Johor Bahru, Malaysia, December, 2012 - In a speech at the opening ceremony of the 8th World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, the President of the IDB Group called on the participants to encourage innovation and creativity in Islamic countries and launch regional partnerships to achieve accelerated development. The 8th forum was inaugurated by Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohammad Najib Tun Abdul Razak.

Addressing the three-day event, Dr. Ali underlined the readiness of the IDB Group to provide grounds for the Islamic countries to share the Malaysian experience in economic development by organizing seminars, workshops and exchange of experts. He admired the Malaysian experience which has transformed the country’s economy from a developing economy to a high income one and praised the Malaysian grand investment project, “Iskandar Malaysia”, which is expected to bring rapid economic development,
investment opportunities and clean environment to the Southern region of the country.

The IDB President announced that the IDB had declared the year 2013 G (1434 H) as the year for encouraging innovation and creativity to support development in its member countries. He further stated that, during the upcoming Annual Meeting of the Board of IDB Governors to be held in Tajikistan, Dushanbe, 22-18 May, 2013, IDB will organize a symposium entitled; “Creativity for Development”.
The list of other eminent participants at the 8th WIEF opening ceremony included: H.E. Ikililou Dohoinine, President, Union of Comoros, H.E. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Finance, Republic of Singapore, H.E Dr. Hussein Al Abdallah, Special Representative of the Qatari Prime Minister, H.E. Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, Chairman, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Mindanao, Republic of Philippines, H.E. Dato’ Abdulghani Uthman, Senior Minister for Malaysia’s Johor State, in
addition to numerous Malaysian top ranking officials as well as delegates from more than sixty nations.