The B57+ Business Leaders’ Summit 2026 concluded in Istanbul, Turkiye, bringing together senior institutional leaders, policymakers, investors and business representatives to advance economic cooperation and explore new opportunities for investment across OIC economies and the wider Global South.
Held under the theme “The Great Convergence: Catalysing OIC Capital for Global South Resilience”, the Summit was organised by the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (ICCD), in collaboration with the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC) and the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkiye (TOBB).
With the strategic partnership of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Arbitration Centre (OIC-AC), Saleh Kamel Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Development Organisation (SKSEED), Maida Nazir Organisation for Women’s Economic Empowerment, the Islamic Chamber Holding Company (ICCD Holding) and the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), this landmark event focused on translating shared economic priorities into strategic partnerships, robust investment linkages and tangible initiatives.
Over two productive days, the Summit hosted a dynamic program of strategic roundtables, high-level panel discussions, networking engagements and partnership-building opportunities, culminating in the Business Leaders Gala Dinner, which was attended by İbrahim SENEL, President of Strategy and Budget at the Presidency of the Republic of Turkiye.
Prof Dr Omer Bolat, Minister of Trade of the Republic of Turkiye, also attended the event, highlighting the government’s strong support for expanding cross-border trade and fostering an enabling environment for private sector growth.
During his keynote speech, he underscored the transformative power of unifying our collective economic and intellectual resources to drive progress, stating: “If we can bring together our capital, production capacity, technology and human resources in pursuit of common objectives, we will not only enhance the resilience of our own economies, but also make a stronger contribution to the sustainable development of the Global South.”
Setting out the strategic vision behind the B57+ Business Leaders’ Summit, Abdullah Saleh Kamel, President of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (ICCD), highlighted the role of ICCD in connecting business communities and the importance of mobilising capital for sustainable economic cooperation.
He stated: “The Business Leaders’ Summit is a key platform under our B57+ Business Leaders Network, through which we seek to achieve several objectives, including bringing together diverse business communities under the direct presence and guidance of business leaders from various countries, fostering robust connections between the business communities of OIC Member States and their global counterparts, addressing major global issues, highlighting the key challenges facing our communities in trade, investment, and finance, and building lasting business relationships through diverse forms of cooperation and partnership.”
