Islamic New Year to be celebrated on October 2 in Kuwait, UAE

Kuwait's Civil Service Communication has named October 2 as the holiday marking the Islamic new year, the year 1438, says the Kuwait News Agency. The holiday will be observed by all government agencies, institutions and ministries.

The Emirates News Agency (WAM) has similarly reported that the holiday marking the Islamic New Year for Federal Ministries and departments will be on October 2, with official responsibilities resuming on October 3. The agency cited an announcement from Dr Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention and Chairman of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources.

WAM also said the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has declared October 2 2016, an official paid holiday for all private sector employees in the UAE to mark Islamic New Year. The announcement was made by Saqr bin Ghobash Saeed Ghobash, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

Meanwhile, the Emirates Post Group that all post offices across the UAE will remain closed on the occasion of the Islamic New Year on 2 October, except for the Dubai Airport Post Office, which is open 24x7, and Das Post Office in Abu Dhabi. All post offices will resume work on 3 October, the organisation stated.

The World Halal Tourism Summit billed as industry's biggest hosted buyer programme

Source: WHTS17 website.

Now in its second year, The World Halal Tourism Summit (WHTS17) brings together the global family-friendly tourism community to define and drive future initiatives and industry content. Family friendly tourism is one of the fastest-growing areas of global tourism. Excluding Hajj and umrah, it is set to surpass US$238 billion by 2019.

According to the event organisers, halal tourists travel with more family members, stay for a longer period and ultimately spend more money than any other tourism niche. For these reasons tourism brands across the globe are adapting their services to meet the needs of these guests.

Primary source markets include Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries supported by non-Muslim majority markets hosting fast-growing resident Muslim populations including Europe, North America, China and India.

The 2015 event hosted 2,982 visitors and 202 exhibitors, with 26 countries represented. Exhibitors expect US$73.5 million in anticipated business from leads generated at the show, and an additional US$18.4 million business was directly generated on the showfloor, organisers said.

Interested?

WHTS17 will be held on 26 and 27 November 2017 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Hashtag: #WHTS17

Etihad brings in a Dreamliner for Abu Dhabi-Riyadh route

Etihad Airways is to deploy a Boeing 787 Dreamliner on one of its twice-daily scheduled flights between Abu Dhabi, UAE and Riyadh, KSA, with effect from 30 October 2016.

The upgrade from a single-aisle Airbus A321 aircraft will cater to strong demand to and from the capital of KSA, offering guests more seats on a wide-body aircraft. Together with the other daily Riyadh service operated by a Boeing 777, Etihad Airways will have more than 8,700 weekly seats on the route.

Flight EY317 will be operated with a B787, departing Abu Dhabi at 10:15am, arriving into Riyadh at 11:15am. The return flight EY318 departs Riyadh at 4:25pm, arriving into Abu Dhabi at 7:10pm. The flights will provide connections to and from destinations across key markets in Europe, Indian subcontinent, Asia and Australia.

The 299-seat aircraft, configured in two classes, offers cabin interiors with 28 seats in Business and 271 in Economy. Guests will be able to experience the airline’s Business Studio seat on board. The seat, which provides guests with direct aisle access, is also equipped with an in-seat massage and air cushion control system. Business Class guests using the service can choose from three main courses, with further dine-on-demand options available. There are also specialised services onboard, including a Food & Beverage Manager in the premium cabin, multinational cabin crew and Flying Nannies, who are able to provide support to parents travelling with young children.

For B787 Economy Class passengers, the airline’s commitment to providing the best guest experiences is showcased by its Smart Seats. They have been designed to provide additional comfort through design features such as a ‘fixed wing’ headrest, extra seat width and individual TV monitors. Etihad Airways currently operates Panasonic eX3 IFE equipment for its B787 inflight entertainment system. Mobile connectivity with access to onboard Wi-Fi and seven satellite channels of live TV are also available.

Kevin Knight, Etihad Airways Chief Strategy and Planning Officer, said: “The Boeing 787 is playing a key role in Etihad Airways’ fleet expansion with routes carefully selected on which to deploy this unique aircraft. We are delighted that Riyadh will soon join our 787 cities giving guests a different experience to and from Abu Dhabi, and with convenient connections to destinations across our diverse worldwide network.

“The aircraft also provides significantly more cargo capacity to facilitate the movement of a greater number of goods to and from the Saudi capital. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a very important market for Etihad Airways, supporting our global expansion since the launch of services 13 years ago. Our commitment to the Saudi market has grown since we began flying to Riyadh in 2004, steadily increasing our presence to the current 63 flights each week to and from four Saudi cities.”

Etihad Airways’ flights to Riyadh, Jeddah, Madinah and Dammam are complemented by Saudi codeshare partner flynas, whose dedicated services between Abu Dhabi and both Riyadh and Jeddah provide travellers with even more choice.

Riyadh becomes Etihad Airways’ newest B787 destination this year following the induction of the aircraft on flights to Perth, Dusseldorf and Shanghai. Etihad Airways’ current fleet of nine B787s also operates to Singapore, Washington DC, Brisbane and Zurich.

Daily flight schedules: Abu Dhabi – Riyadh

Flt No.	Origin	Departs	Destination	Arrives	Aircraft
EY315	Abu Dhabi	01:55	Riyadh	02:45	Boeing 777
EY316	Riyadh	04:15	Abu Dhabi	07:00	Boeing 777
EY317	Abu Dhabi	10:15	Riyadh	11:15	Boeing 787
EY318	Riyadh	16:25	Abu Dhabi	19:10	Boeing 787

*All departures and arrivals are listed in local time.

World Halal Tourism Awards are open for nominations

Source: World Halal Tourism Awards website. Banner showing the award ceremony for an earlier event.

Nominations are open for the World Halal Tourism Awards 2016, which celebrate outstanding products and services in the global family-friendly tourism sector.

Winners are announced at a gala dinner to be held on 7 December 2016, which hosts senior family-friendly tourism executives from around the world and offers an unrivalled industry networking opportunity. According to the organisers, the ceremony is the largest gathering of global executives operating in the family-friendly tourism sector.

Award categories include:

World's Best Airline for Halal Travellers
World's Best Airport for Halal Travellers 
World's Best Family Friendly Hotel
World's Most Luxurious Family Friendly Hotel 
World's Best Halal Apartment Hotel 
World's Best Halal Beach Resort 
World's Best Halal Tour Operator 
World's Best Halal Tourism Website 
World's Best Halal Cruise Company
World's Best Halal Honeymoon Destination 
World's Best Hajj & Umrah Operator 
World's Best Hajj & Umrah Hotel
World's Best Halal Destinatio
World's Best Halal Culinary Destination
World's Best Halal Cultural Destination
World's Best Non OIC Emerging Halal Destination



 In 2015, 42,000 travel agents voted, representing 68 countries.

Interested?

Nominations will close on 14 October, with the shortlist announced on 16 October. Voting on the short-listed nominees begins on 17 October, closing on 25 November.

BankIslami Pakistan goes live with the PCS Java version 14

Path Solutions, a provider of Islamic banking software solutions, has successfully upgraded the iMAL*ProfitCalculationSystem at BankIslami Pakistan to Java version 14. BankIslami was the first bank to receive an Islamic banking license under the Islamic Banking Policy of 2003 from the State Bank of Pakistan. It has a network of 317 branches in 93 cities offering a full range of shari'ah-compliant financial products.

Syed Ata Hussain, Head of Information System, BankIslami said, "Armed with a solid implementation methodology and supported by a team of skilled and passionate consultants, Path Solutions was able to fulfill its commitment, and we were able to run the first successful PCS in Java version 14 in Pakistan. 

"We consider this implementation as a major milestone, as the course of the project involved exhaustive upgrade, internal testing phases, multiple user acceptance testing (UAT) cycles and three full scale application testing exercises to ensure uninterrupted business operations following the upgrade. Once again, Path Solutions was up to the challenge and we upgraded successfully owing to the tireless efforts of all teams involved.” 

The PCS upgrade is pivotal for BankIslami, which merged last year with KASB Bank and migrated more than 100 KASB branches to the iMAL Islamic Banking & Investment System. BankIslami needed several modifications to the software to broaden its operations spectrum in compliance with Central Bank regulations. 

The latest iMAL*ProfitCalculationSystem module is a Web-based application and can be implemented either on the Oracle or Sybase relational database management system. It supports all major browsers and may be deployed on any JEE Web/Application Server Apache Tomcat, Oracle WebLogic and similar platforms. The module's features include built-in control procedures and compliance with Islamic shari'ah, limits monitoring and exposure control, as well as credit risk measurement and evaluation.

According to Path Solutions, over 100 Islamic financial institutions are using its iMAL system.

Halal In Travel - Asia Summit 2016 offers industry networking, discussion platform in Singapore

ITB Asia has partnered with CrescentRating, the authority on halal travel on the Halal In Travel - Asia Summit 2016 conference and workshops. 

The halal travel market holds a great deal of potential. According to the MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index 2016, the global Muslim travel market was worth US$150 billion in 2015 and is projected to grow to US$220 billion by 2020.

The Halal in Travel conference will be part of the ITB Asia Trade Show. This inaugural event will bring together experts from national tourism organisations (NTO), travel industry stakeholders and online travel industry players to share insights and ideas on how to leverage this growth market to attract more travellers. Panel discussions will focus on national strategies on developing halal tourism, readiness of the travel services and discuss the use of technology in targeting the Muslim consumer. Workshops will share hands-on experience on developing Muslim-friendly travel packages.

Speakers include:

Fazal Bahardeen, founder of CrescentRating. He developed the world’s first system to rate travel and tourism services for their Muslim-friendliness. Currently, he overlooks three leading brands in the halal travel segment; CrescentRating, HalalTrip and Muslim Travel Warehouse. Prior to this, he held senior management roles at Alcatel-Lucent, based in Europe & Asia.

Riyanto Sofyan is a Strategic Partner to The Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia to develop and enhance halal tourism in Indonesia. In 2016, The Ministry appointed him to head the Team for Accelerated Development of Halal Tourism. He also holds several organisational positions including Chairman of Indonesia Sharia Hotel & Restaurant Association (ISHRA).

Zulkifly Md Said is the Director General of Islamic Tourism Centre under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia. The Centre advises on Islamic tourism, and complements the functions of the Ministry. He has served at the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board’s Northern Region office in Penang, Malaysia and at the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board’s overseas offices in Hong Kong, Bangkok and Istanbul.

Another highlight will be market intelligence. MasterCard and CrescentRating will be releasing their latest report during the Halal In Travel - Asia Summit 2016.

Interested?

Halal In Travel - Asia Summit 2016 is open to ITB Asia Trade Show delegates attending the full three-day conference. The event will be held at Level 3, the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore on 19 October 2016 from 1.30pm to 6.30pm. There are 100 seats available.

Buy ITB Asia Trade Show tickets to register attendance for Halal In Travel - Asia Summit 2016. Those who have already purchased tickets may proceed to register for the even

SalamFest on 1 October explores the many facets of Muslim heritage

SalamFest, the Muslim Arts Festival, will be held at the State Library of Victoria on October 1. Supported by the Islamic Council of Victoria, SalamFest captures the essence of the rich heritage of Islam and shows how it contributes to the broader Australian tapestry through several events:

Source: SalamFest website. Event poster.

At the SalamFest Sufi Festival
SalamFest will showcase the talents of contemporary and traditional performers, poetry and music.

Performances include:
+Whirling dervishes
+Sufi music and instrumentals
+Rumi’s recitals

Time: 2pm to 4pm

The Muslim Film Festival showcases short films from across the Muslim world, including award-winning and critically-acclaimed stories from Palestine, Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, Syria, Turkey and Australia.

Venue: State Library of Victoria – Village Roadshow Theatrette
Time: 4pm to 10pm

Session 1: Short Films
Time: 4pm to 8pm

By Compass & Quran (Australia)
Written and directed by Kuranda Seyit, produced and edited by Fadle El-Harris, this documentary explores the history of the outback Afghan cameleers. It features interviews with cameleer descendants and insights from historians on the 150-year history of the cameleers.

Coffee for all nations (Palestine)
In 1948, the Israeli army forced Abed’s family and other residents of Al-Walaja village near Bethlehem to abandon their homes. Despite the expulsion, Abed decided to open up a coffee shop for all nations on his land, which although surrounded by settlements, was in a spot that could be reached by Palestinians, Israelis and foreigners. Through his coffee shop, Abed shared his one possession: a stunning view. But, for how long?

Baby
Narges and her friend have just hours to find someone to take care of her baby for several days.

Jungle
In the heart of Istanbul, Omar and his daughter struggle for their lives after fleeing the war in Syria.

Nefertiti's Daughters
A story of women, art and revolution, told by prominent Egyptian artists, about the critical role revolutionary street art played during the Egyptian uprisings.

Session 2: Australian premiere of Kashf - The Lifting of the Veil
Time: 8pm to 9:30pm

Armaghan returns to Pakistan after 25 years to search out his Sufi master. During his journey through Lahore the physical and material worlds blur, diverting him from his original quest. He pursues a mysterious woman through the streets of Lahore, but her changing forms make her impossible to possess. His cousin Ali seeks his calling in Lollywood and becomes engulfed by fantastical hallucinations - has he found peace or lost his hold on reality?Kashf - The Lifting of the Veil explores the inevitable intrusions of the material world on those who seek out a different reality.

Interested?

SalamFest will be on from 2pm to 10pm at:

State Library of Victoria
328 Swanston Street
Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Tickets range from A$16.59 to A$52.99
Buy tickets

posted from Bloggeroid

Finance to be a bright spot for Omani economy: OBG

Source: OBG.

Oman’s GDP grew 4.6% between 2013 and 2014 according to the Oman Central Bank, with hydrocarbons the main driver of the economy at almost 50% of GDP, says the Oxford Business Group (OBG) in an online introduction to The Rerport: Oman 2016.

Although the dip in oil prices has put pressure on government revenues, authorities are pressing ahead with spending plans for the sector, particularly in the downstream segment. The country’s infrastructure expansion plans are also moving forward, particularly at the country’s three ports as the country seeks to leverage its strategic position on the Strait of Hormuz and establish itself as a global transport and logistics hub, the OBG adds.

Finance is regarded as one of the most promising areas for lending growth. In the longer term, Oman Vision 2020 seeks to boost private sector participation in the economy and fuel small and medium sized enterprise (SME) growth in key sectors, including construction, retail, tourism and transport, says the OBG.

Source: OBG infographic. The largest share of non-petroleum industry in Oman is from the manufacturing sector, though growth in recent years has been slow.

Interested?

Buy the report. The digital version is cheaper than the print edition, but buying the printed edition also includes PDF downloads of the report and access to report articles online. Chapters may be purchased.

Read annual reports on Oman for previous years

View the full infographic

KSA Ministry of Haj and Umra holds award ceremony for Hajj media awards

Source: Ministry of Haj and Umra, KSA. Dignitaries at the award ceremony.

HE Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Bentin, the KSA Minister of Haj and Umra, has hosted the annual ceremony for heads and members of Pilgrims' Affairs Offices, the Grand Haj Seminar guests, and the winners of the ministry's media award for the Hajj season of 2015 (1436).

HE Dr Bentin stated: "Hajj is a civilised behaviour manifesting the Islamic solidarity. The Hajj system success is based on the cooperation of the agencies concerned with Hajj affairs in the Islamic countries and the Muslim-minority regions, and on compliance with regulations and instructions. This has a part in this year's Hajj performance without hindrance. The awareness programmes targeting Hajj pilgrims, in their countries before leaving to the KSA, facilitated their Hajj pilgrimage, and enabled them to fully benefit from the services."

HE also noted that this year's Grand Haj Seminar has led to a number of principal recommendations that could be transformed into projects of benefit to the Islamic world.

HE Dr Ammar Mirghani, the Sudanese Minister of Endowments and Guidance, represented the heads of Pilgrims' Affairs Offices with a speech in which he congratulated the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz; HRH the Crown Prince; and HRH the Deputy Crown Prince for the success of this years' Hajj season (2016, or 1437). Dr Mirghani stated: "The major developments are evident to Hajj pilgrims in the different ports of entry: airports, seaports, roads, drilling tunnels, and constructing bridges."

Dr Mirghani also touched on the foreign pilgrims' e-portal, calling it "one of the largest technical projects designed to serve Hajj pilgrims". "The e-portal had positive outcomes, and contributed to the comfort of Hajj pilgrims, and to arranging the pilgrims' arrival to the KSA, performance of the Hajj rituals, and departure."

Dr Mirghani in addition stressed the seriousness of the challenges facing the Islamic world, which he said must unite against terrorism, radicalism, and enemies' deception.

Suliman bin Awad Al-Zaidi, the Secretary General of the award, shared that the focus is on Hajj-related vivid humanitarian images and spiritual values. There are 15 categories of media including writers, media practitioners and agencies that accompanied the Hajj pilgrimage, and whose works contributed to improving the Hajj system through opinion, direction, shedding light on the efforts, calls to adhere to the values, as well as Hajj literature and aesthetics.

He said that a large number of works, particularly of print media, were nominated this year. The winners for the 1436 Hajj season are as follows:

Award for the best, most comprehensive media coverage of the Hajj system: Makkah newspaper.
Award for the best print article: Dr Hamoud bin Ali Abu Talib, of Okaz newspaper, for a series of published articles. 

Award for best reporting: Jamaan bin Abdullah Al-Kenany, of Al-Riyadh newspaper, for his article Tawafa: profession that has remained for centuries. 

Award for best humanitarian subject: Mohammed bin Abdul-Bary Al-Aidarous, Al-Jazirah newspaper, for his article Honoring the parents clearly embodied at the holy sites

The best press report award went to Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Zayed of Al-Watan newspaper, for a series of published reports. 

The best interview award was given to Walid bin Ali Omair of Al-Riyadh newspaper for his interview with HH the former KSA Minister of Haj.

The best photo award recognised Photojournalist Ahmed bin Mahmoud Hashad, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, for his photo Al-Khif Mosque on 08/12/1436. 

The conferences award named two journalists from Al-Madina newspaper: Majid bin Abdullah Al-Soqairi and Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Nahari, for Al-Madina conference addresses the aspects of the operational plans, and of the services provided to Haj pilgrims in Madinah.

In the broadcast category, the visual media award was won by TV reporter Hassan bin Abdul-Jaber Othman, of Almajd TV Network, for Rushing Haj pilgrims, while the audio media award had two winners, Jeddah radio station for the program The sacred journey to Al-Masjid al-Haram, "The Holy Mosque"; and to Nidaa Islam radio station, for the program: Step by Step.

The online category recognised Makkah E-journal, for a series of visual reports on some of the Hajj sectors with the e-journals and websites award. 

At the event Dr Hamoud bin Ali Abu Talib commented that the award has become an environment for promoting innovative ideas, illustrating the humanitarian and cultural concepts of Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam. He listed the award objectives: supporting and encouraging media organisations and their employees to provide the best of the various professional works; and establishing a competitive environment leading to innovation; so as to improve the Hajj system; and to highlight the efforts exerted by the state to allow Hajj pilgrims to perform the rituals easily and conveniently. 

Oman Air cancels September launch of Iraq flights

Oman Air will not be flying to Najaf in Iraq in mid-September, as earlier announced, according to media reports. The carrier no longer lists the city as a destination for flights booked on its website, but does not have a statement online.

Instead, those interested in Najaf are redirected to call +968 2453 1111 or email webbooking at omanair.com.

Royal Jordanian, which announced flights to Najaf in 2015, does not list Najaf as a destination at the time of writing, though it allow online bookings to Mosul, Iraq.

Interested?

Browse the full list of Oman Air global contacts for Najaf

Read the Suroor Asia blog post about Royal Jordanian's Najaf flights and the WorkSmart Asia blog post about Oman Air's Najaf flights

Darul Ghufran mosque, Singapore to begin upgrading works

Source Darul Ghufran website.

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) has begun Darul Ghufran Mosque's upgrading programme. Upgrading works at the mosque will commence soon, with completion projected in late 2018.

During its closure, congregants may visit the temporary two-storey infrastructure built next to the current mosque. As only 1,000 prayer spaces are available, Muis would like to advise the public to visit other mosques such as Kampong Siglap, Al-Ansar and Al-Islah, as well as other smaller mosques in the east during this period.

The upgrade will allow the mosque to accommodate 5,500 congregants.

Interested?

Kampong Siglap mosque is at 451 Marine Parade Road

Al Ansar mosque is at 155 Bedok North Avenue 1

Al Islah mosque is at 30 Punggol Field

Hashtags: #ikrauntukghufran, #mahligaidisyurga

Malaysia is leading player in ASEAN: Oxford Business Group

Source: OBG.

Despite criticisms that ASEAN is falling short of its lofty aspirations, its policy drive has had a notable impact on Malaysia’s trade and investment relationships in Southeast Asia, says the Oxford Business Group (OBG).

"As a net capital exporter and investor in its own right, the country has made significant inroads in neighbouring Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and, most recently, Myanmar. This growth in cooperation points to ASEAN’s success in meeting some of its integration goals. Malaysian companies are most active in sectors such as banking, telecoms, palm oil, energy, construction and manufacturing. The push for integration within ASEAN is bearing fruit, with bottom-line numbers confirming that ASEAN is now Malaysia’s leading trading partner and export destination," states the OBG in the introduction to The Report: Malaysia 2016.

The report includes a chapter on financial services, including Islamic financial services. OBG notes that Malaysia is now reaping the benefits of being an early adopter of shari'ah-compliant financial systems, being a global leader in Islamic finance. "In the 23 years since commercial banks were allowed to offer Islamic banking products, the sector has emerged as a formidable force in providing funding to the Malaysian economy and beyond, creating additional high value at home and abroad," the OBG states in the chapter introduction.

Source: OBG infographic.

The chapter includes interviews with Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus, Deputy Governor, Bank Negara Malaysia; Mahendra Gursahani, Managing Director and CEO, Standard Chartered Malaysia; and Jaseem Ahmed, Secretary-General, Islamic Financial Services Board.

Interested?

View the complete infographic

Buy the report. The digital version is cheaper than the print edition, but buying the printed edition also includes PDF downloads of the report and access to report articles online. Chapters may be purchased.

Explore previous annual reports on Malaysia

GIES 2016 features high profile speakers covering comprehensive range of topics

The third Global Islamic Economy Summit is set to feature a number of top-level decision makers, speakers, and researchers in the field of Islamic economy. Organised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in collaboration with the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre (DIEDC) and with Thomson Reuters as a strategic partner, the Global Islamic Economy Summit is the first annual forum of its kind in the region, bringing together international experts from key sectors to intercept the challenges and opportunities that face the Islamic economy.

Themed Inspiring Change, the summit will take place on October 11 and 12, 2016, an Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, VP and PM of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The two-day event will discuss several aspects of the Islamic economy amidst optimistic projections for its different sectors, and the impressive growth it has witnessed in the past several years.

Source: Dubai Chamber. HE Majid.

The Global Islamic Economy Summit seeks to cement Dubai’s position as a capital for the Islamic economy and provide an integrated platform for decision makers and specialists to discuss key issues and major trends in Islamic economy in the region and the world. This year’s event will include six plenary sessions covering, on the one hand, broad topics such as the global dynamics shaping the Islamic economy, as well as deeper dives into subjects such as Islamic finance and sukuk. Parallel sessions will focus on Islamic economic sectors from halal products and modest fashion to family tourism and Islamic art.

HE Majid Saif Al Ghurair, Chairman, Dubai Chamber, and Board Member of the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre, said: “The fact that influential leaders, decision makers, and experts in key economic sectors have all converged in Dubai for the Global Islamic Economy Summit only goes to prove the emirate’s position as a true capital for the Islamic economy. It reflects the tremendous efforts exerted by Dubai to shed light on the concepts and mechanisms of the Islamic economy. The summit’s main topics are broad and comprehensive and, thus, allow for an open discussion about the components of the Islamic economy, all the while shedding a light on innovative solutions to confront the challenges that face the global economy today and achieve sustainable development.”

"Furthermore, GIES 2016 welcomes a responsible partnership among all economic sectors, regardless of cultures and backgrounds, to identify the catalysts for growth. We need to remember that such growth can only be achieved through the concerted efforts of international entities and officials engaged in broader development issues. Through hosting a spectrum of leaders across sectors, GIES embodies the values that the Islamic economy stands for and strengthens its credibility as a key contributor in the revival of the global economy."

The list of speakers includes representatives from the Fitch Global credit rating agency, Awqaf and Minor Affairs Authority, Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education, Capital Markets Authority Kenya, the Louvre Museum in France, in addition to representatives from the International Halal Accreditation Forum, Boubyan Bank in Kuwait, Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority, the Emirates Foundation for the youth, Ernst & Young, and Asda'a Burson-Marsteller.

The keynote address for this year's summit will be delivered by HH Abdulaziz Al Ghurair, Chairman of Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education and the CEO of Mashreq Group and a member of the Board of Directors of Abdullah Al Ghurair Group of Companies, one of the biggest and most successful business groups in the UAE and the Middle East.

Other speakers include Clare Woodcraft, CEO of the Emirates Foundation, which focuses on guiding, inspiring and empowering youth in the UAE, and Bashar Al Natoor, Head of Islamic Finance in Fitch Ratings, who is in charge of coordinating all Islamic Finance activities across Fitch's teams, bringing together dedicated analytical and industry expertise into a centralised and focused Islamic finance group.

Also taking to the podium are: HE Chiara Appendino, Mayor of the City of Turin, Italy; Mohammed Badri, Managing Director of International Halal Accreditation Forum; Abdulla Al Tuwaijri, Deputy CEO of Boubyan Bank in Kuwait; Marcie Merriman, Executive Director for Growth Strategy and Retail Innovation at Ernst and Young; and Hassan Al Damluji, Head of Middle East Relations of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the US-based philanthropic organisation that works to alleviate poverty and spread healthcare and education around the world.

HE Tayeb Al Rais, Secretary General of Awqaf and Minor Affairs, the organisation that supervises the legal aspects of Islamic awqaf and investments, in addition to educating minors and investing their money in shari'ah-compliant avenues, will also speak.

Other speakers at GIES 2016 will include Paul Muthaura, Chief Executive of Capital Markets Authority Kenya; Yannick Lintz, Islamic Art Director of the Louvre Museum in France; Sunil John, CEO of Asda'a Burson-Marsteller, from the public relations sector in the Middle East region; Hans Henrik Christensen, Director, Silicon Oasis Founders of Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; Carol Bierr, Scholar for Islamic Studies and Islamic Geometry; and Maysa Jalbout, CEO of Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education, which strives to equip the youth in the Arab world with the necessary skills to become the leaders of the future.

"The elite group of speakers and researchers in the sectors of Islamic economics that this year's summit is set to attract from around the world stands to enrich the discussions and foster a greater exchange of knowledge and opinions with regards to finding sustainable solutions to the issues affecting the Islamic economy," added HE Majid.

HE went on to explain that the summit is "keen on promoting innovation in the effort to overcome the challenges facing the global economy in the 21st century, and establishing a strong foundation for the Islamic model - one that is more in line with the efforts of the UAE government to build a better future, as well as to make Dubai a global capital of the Islamic economy."

Abdulla Mohammed Al Awar, CEO of Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre (DIEDC), said: "The upcoming edition of the Global Islamic Economy Summit examines the challenges and scope of the future development of the Islamic economy and calls for such development to be comprehensive, impartial and sustainable." 

Al Awar also noted, “Given the fact that each sector of the Islamic economy offers incredible potential to impact the overall economic culture, GIES 2016 will help further clarify its many nuances. We are confident that a renewed understanding of the sector will greatly benefit all segments of society, particularly the youth to help them apply the knowledge gained for achieving sustainable social and economic development. We believe that with greater clarity comes greater appreciation – inspiring people to adopt moral principles that makes this responsible economic model unique in all respects.”

Nadim Najjar, MD, MENA, Thomson Reuters, said: “The current global economic climate and the search for new underserved markets has brought a fresh spotlight onto the various sectors of the Islamic economy. The convergence of the shari'ah compliant industries is likely to be a new engine of growth that engages both the Muslim and non-Muslim economies across the world.”

Interested?

Day one – October 11

Plenary Sessions
Today’s youth, tomorrow’s leaders: scalable solutions to empower the next generation will discuss ways to mould young Muslims into adaptable leaders and productive members of their communities and equip them to assume transformational roles in the Muslim world and beyond. With the Muslim youth segment growing at twice the rate of its global counterpart, governments in Islamic countries are faced with unique challenges as they work to create opportunities that cater to the young generation’s aspirations and ambitions.

The second plenary session will take on philanthropy in the Islamic world, shedding light on the successes of philanthropy and endowments in developed markets, which have adopted innovative models to ensure high returns and a strong social impact. On the flip side, Islamic charity funds face many difficulties as they generate low returns and generally have minimal social impact on the societies they are meant to support. The session will also explore effective strategies for managing Islamic charity funds in a way that creates real impact in modern society.

A third plenary session tackles blended finance – the optimal mixture of multilateral financial institutions (MFI), infrastructure fund allocations, private sector investment, and charitable grants. The session explores the role of wealthy Muslim governments, sovereign wealth funds, and Islamic financial institutions in moving towards achieving the sustainable development goals within a realistic timeframe.

Parallel sessions
Two afternoon tracks will run in parallel. The first pair of sessions will look into the evolution of Islamic art and the international halal market, respectively. 

The first session will explore the aesthetic transformation and investment appeal of Islamic art, which now encompasses contemporary works by Middle Eastern artists that draw inspiration from their cultural heritage. Islamic art is also proving rewarding: Tutela Capital reveals that the average price in 2015 for ancient Islamic artefacts sold at auction stood at nearly US$20,000. 

As for the halal industry session, participants will look at halal products from a pure economic angle. At present, countries belonging to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) import up to half of their vegetables, a third (33%) of processed foods, and 19% of animal products.

The second pair of sessions examine the role of social media in promoting modest Islamic fashion. Several startups are harnessing the reach of digital channels to establish themselves in this market – valued at US$243 billion in 2015 – and breaking down the traditional barriers to entry in the process. 

The parallel session asks whether sukuk can deliver a way out of global economic uncertainty. As the plummeting oil prices and political and economic uncertainty continue to take their toll on government budgets, sukuk could offer governments an alternative avenue to fund their projects.

Day two – October 12

Plenary Sessions and Aspire Talk

Day two will kick off with a plenary session on the digitisation of the banking sector and examine whether Islamic banks are equipped to handle these swift transformations – especially given that the global banking sector, which has undergone various transformations since the nineties, has been slow to adopt innovation and technology in the past decade. Some experts have even questioned the significance of traditional banking institutions in the future.

Next on the agenda is the Aspire Talk, which will look at Dubai, the brand. Through “Brand Dubai”, the emirate has succeeded in evoking collective emotions about the city and influencing how people around the world feel about it.

The next plenary session concludes the morning activities for the second day with a look at startups in the Islamic economy; despite tremendous challenges, a handful of visionary entrepreneurs have succeeded at captivating Muslim investors and commercialising their products and services. A panel asks how these Muslim-market startups can transform themselves into multimillion dollar businesses and what is required for them to reach the next stage of development.

Parallel sessions
Two parallel tracks feature sessions on reviving Islamic art and design and crowdfunding in the Islamic economy, respectively. The first session will discuss the non-traditional applications of Islamic art in the Muslim world and beyond. The scope of Islamic art has expanded in recent years to include residential and commercial architecture, museums and art galleries, and even corporate branding and cultural identity. 

The second discussion explores ways to accelerate the adoption of crowdfunding and use it to bridge the funding gap in Muslim markets. According to figures from the World Bank, crowdfunding has evolved into a US$16 billion market, mainly concentrated in North America and Europe. In developing countries however, crowdfunding was estimated to be worth US$327 million in 2015 – 2% of the global total.

The sessions for day two include The Gen Z effect: can the Islamic economy meet post-millennial expectations?, which examines whether the Islamic economy is equipped to cater to the world’s youngest population and if governments in Muslim countries can meet post-millennial expectations when it comes to employment, education and government services. The second session explores the subject of experiential tourism seeing as over the past few years, the Muslim travel market has rightly focused on family tourism, which was estimated to be worth US$151 billion in 2015 and forecast to surpass US$243 billion by 2021.

Closing session
In the final session of the summit, participants will explore whether the Islamic economy can skip the third industrial revolution. The introduction of technology and communication has presented a unique opportunity to avoid some of the traditional development phases and move directly to the technology revolution.

Online registration has closed but on-site passes are available. 

Hashtag: #GIES2016

Brunei woos tourists to Temburong area

Source: Brunei Tourism Development Department website.

The Brunei Tourism Development Department under the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism has launched eight unique three-day-two-night Temburong Holiday packages. These packages were developed through a joint collaboration by the Tourism Development Department with the Temburong District Office and Temburong tour operators.

At the launch ceremony the Brunei Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism, Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Ali bin Hj Apong, urged all tourism stakeholders; travel agents, airlines, accommodation providers and also local communities to step up and work together in building up Temburong and other local tourism destinations in general as a preferred holiday destination. 

The Ministry is very keen to make the Temburong District as a premier tourist destination in the region and in the international arena. This is in line with the Tourism Development Department goal’s to strengthen the country's three primary products that includes Temburong, Kampong Ayer and Bandar Seri Begawan. It is hoped that this campaign will encourage Bruneians as well as foreign visitors to holiday at local destinations. 

The Temburong holiday packages feature exciting accommodation options catered to honeymooners such as staying overnight at the luxurious Ulu-Ulu Resort, the adventure-filled rainforest lodge for families or enjoying a glamping (glamorous camping) experience with friends along the river banks of Temburong.

The Temburong holiday packages also include a selection of adventure activities such as kayaking, flying fox, jungle trekking and many others; as well as cultural activities such as a visit to the traditional longhouse whereby visitors will get the chance to meet and greet the ‘Tuai Rumah’ and experiencing the true hospitality of the Iban culture.

Interested?

Freme's tour to Ulu Temburong starts at B$240 per adult and B$144 per child

Hashtag: #DiscoverBrunei

Cafédirect Tarrazu Terroir Roast & Ground Coffee features an outstanding taste profile

Source: Cafédirect. Cafédirect Tarrazu Terroir Roast & Ground Coffee goes well with fruit.

Cafédirect, the UK’s largest 100% Fairtrade hot drinks company, has launched its 2016 Great Taste Awards prize-winner, Cafédirect Tarrazu Terroir Roast & Ground Coffee. The coffee is grown in Costa Rica, in the mountainous, rich volcanic soils of the Tarrazu region by the Llano Bonito cooperative. 

Cafédirect Tarrazu Terroir Coffee comes from the Caturra and Catuai Arabica coffee varietals, characterised by their low-height trees that provide high quality yields with excellent taste. The Caturra is particularly prized for its superlative qualities and taste profile. The trees are cultivated at altitudes of 1,200m to 2,000m, where daylight temperatures are high and the nights are cold. This slows down the growth cycle of the coffee plant, allowing more complex sugars and acids to develop. Growing coffees at high altitudes also reduces the need for pesticides. 

These environmental conditions, referred to as the terroir, and attention by passionate growers are instrumental in producing matured beans that carry the finest flavour: medium-bodied and pleasantly aromatic with natural sweet peachy notes. Coffees from the Tarrazu region consistently score very highly at the Cup of Excellence, an annual competition organised by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence to identify the highest quality coffees produced. 

With Cafédirect’s Fairtrade business model, 50% of the profits go back to the coffee growers where the beans are passionately nurtured and harvested. This not only improves the lives of the growers, but quality of each coffee bean as well. 

Cafédirect pays fair prices and works directly with smallholder growers so that they can develop their businesses and increase their influence in highly competitive commodity markets. Cafédirect partners with over 282,000 smallholder growers in 40 grower organisations across 14 developing countries. Growers have shares in the company, and have two seats on the Cafédirect Board of Directors.

Interested?

Cafédirect Tarrazu Terroir Roast & Ground Coffee can easily be brewed using a coffee plunger. All it takes is just four minutes to brew the grounds in freshly boiled hot water to release all the flavours. 

Cafédirect has also provided a recipe for cold brew coffee using Tarrazu Terroir Roast & Ground Coffee.

Items needed:

 Cafédirect Tarrazu Terroir Roast & Ground Coffee
 Water container and sieve, or a coffee plunger
 Ice cubes

Recommended ratio: two tablespoons of coffee per 200ml of water / 60g of coffee per litre of water

Instructions for use with water container and sieve:

1. Place your desired quantity of Cafédirect Tarrazu Terroir Roast & Ground Coffee into a container
2. Pour the corresponding amount of cold water into the container
3. Leave the container to stand for 12 hours at room temperature
4. Sieve the coffee after 12 hours
5. Serve with ice cubes

Instructions for use with a coffee plunger:

1. Place your desired quantity of Cafédirect Tarrazu Terroir Roast & Ground Coffee into a coffee plunger
2. Pour the corresponding amount of cold water into the plunger
3. Do not press the plunger; leave to stand for 12 hours at room temperature
4. Press the plunger after 12 hours
5. Serve with ice cubes

Starbucks brings Teavana beverages to Asia Pacific

• Iced and hot tea beverages with layered flavours now handcrafted at Starbucks stores
• With the launch across Asia, Teavana beverages and teas are now available in Starbucks locations around the world

Source: Starbucks. Starbucks Teavana comes to Asia Pacific outlets.

Starbucks Coffee Company has introduced Starbucks Teavana as a core offering in more than 6,200 stores across its 16 markets in the China and Asia Pacific region. A new brand for Starbucks in Asia, Starbucks Teavana handcrafted beverages and full leaf tea sachets offer unique iced and hot tea beverages with layered flavours, handcrafted by Starbucks.

“The launch of Starbucks Teavana in China and Asia Pacific brings an entirely new and modern tea experience specifically developed for our customers, who increasingly want new and different tastes and experiences,” said John Culver, Group President, Starbucks Global Retail. "This is a tremendous opportunity to leverage the company’s expertise in creating best-in-class retail experiences, handcrafting customised beverages, and sourcing the finest ingredients, to become a leader in a new category for us. Just as we’ve done for coffee, this is tea reimagined at Starbucks.”

Tea is a US$125 billion global category and is the second most consumed beverage in the world, second only to water. The launch of Starbucks Teavana is the first time Starbucks has launched a brand on this scale since 2008 with the launch of Starbucks VIA Ready Brew.

With Starbucks Teavana, Starbucks also draws on its long heritage of commitment to using only the most premium, high-quality ingredients. Leveraging deep relationships with tea growers, Teavana sources the world’s highest-quality teas and botanicals. Starbucks sourcing and blending experts cup (taste) hundreds of teas daily to select only the finest teas for Starbucks Teavana.

Starbucks Teavana will be available in stores across all its markets in the China and Asia Pacific region: Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Availability of Starbucks Teavana offerings will vary by market. The beverages have been specifically developed for Asian customers.

Source: Starbucks.
Matcha & espresso fusion.

Matcha & espresso fusion
Matcha powder layered with milk and Starbucks signature espresso roast creates a layered beverage that combines coffee and tea, to be enjoyed hot or iced.

Starbucks Teavana full leaf tea sachets for hot tea include:

Black teas

English breakfast – A handcrafted blend of Indian Assam, Sri Lankan Ceylon and Chinese black tea.

Chai – A tea blend with ginger and black pepper, cardamom and sweet cinnamon notes.

Green teas

Emperor’s clouds and mist – Exclusively harvested during the month of April and grown on the steep, windy slopes of Huangshan Mountain at 3,500 ft above sea level, this tea has a rich body and is naturally sweet.

Mint citrus – This refreshing blend combines green tea, lemon verbena, tropical lemongrass, and US Pacific Northwest sourced spearmint for a citrus green tea experience. Chun Mee (珍眉, precious eyebrows) is the green tea base for this blend.

Herbal teas

Mint blend – This tea’s spearmint base is rounded out with peppermint notes and undertones of lemon verbena. The mint leaves come from the highly sought after Pacific Northwest mint, known for its high amount of mint oil.

Chamomile – The chamomile used for this soft, soothing floral blend is from Croatia.

Eid recipes: Shuwa

Shuwa  شوى

Shuwa is probably the most well-known of uniquely Omani foods. It is typically cooked only during the major holidays of Eid, partly because of the expense, the need to collaborate with other households, and the sheer work required. Shuwa is prepared in Oman twice a year as there are two Eids in the Islamic year. The earlier Eid marks the end of the fasting month Ramadhan, while the later holiday commemorates the prophet Ibrahim’s (Abraham’s) sacrifice of his son Ismail (Ishmael) at Allah’s request (Allah later told him to sacrifice a ram at the last minute).

Making shuwa is a big undertaking for Omani families during Eid. Quantities are huge so that there is enough for feasting and sharing with others. The spiced slabs of meat practically fall apart by themselves after being baked overnight in underground ovens, so never turn down the opportunity to try some. Most of the action takes place on the first day of Eid, but preparations begin as early as 40 days before the holiday.

First, ensure you have a shuwa pit. Different households within a family may share one. A pit for a very large family may be lined with stones set in concrete, and sport a custom-made metal cover. Several households may share a small shuwa pit which is made by fitting a petrol drum vertically into a hole, then fashioning a metal cover for the drum.

Next, prepare the spice rub 14 to 40 days before Eid so that it has the time to age properly. 

Ingredients, spice rub, called khamera

¼ kg dried dates

½ kg local red chilli flakes

1 kg garlic

1 tablespoon turmeric powder

2 tablespoons salt

2 to 3 litres water

Method

Mix all ingredients together and place in pail.

Seal the pail, and leave in the sun for 14 days.

When ready to use, stir the mixture and strain, reserving the liquid.

Other essentials, shuwa

A sack made of woven date palm leaves (khasfa), or two gunny sacks, the type used for transporting rice or flour

Banana leaves, any amount, and in any condition – fresh or dry, flat or bunched together

Thin wire and wire cutters

Ingredients, shuwa

Meat on the bone from the breast and legs of a cow, or a large goat; about 50kg of meat for a small family

Spice rub

½ kg clove powder

½ kg cumin powder

½ kg ginger powder

½ kg salt

½ kg turmeric powder

1 kg cinnamon powder

1 kg coriander powder

4 heaped tablespoons black pepper powder

Optional: chilli flakes to taste

Sealing the sack by 'sewing' it with wire.

Method

Soak the sacks for half an hour. Use two sacks instead of one if using gunny sacks. About half a goat will fit in one sack.

Soak meat to get rid of the blood.

Chop meat into rough A4-sized slabs.

Add all the spices and the salt to the spice rub, and mix well.

Add chilli if desired.

Apply the spice rub to each slab of meat, ensuring that it is thoroughly covered with the solids in the mixture.

Stack the spiced meat in the sack, alternating a layer of meat with a layer of banana leaves.

From time to time, wiggle the sack up and down to pack the contents more closely together. The sack is porous so this can get messy.

Sew up the top of the sack with wire.

Run more wire around the sack and down its length so that it will be easy to remove the sack later on.

Fill the shuwa pit (or petrol drum) with thick simr (acacia tortilis) branches, and light with petrol.

The pit is ready for use when the simr branches have turned into a layer of glowing charcoal taking up about a third of the pit.

Wedge the sacks into the pit.

Once the pit is full, cover it with its lid and then a mound of earth to make an air-tight seal.

Unearth the sacks in 24 to 48 hours.

The sacks will be brittle; unravel the wire and then carve the meat straight from the sack onto a tray so it can be easily transported home. Most of the large bones will be discarded on the spot.

 Sacks and banana leaves will appear just before Eid at the souqs in Oman.

 Charcoal can be substituted for sidr wood.

 Shuwa will keep in the fridge for several days. Extra spice rub can be kept for the next Eid, in nearly a year’s time.

 Sometimes, pits are uncovered only to find that the shuwa has not cooked because there was not enough heat. This can happen if there was not enough wood in the first place, or if the charcoal was not hot enough when the pit was closed. In such cases it is possible to recreate the heat source and bury the shuwa for another 24 hours.

 A portion of the raw meat is typically set aside for making mushakik, which are a form of kebab. The cubed pieces of meat are threaded onto bamboo skewers and grilled over a charcoal fire on the second day of Eid. A good mushakik has to be ‘strong’, so make sure your teeth can handle it if you try one.

 Over the next few days of Eid, different households will exchange shuwa and mushakik as everyone has a different recipe. The above recipe comes from Eating Omani by Omar Al Aamri.

Interested?

Get the recipe for Omani coffee

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