London, October 13, 2026 / PRNewswire / -- The sixth Global Business Excellence Gala was held at the Jumeira Carlton Tower Hotel in London, bringing together guests, business leaders, scholars, entrepreneurs, and representatives of institutions for an evening focused on deep connections, ethical leadership, and international cooperation. This gathering provided a platform for exchanging ideas and discussed how the values of the Islamic economy can be transformed into practical cooperation, as well as how to bring lasting benefits to communities.
AlBaraka Forum for Islamic Economy In his welcome speech, the Secretary-General Yousef Hassan Khalawi thanked all the guests for attending and emphasized the importance of bringing together like-minded individuals. Subsequently, he welcomed the keynote speakers to share their insights.
Dr. Yahya Hendi, the Director of Muslim Affairs at Georgetown University, called for enhanced cooperation and economic coordination in his keynote speech, encouraging leaders to combine a global perspective with local actions. He cited three concepts: ta 'mutual understanding', ta 'cooperation in doing good', and tanafasu 'healthy competition', proposing a business approach based on mutual understanding and shared goals. He urged entrepreneurs to 'compete with each other in doing good, rather than against each other', and to establish networks that can lead to the common prosperity of both businesses and communities.
The Chairman of the Board of Palestine Taawon Association, Dr. Nabil Qaddoumi, emphasized that business leaders have a moral and ethical responsibility to improve people's lives through collective action. He introduced how Taawon transforms the common vision among business leaders into experiences for long-term community development.
He said that Taawon has invested $1 billion in people, with related projects covering education, healthcare, youth development, and support for vulnerable communities. He also mentioned that the organization's donation fund and generational fund are the foundation for long-term sustainable development, and concluded by saying, "Turning ideas into action brings hope to humanity."
In his speech, the Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Istanbul University of Economics and Business, Necmeddin Bilal Erdo ğ an, paid tribute to the late Sheikh Saleh Kamel for his contributions to Islamic finance, and elaborated on the vision of applying Islamic ( halal ) and ethical ( tayyib ) principles to production, trade, and investment. He emphasized that these values are not only related to the products themselves but also cover how income is generated, how workers are treated, and how business decisions maintain human dignity.
He said, "We must pay the same attention to whether the income that provides us with food on our tables is legal, as we do to whether the food itself is halal."
Erdo an also emphasized that Islamic financial instruments should be understood as a mode of doing business, rather than merely a means of obtaining financing. He also mentioned waqf, namely charitable donation funds, in their role in supporting communities, and called on entrepreneurs, financial institutions, and development partners to establish cooperative relationships to transform these concepts into effective projects with the support of innovation and responsible use of resources.
To elevate the standards of the evening event, the guests in attendance also included: His Highness Prince AbdulAziz, His Highness Prince bin, His Highness Prince Abdul Majeed Al Saud; Mr. Shakeel Mohamed, Minister of Housing and Land of Mauritius; His Excellency Ambassador O. of Turkey to the UK; and His Excellencies Dato and Indera Dr.
The event also welcomed renowned figures from the investment and banking sectors, including: Tü rkiye Wealth Fund, Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of Salim Arda Ermut; Ahmet Burak Da, Director of the Investment and Finance Office of the President's Palace of the Republic of Turkey Ahmet Burak Da ğlıoğ lu; Albaraka T ü rk Participation Bank, Chief Executive Officer Malek Khodr Temsah; HBL, President and Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Nassir Salim. The attendees also included Halk Kat, CEO of Bilal Sucuba şı Dr., Arab Bank Europe, Chief Executive Officer Haytham Kamhiyah, as well as Libya Africa Investment Portfolio, Board Member Akram ElDeeb Dr.
That evening, representatives from the Bank of Malaysia, Al Rayan Bank, Libyan Foreign Bank, BACB, Arab National Bank, Maybank Investment Bank, The Bank, of, Punjab, Gatehouse Bank, and TAJBank also gathered. The event also welcomed executives from the fintech, investment companies, and other business sectors, reflecting the broad range of participants and the opportunities for deeper cooperation in the fields of banking, investment, technology, and the broader Islamic economy.
Albaraka T, rk, and Participation Bank serve as the official partners of this event, while Anadolu Agency acts as the global communication partner. Arab Bank Europe and Libya Africa Investment Portfolio are the senior sponsors. The organizers stated that such support has contributed to creating a night dedicated to strengthening international business connections, transforming shared values into action, and promoting global Islamic economic cooperation.
