More than 550 delegates from over 80 countries have registered for a pioneering Islamic finance event to take place in Bahrain next month.

The inaugural Global Islamic Investment Gateway will take place on March 2 and 3 at the Gulf Hotel.

The event is aimed at generating business for the private equity and investment sector in high growth Islamic countries, said a statement.

More than half the delegates are C-suite level executives attracted by the format of the event which is designed to link global investors with actual opportunities to invest, it said.

The keynote speakers include Kamal bin Ahmed Mohamed, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications and acting chief executive officer of the Bahrain Economic Development Board, one of the event sponsors.    

“We are delighted with the exceptional response from delegates from all over the world. It shows just how significant the opportunities for Islamic investment business are in the GCC and beyond,” said Mohamed.

“We hope and expect the Global Islamic Investment Gateway to become firmly established in the business calendar and we are honoured that this pioneering event is being hosted here in the Kingdom of Bahrain,” he said.

Shaikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s Minister of Finance and Minister in Charge of Oil and Gas Affairs will also address the conference, said the statement.

The event, which is being jointly sponsored by the Islamic Development Bank Group (IDB), is linked to an innovative online portal developed by Thomson Reuters which will identify and collate new international investment opportunities.

Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali, IDB Group president, said: “There is an increasing recognition of how the economies of IDB Group member countries can collectively drive future growth. This creates remarkable opportunities for all global investors which largely explains why demand for the GIIG event is so high.” - TradeArabia News Service