Malaysia To Share Islamic Finance Experience With West African States

Malaysia has been invited to the Fifth International Islamic Finance Forum West Africa 2018 here on March 19-20 to share its experience in Islamic finance, Bernama reported here on Tuesday.

DAKAR (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Feb, 2018 ) :Malaysia has been invited to the Fifth International Islamic Finance Forum West Africa 2018 here on March 19-20 to share its experience in Islamic finance, Bernama reported here on Tuesday.

Malaysian Ambassador to Senegal Dr Shazelina Zainul Abidin said the biennial forum would bring together financial decision makers from across the West African region, as well as bankers, financiers and representatives from other financial institutions.

The theme for this year's forum is 'ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), Gulf bridge investments direct to finance major project', she said in a statement to Bernama Tuesday. She said that the focus would be on the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and their involvement in Islamic finance, as well as in West Africa.

Head of the organising committee Mouhamadou Lamine Mbacke was quoted in the statement as saying that there was massive potential for Islamic finance in the region, given its undeveloped status, the report said.

Mbacke, who is also President of the African Institute of Islamic Finance, said that the forum is a manifestation of the interest of the Gulf countries' financial sector in West Africa, and an opportunity to network on concrete and major projects.

Shazelina said Malaysia has been invited to the forum and is expected to share its experience in establishing and developing Islamic finance with the 15 member states of ECOWAS, home to over 349 million people, in a special discussion.

"As a moderate Muslim nation, Malaysia is well-regarded in the West African region, given its successes in economic development and growth and strong voice on issues at the world stage," she said.