonesia. National and International projects:

Project officer, Citigroup Securities Indonesia established 2010
Project officer, Nomura Indonesia, reactivated 2011
Founder, Minang Kakao - pemberdayaan petani dan hilirisasi produk kakao, AVPA-Paris 2021 winner
Project director, Masterplan Ekonomi Syariah Indonesia 2019 – 2024. Launched by the President of Republic of Indonesia in Mei 2019.
Project director, Strategi Nasional Pengembangan Industri Halal Indonesia, phase 1. Tahun 2020.
Project director, Masterplan Industri Halal Indonesia 2023 – 2029

Cornelia Meyer

Cornelia Meyer is a business consultant, macro-economist and energy expert as well as a media commentator. She is also Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MRL Corporation and Chairman and Chief Economist of LBV Asset Management. MRL provides et altera the Chief Economist and CIO services to the (European Family Office) EFO-Alliance, Europe’s premier platform for family offices. The company also advises a multitude of multilateral organisations and multinational corporations on a wide range of geo-economic issues. Ms Meyer’s experience stretches over five continents on a vast range of assignments and projects as an economist, a financier, adviser, regulator, manufacturer and principal in the energy and other industries. Her particular focus are emerging markets. Cornelia started her career in Japan, where she became the economic policy adviser to the Honourable Yoshiro Mori, then Minister of International Trade and Industry. Afterwards she held several senior positions in energy, development and investment banking covering Asia, Russia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East out of Tokyo, Manila and London for institutions such as UBS, the ADB and Citigroup. Cornelia’s career became more broadly industry based when she joined General Electric and later moved to BP as a senior executive. In 2010 she founded MRL Corporation, which is an advisory firm. Ms Meyer served as the Chairman and then Strategic Advisor to the Board of Gasol plc, at the time an AIM listed independent gas (to power) company. Cornelia held various non-executive board memberships in commercial enterprises and not for profit organisations, such as the Royal United Services Institute, the UK’s premier think tank for defence and security. She also used to chair the business and economic group of a US government funded “Track II” diplomatic mechanism for Middle East Security. Cornelia is a member of Oxford Energy Policy Club and serves on the Advisory Boards of the Istanbul Finance Summit and Euromoney. She was a member of the World Economic Forum`s Global Agenda Council for Energy Security. The World Economic Forum has subsequently identified her as a thought leader in geo-economics. Ms. Meyer also acts as Special Adviser, Europe to the International Energy Forum, the world’s largest multilateral energy organisation by member countries. Cornelia has a strong media presence, as a commentator and guest presenter on various business and political TV news stations. These include: the BBC, CNN, CNBC Arabia, and Bloomberg. Cornelia writes regular columns and Op-Eds for various publications. Cornelia also shares the major macroeconomic column on Swiss National Public Radio with the chief economist of UBS and the head of the Competition Authority of Switzerland. Cornelia was educated at the St.Gallen University, the London School of Economics and Tokyo University. She speaks seven European and Asian languages.

H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat

H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat has been Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation since December 2019, and has previously served as the first female Minister of Tourism (Jan 2018 -Dec 2019). Al-Mashat enjoys more than 20 years of international experience in central banking, financial systems, monetary policy frameworks, sustainable development, climate finance, and international cooperation policies and strategies. As a co-founder and a member of several advisory boards, international alliances and societies, Al-Mashat pushes forward partnerships and multilateralism as key enablers to accelerate sustainable development, climate action and gender equality. Managing the country’s partnerships with numerous bilateral and multilateral development institutions, she ensures the alignment and synergies of development finance and activities across different economic sectors. Her previous roles at the IMF, working with governments in the Middle East & Central Asia, Africa and Asia, expanded her expertise of development systems and structural reforms in developing and emerging economies. Al-Mashat has several publications in monetary policy, financial stability and instructional reforms. In her capacity as Minister, she represents Egypt as Governor in several international financial institutions, including the World Bank Group, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, and Arab Bank for Economic Development; and as Alternate Governor of Egypt at the African Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and Islamic Development Bank. Al-Mashat is a member of the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) GenU Global Leadership Council, Founding Member of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), and Member of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Mission Possible for Climate Action, Co-Chair of the MENA Stewardship Board (WEF); and Member of the New Economy and Society Stewardship Board (WEF). There were several board affiliations, including the Egyptian Stock Exchange, the Egyptian General Authority for Free Zones and Investment, the Arab International Bank, the Arab Investment Bank, and the Middle East Economic Association. In June 2021, Al-Mashat launched a book titled “Stakeholder Engagement Through Economic Diplomacy” for London School of Economics. She contributed several chapters to the International Monetary Fund’s book, titled, “Advancing the Frontiers of Monetary Policy”, published in 2018 and edited by Maurice Obstfeld the Chief Economist at the time. Moreover, she pioneered an international inclusive and consultative process to translate climate pledges into implementable projects in developing countries and transition economies, producing the “Sharm El-Sheikh Guidebook for Just Financing”, which presents an actionable agenda for all relevant stakeholder listing their roles in achieving just financing outcomes, and maximizing the effectiveness and efficiency of existing climate finance architecture. Al-Mashat received several international and domestic awards and recognitions; the “2022 Most Visionary and Outstanding Minister of International Cooperation in Africa” Award by the Institute for African Studies Elliott School of International Affairs George Washington University and the GE7 Initiative; the “2019 Global Champion Award” from the World Tourism and Travel Council for launching the Egypt—Tourism Reform Program that has created resilience to the sector; the “2019 Global Leader’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Industry”, as the Ministry of Tourism has contributed the most to the global travel and tourism industry in 2018 and 2019 as Egypt’s tourism revenues recorded a new historical high; the “2019 United Nations World Tourism Organization Destination Marketing Award”, for best promotion video for a destination; and the “2019 Leadership in Tourism Award” from the International Institute for Peace and Tourism. She was selected among the top 50 most influential women in the Egyptian economy in 2015; the 2014 and 2015 “Choiseul Institute 100 Africa: Economic Leaders for Tomorrow”; the 2014 Young Global Leaders (YGL) by the World Economic Forum (WEF); the 2014 top 10 most powerful women in the Egyptian Banking Sector. She was also selected to the Government of France’s 2013 International Visitor Leadership Program; the 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award, School of Business, American University in Cairo (AUC), and the 2004 Ibn Khaldoun prize for the best paper on one or more Middle Eastern countries given by the Middle East Economic Association. The paper titled “Monetary Policy and Public Debt Management: An Empirical Assessment of the Egyptian Experience”. Al-Mashat received her PhD an MA in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park, USA, and BA in Economics from the American University in Cairo (AUC). She completed Executive Education certificates in Leadership and Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and Transformational Leadership from Said Business School at Oxford University.

Publications & Research

Al-Mashat, R. (2022), “Beyond Pledges: Inclusive Partnerships to move Towards Climate Resilience” World Economic Forum, World Economic Forum, Switzerland. Al-Mashat, R. and Hamza, R. (2021), “Stakeholder Engagement through Economic Diplomacy: Egypt Fostering Multilateralism & International Cooperation” Policy Reform in the Making, London School of Economics. Al-Mashat, R. Bejjani, A. and Dusek, M. (2020), “4 Ways Stakeholder Capitalism Can Create a More Resilient Post-COVID MENA Region,” World Economic Forum, World Economic Forum, Switzerland. Al-Mashat, R., Clinton, K., Laxton, D. and Wang H. (2018) "First Principles", in Adrian, T., Laxton, D., and Obstfeld, M, (eds), Advancing the Frontiers of Monetary Policy, International Monetary Fund, USA. Al-Mashat, R., Clinton, K., Laxton, D. and Wang H. (2018) "Managing Expectations", in Adrian, T., Laxton, D., and Obstfeld, M, (eds), Advancing the Frontiers of Monetary Policy, International Monetary Fund, USA. Al-Mashat, R., Clinton, K., Laxton, D. and Wang H. (2018) "Nuts and Bolts of a Forecasting and Policy Analysis System", in Adrian, T., Laxton, D., and Obstfeld, M, (eds), Advancing the Frontiers of Monetary Policy, International Monetary Fund, USA. Al-Mashat, R., Clinton, K., Laxton, D. and Wang H. (2018) "Transparency and Communications", in Adrian, T., Laxton, D., and Obstfeld, M, (eds), Advancing the Frontiers of Monetary Policy, International Monetary Fund, USA. Al-Mashat, R., Clinton, K., Laxton, D. and Wang H. (2018) "Canada: A Well-Established System", in Adrian, T., Laxton, D., and Obstfeld, M, (eds), Advancing the Frontiers of Monetary Policy, International Monetary Fund, USA. Al-Mashat, R., Clinton, K., Laxton, D. and Wang H. (2018) "Czech Republic: Transition to the Frontier", in Adrian, T., Laxton, D., and Obstfeld, M, (eds), Advancing the Frontiers of Monetary Policy, International Monetary Fund, USA. Al-Mashat, R., Clinton, K., Laxton, D. and Wang H. (2018) "India: Stabilizing Inflation", in Adrian, T., Laxton, D., and Obstfeld, M, (eds), Advancing the Frontiers of Monetary Policy, International Monetary Fund, USA. Al-Mashat, R., Clinton, K., Laxton, D. and Wang H. (2018) "United States: Federal Reserve’s Dual Mandate", in Adrian, T., Laxton, D., and Obstfeld, M, (eds), Advancing the Frontiers of Monetary Policy, International Monetary Fund, USA. Al-Mashat, R., Bulir, A., Dincer, N., et. Al, (2018) “An Index for Transparency for Inflation- Targeting Central Banks: Application to the Czech National Bank”, IMF Working Paper, International Monetary Fund, WP/18/210. Aichi, A., Al-Mashat, R., et. Al, (2018) “Estimates of Potential Output and the Neutral Rate for the US Economy”, IMF Working Paper, International Monetary Fund, WP/18/152. Dimian, Hany, and Al-Mashat, R. (June 2014) "Helping Advance the Economic Policy Making and Management Process in Egypt: Initial Institutional Aspects for the Executive Branch", Rockefeller Brothers and Japan International Cooperation Agency. Al-Mashat, R., and Billmeier, A. (2012) "Push or Pull? The Determinants of Remittances to Egypt", Review of Middle East Economics and Finance, 8 (2), article 2. Al-Mashat, R. (2011). "Assessing inflation and output variability using a New Keynesian model: an application to Egypt", in D. Cobham and G. Dibeh (eds), Money in the Middle East and North Africa: Monetary Policy Frameworks and Strategies, London: Routledge. Al-Mashat, R. (2011). "The Evolution of Monetary Policy in Egypt and Steps towards Inflation Targeting", in D. Cobham and Mongi Boughzala (eds), Inflation Targeting in MENA Countries: An Unfinished Journey, Palgrave Macmillan. Al-Mashat, R, (2011), "Egypt: Monetary Policy & the Pass-through from Relative Price Shocks", paper presented at the II Workshop on the Economics of the Mediterranean and the Euro- Mediterranean Process, CREMed, Barcelona, Spain, June. Al-Mashat, R. (2009). ‘Monetary policy in Egypt: a retrospective and preparedness for inflation targeting,’ In H. Kheir-El-Din (ed.), What Drives Prices in Egypt?, Cairo: American University in Cairo Press for the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies Publication. Al-Mashat, R., and Billmeier, A. (2008). ‘The monetary transmission mechanism in Egypt,’ Review of Middle East Economics and Finance, 4 (3), article 2. Al-Mashat, Rania, (2008) “The Exchange Rate Pass-through in Egypt,” The Central Bank of Egypt Working Paper Series, forthcoming. Al-Mashat, Rania, (2008) “Modelling and Forecasting Inflation in Egypt: Do Monetary Aggregates Matter?”, The Central Bank of Egypt Working Paper Series. Al-Mashat, Rania and Andreas Billmeier (2007), “The Monetary Transmission Mechanism in Egypt”, IMF.Working Paper, International Monetary Fund, WP/07/285. Al-Mashat, Rania, (2006) “The Central Bank of Egypt’s Core (Underlying) Measures of Inflation,” The Central Bank of Egypt Working Paper Series. Al-Mashat, Rania, (2006) “Estimating the Nominal and Real Money Gaps in Egypt,” The Central Bank of Egypt Working Paper Series. Al-Mashat, R., “Vietnam’s Experience with Rapid Money Growth and Low Inflation”, Selected Issues Paper, Country Report, SM/04/379, International Monetary Fund, 2004. Al-Mashat, R., “The Evolving Role of the State”, Selected Issues Paper for Vietnam, Country Report 03/381, International Monetary Fund, 2003. Al-Mashat, R., and Amine Mati, “Currency Crises in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA): What are the Early Warning Signs,” Proceedings of the Conference on Rising to the Challenge: International Crisis and Economic Management in Egypt, June 2003. Al-Mashat, R., “Monetary Policy Transmission in India”, Selected Issues Paper, Country Report 03/232, International Monetary Fund, 2003. Al-Mashat, R., “Financial Sector Development and Economic Growth in Egypt 1960-1999,” Global Development Network and Economic Research Forum for Arab Countries, Iran and Turkey, 2002. Al-Mashat, R., “Economic Trends in the MENA Region, 2002”, contributed to Chapter 2 on Financial Markets in MENA, ERF for Arab Countries, Iran and Turkey Publication, 2002. Al-Mashat, R., “Membership Overlaps in Regional Trade Arrangements in Eastern and Southern Africa: Potentials, Limitations and Policy Recommendations”, Mimeo, Policy Development and Review Department, International Monetary Fund, January 2002. Al-Mashat, R., “Monetary Policy and Public Debt Management: An Empirical Assessment of the Egyptian Experience”, Proceedings of the Economic Research Forum Seventh Annual Conference, January 2002. Al-Mashat, R. and Grigorian, D., “Economic Reforms in Egypt: Emerging Patterns and Their Possible Implications”, The World Bank Policy Research Paper No. 1977.

Hairol Ariffein Sahari

Hairol Ariffein Sahari is the Chief Executive Officer of Halal Development Corporation Berhad (HDC), an agency under the purview of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry Malaysia (MITI), established to serve as the custodian of Malaysia’s Halal economy and to spearhead the development of Malaysia’s integrated and comprehensive Halal ecosystem and infrastructure. Hairol Ariffein hails from the royal state of Johor in the south and holds a Degree in Biotechnology from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), a leading research university in Malaysia. He is an Associate Fellow of Malaysia’s eminent management university, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Malaysia (CILTI). His career and experience spanning two decades is dedicated to serving in industry development initiatives lead by the Government, commencing with the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) in 2003, as an Assistant Director responsible for investment promotional activities and industrial support services. In 2005, he served with Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation (BiotechCorp), a Government agency responsible for implementing initiatives under the National Biotechnology Policy 2005 - 2020 to develop and promote Malaysia’s biotechnology industry. Hairol’s success in BiotechCorp paved the way for his next career, as a pioneer team member in the Northern Corridor Implementation Agency (NCIA) to establish, oversee and promote the economic and social development of Malaysia’s Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) initiative. He commenced his service with HDC in 2010 and specialized in project planning and monitoring of Government developmental programs for the Halal industry. Key strategic initiatives successfully implemented by Hairol include the development of a National Halal Policy, implementation of the Halal Industry Master Plan 2030 and establishment of Malaysia’s Halal Industry Development Council (HIDC) in 2020. These accomplishments and his strong commitment to HDC saw him rise in rank to the position of Chief Executive Officer in 2021. He is sits in the Halal Research and Development (R&D) Commercialization Fund Approval Committee managed by the Government agency, Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC) and serves as mentor, facilitator and advisor to university students and residents in UPM’s CEO@PTJ Program. Hairol is an avid cyclist, a dedicated, loving father of two and has completed the Master of Business Administration Program under Asia School of Business (ASB), which is a collaboration program between the Central Bank of Malaysia (BNM) and prestigious MIT Sloan School of Management, United States of America.

Husein Kavazović

Dr. Husein ef. Kavazović is the Grand Mufti of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a position he has held since 2012. The Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the sole and unique community of Muslims living in Bosnia and Herzegovina, of Bosniaks living outside their homeland and other Muslims who accept this community as their own. The Meshihat of the Islamic Community of Sandžak, the Meshihat of the Islamic Community of Croatia and the Meshihat of the Islamic Community of Slovenia are all constituents of the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He received his primary education in his hometown of Gradačac, and completed his studies at the Gazi Husrev-beg Madrasa in Sarajevo in 1983. He studied at the Shariah Faculty of AlAzhar University in Cairo from 1985 to 1990. He defended his master's thesis and doctoral dissertation at the Faculty of Islamic Studies in Sarajevo, specializing in the field of Islamic law. He gained work experience as an imam, khateeb, and teacher in mosques in Srebrenik and Gradačac. He served as the Mufti of Tuzla from 1992 to 2012. As the Mufti of Tuzla, he made a significant contribution to the restoration and functioning of the Tuzla Mufti Office and the Behram-bey Madrasa, the introduction of religious education in primary and secondary schools, and the revival of the Hikmet newspaper. During this period, he served multiple terms as the President of the School Board of the Behram-bey Madrasa in Tuzla. He played a key role in the construction of the Behram-bey Library in Tuzla. He is one of the initiators of the Center for Rehabilitation of Psychoactive Substance Addicts in Smoluća near Lukavac, the first institution for the rehabilitation of addicts within the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Together with his colleagues, he worked on the establishment and development of the Agency for Halal Quality Certification within the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is a frequent guest in all major cities, both in the Muslim world and in the West, where he meets with top religious, academic, and political officials. He has received several awards, from honorary citizenship to Personality of the Year. During his tenure as the Mufti of Tuzla and the Grand Mufti of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, he participated in numerous scientific conferences in the country and abroad. He is the author of several books and studies in various areas of Islamic sciences, particularly Shariah and comparative law.

Ihsan Ovut

Mr. İhsan ÖVÜT was born in Malatya/Turkey in 1966 and completed primary, secondary and high school education in his hometown. In 1985, he started to study in the Department of International Relations of Faculty of Political Sciences of Ankara University, completed the BSc International Relations programme and graduated from the college in 1989. Then, he began to work at the Turkish Standards Institution (TSE) at the Department of Bilateral and Multilateral Agreements in 26 August 1991. During his term of office under this Department for 9 years, he followed standardization activities of various international organizations and conducted the meetings of these organizations in Turkey. Furthermore, he was actively involved in managing bilateral cooperation between TSE and national bodies of relevant countries and in organizing official visits. In 24 January 2000, he was appointed as the Director of Agreements and Foreign Relations Directorate and during his term, he conducted and supervised all international agreements of the TSE, visits of foreign delegates, relations with Turkic Republics, Islamic Countries as well as TSE Foreign Representation Offices. As he was the head of foreign relations, he carried out all correspondences of TSE with ISO and relevant organizations at both technical and administrative level and he has an ongoing good relations with the staff of the national standards bodies. Following his successful tenure as the Director of several Directorates between the years 2000-2011, he was appointed as the Head of Training Department of the TSE which was formed in 2012. He worked hard to improve the existing infrastructure by amending regulation framework and preparing all relevant guides in order to have a centralized system. While he was assuming his duties as the Head of Training Department until 14 December 2014, he was elected as the Secretary General of Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC) in the 7th SMIIC General Assembly Meeting held on 19 November 2014. His term of office as the Secretary General of SMIIC officially started on 15 December 2014 and he completed his first term by 2017. Upon his nomination again, İhsan ÖVÜT was unanimously re-elected for the term 2018-2020 and is still on active duty as the Secretary General. Throughout his career in TSE and SMIIC, Mr. İhsan ÖVÜT organized several regional/international meetings, drafted and signed cooperation agreements, took part in official international visits and delivered presentations in various events as the head of delegations, besides, he made major contributions to the preparation process of SMIIC Statute under the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and has led the development of OIC/SMIIC standards and also carried out projects in ECO-Region and Eurasia Region. During his term in SMIIC and under his leadership, various projects and tasks have been successfully accomplished including the restructuring of the Institute, revision of all internal regulations along with the founding Statute, formation of halal conformity assessment system, OIC Global Halal Quality Infrastructure, improving technical infrastructure of SMIIC as well as making SMIIC Technical Committees more active and more professional. His approach for SMIIC relies on institutionalization of professional administration of SMIIC on both technical/administrative and he is working intensively to accomplish this goal. He is married with 2 children and speaks English.

Ilham Habibie

Ilham is a co-founder and shareholder of PT. ILTHABI Rekatama, a private investment company in Indonesia, which he joined as a President Director in 2002, and starting 2021 he became the Chairman of the company. Through ILTHABI he has invested into various companies in the fields of oil & gas, energy, mining, manufacturing, aerospace, ICT, property, financial services and others. He is also the Chairman of PT. Visi Media Asia tbk (VIVA); an Indonesian Media Conglomerate (www.vivagroup.co.id), a Commissioner at PT. Nusa Halmahera Mineral; a gold mine company at Halmahera - Indonesia (www.nhm.co.id), Founder and Commissioner at PT. Tresno Investama International; a Limited Liability Company, and as Commissioner at PT. Ayoconnect Teknologi Indonesia; an open finance platform company (www.ayoconnect.id). Ilham’s earlier professional background is with aerospace companies (IPTN, Indonesia; Boeing, USA). Before that he was Assistant Professor for Fluid Mechanics at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany. Ilham is also a co-founder of the International University Liaison Indonesia (www.iuli.ac.id) and is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees the Foundation that is owning IULI. He is also a co founder and Chairman of Board of Trustees of the Habibie Center (www.habibiecenter.or.id), a NGO and Foundation. Currently he is also heading WANTIKNAS, the National ICT Council of Indonesia as its Chief Executive. This is a government-owned advisory body which has cross sectoral participation. (www.wantiknas.go.id) His other current organisational activities include heading the International Chamber of Commerce Indonesia (www.iccindonesia.org) and the Indonesian Muslim Entrepreneur Association (www.ismi.id), and being responsible as a head of the Agency for Research and Technology at the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (www.kadin.or.id). At the end of year 2021 Ilham was elected as vice chairman of The Institution of Engineers Indonesia (http://www.pii.or.id), and also elected as a co-chairman of F20, a Foundations platform’s network which consist with more than 70 foundations and philanthropic organizations from around the world. (https://www.foundations-20.org) He holds a Doktor.-Ingenieur title in Aeronautical Engineering from the Technical University of Munich, Germany, and a M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, USA.

Selim Bora

Summa International Construction Group, Chairman Selim Bora holds a BSc degree in Metallurgical Engineering, from the Middle East Technical University, Ankara and MSc degree in Industrial Engineering from the Alfred University, New York. In 1989 Summa Inc. was established by the visionary and prominent construction magnate, the late Mr. Mete Bora to carry out overseas contracting operations. Selim joined the family business in 1993 as Business Development Manager in Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan. In 1995 Selim was promoted as Regional Manager of Summa for the Russian Federation, based in Moscow and in 1999 became the Chairman of Summa. Summa’s corporate modus operandi is based on out-of-the-box thinking, ingenuity, quality and client satisfaction. Its track record for design, build, operate, and turn-key contract delivery capabilities speaks for itself. Summa operates in 14 countries across 4 continents with particular know-how and focus in Sub-Sahara Africa predominantly in; Equatorial Guinea, Senegal, Rwanda, Congo Republic, Niger, Benin, Sierra Leone and Democratic Republic of Congo. Under Selim’s leadership, Summa has been ranked as ENR Top 225 International Contractors for the past 18 years. Apart from construction, today Summa is active in real estate development, hospitality, healthcare, energy and mining sectors. Furthermore, Selim’s belief in the future of Africa has led Summa to become one of the most prolific principal investors in the continent, with investments in airports, hotels, shopping malls and residential real estate. Selim is passionate about philanthropy and acts as the Chairman of non-profit Akyurt Foundation which focuses on eldercare. Currently acting as the President of the Turkish-Rwanda Business Council under Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK); he is also serving as an advisory board member of the Richard Attias & Associates and previously held the positions of Deputy President at Turkish Contractors Association and Board Member at European International Contractors Association. In 2018, he won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and is the recipient of Republican Presidential National Order of the Rank of Commander from the Republic of Senegal, the Republic of Niger and the Republic of Congo. Fluent in Turkish, English, French and Russian.