Faisal, Emir of Makkah Region on Thursday night opened the 24th session of the General Assembly of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, held at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Addressing the session, Saleh Kamel, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the pivotal role the chamber plays in the service of the Islamic countries' economies, manifested in enhancing trade exchange among member countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Reviewing the chamber's accomplishments, Kamel said the chamber serves as a business and economic hub for Islamic countries and a representative for the private sector in these countries. He said the latest Islamic summit, recently organized by the OIC in the Senegalese capital Dakar, stressed the importance of the chamber in streamlining economic and commercial cooperation among member states, especially in the age of globalization, which is distinguished for the emergence of regional and international economic blocs. He also announced the establishment of a global investment company. “Within the chamber's efforts to increase the volume of trade exchange among OIC member states, an international company has been established, with a starting capital of $100 million, to explore investment opportunities in these countries,” he added. Kamel said the chamber's efforts are not confined to this, but it also has formed the “Union of Business Owners” in the member states, in addition to another union named “Earth Builders.” He pointed out that the union takes care of youth in member states by developing their talents, encouraging their innovations and inventions and adopting their ideas. He stressed that the chamber attaches great importance to the youth in Islamic countries, because of the huge potentials that can be used in the development and progress of their communities. Kamel also unveiled a plan for the establishment of a company to promote tourism among the member countries, adding that the tourism industry is as important as trade in terms of its huge turnover. He pointed out that the chamber has made several economic achievements of Islamic characteristics. Muhammed Abdul Fatah Al-Meseri, Chairman of the General Union of the Egyptian Council of Chambers of Commerce and Deputy Chairman of the Islamic Chamber, said in a speech that the chamber's constitution finds its roots in the Holy Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) Tradition. He said the chamber works for strengthening and consolidating cooperation in economic and commercial dealings among the member states in the best interest of the countries' peoples. Present at the session were Minister of Commerce Abdullah Ahmad Zainal and OIC Secretary General Prof Ikmalulddin Ihsanoglu. Ihsanoglu lauded the great support that Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz provides to the OIC and the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Ihsanoglu added that the 11th session of the OIC that was held in Dakar gave a lot of attention to economic issues, due to the importance of the economic dimension in joint Islamic work to upgrade the nation (Ummah) in the field of human development. He added that the Ugandan government would host the OIC Business Forum on 16-17 June before holding the 35th session of the Foreign Ministers' Council. __
