Azernews.Az

Qabil Ashirov

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A Halal Business Forum will be held in Baku as part of the Annual Meetings of the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB).

AzerNEWS reports that the announcement was made by Sahal Al-Marwai during a presentation dedicated to preparations for the IsDB Group Annual Meetings in Baku.

“THIQAH is organizing the Halal Business Forum for the first time. I believe Azerbaijan is currently one of the leading countries in this field. In close cooperation with our colleagues from AZPROMO

and the Azerbaijani Ministry of Economy, a workshop aimed at strengthening the capacity of investment promotion agencies is also planned. Special attention will also be devoted to the startup competition, which is a highly important initiative, and I will elaborate on it later. Of course, the PSF exhibition will also be included in the program. We plan to invite international organizations, chambers of commerce and industry, investment promotion agencies, business associations, and other partners to Baku. We have already received several confirmations from participants,” he said.

According to Al-Marwai, the exhibition will be divided into several categories, including showcases from member countries, the IsDB Group, and the host country.

“In addition, a separate area will be allocated for partners to present their projects and opportunities. We have also developed a B2B and B2G platform. A dedicated zone will be created for this platform where business meetings will take place. We invite everyone to register on the platform. A separate team is responsible for this direction. Considering that the event will bring together thousands of participants, this represents an excellent opportunity. The platform has already been launched, and we will share the link in the near future,” he added.

Al-Marwai also noted that the PSF 2026 Award has been established to recognize outstanding achievements in trade financing, export crediting, and private sector development.

“Two awards are planned for each organization — ICF, ICD, and ITFC. Evaluations will be carried out by independent juries and internal experts. We invite private sector companies to apply for participation.

In partnership with AZPROMO and COPIA, the fifth innovation and startup competition of the ICDB Group will also be held,” he said.

According to him, the competition will focus on three key areas: fintech and cybersecurity, sustainable development, agrotechnologies and food security, as well as human development and social services.

“More than 300 startups, along with over 35 incubators, accelerators, and venture capital funds, are expected to participate. As a result, nine winners will be selected and supported throughout their development process.

To date, we have already received approximately 200–250 project submissions from Azerbaijan, which is a significant achievement. A marketing and communications plan has also been prepared,” Al-Marwai emphasized.