IN 2023, Muslim consumer spending across key sectors reached US$2.43 trillion.
Islamic finance assets stood at US$4.93 trillion and are projected to rise to US$7.53 trillion by 2028.
With a global Muslim population of two billion expected to reach 2.8 billion by 2050, this represents a structural shift in global commerce.
On Dec 8, the Global Muslim Business Forum (GMBF) 2025 — organised by the KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific (KSI) and the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (ICCD) — convenes at the InterContinental Kuala Lumpur to translate this potential into strategic partnerships.
The forum brings ministers, investors and corporate leaders together to unlock trade flows, capital deployment and market access across Muslim-majority economies.
Iqbal: “GMBF is where policy meets capital, where regional priorities translate into actionable partnerships and where Muslim economies demonstrate their relevance to global growth.”
Proven leadership
Malaysia’s 2025 Asean Chairmanship has delivered landmark achievements.
The 47th Asean Summit concluded with the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord between Cambodia and Thailand, the signing of the Asean-China Free Trade Area 3.0 and more than 80 key outcomes across security, economic and sustainable development domains.
Most significantly, Malaysia hosted the inaugural Asean-GCC-China Summit in May 2025, forging trilateral cooperation between South-East Asia, the Gulf states and China.
This positioned Malaysia as the natural convenor for Muslim economic dialogue, bridging the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Gulf Cooperation Council and Asean economies.
Malaysia leads Islamic finance globally and commands the halal certification ecosystem. GMBF builds directly on this momentum.
Yousef: “This forum serves as a powerful catalyst, driving trade, investment and sustainable growth across Muslim economies.”
Who benefits
Exporters gain direct access to procurement officials across OIC markets.
GMBF connects Malaysian manufacturers with trade councils and import agencies controlling market access to US$2.29 trillion in addressable demand.
Islamic finance institutions require digital wallets, green sukuk and scalable SME financing.
The forum addresses product innovation and strategies to compete with Gulf-based rivals expanding into fintech.
Tourism operators can tap into the growing Muslim travel market. GMBF connects Malaysian hospitality groups with officials from Central Asia and the Balkans who control inbound flows and investment budgets.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) seeking new markets gain direct access to government agencies that unlock market opportunities.
The forum eliminates intermediaries and creates clear pathways to contracts.
Investors targeting frontier economies receive structured, direct access to sovereign wealth representatives and project pipelines across infrastructure and digital ventures.
Four strategic sessions
Economic partnerships: This session will examine how to convert bilateral agreements into trade flows, featuring insights from former Bursa Malaysia chairman Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar and senior officials from Indonesia, Cambodia, Kazakhstan and Bangladesh;
Islamic Finance: This session will focus on building digital-first products and scaling green finance, with perspectives from Standard Chartered Saadiq chief executive officer Bilal Parvaiz, INCEIF president Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Mohd Azmi Omar and Wahine Capital founder Rejina Rahim;
Tourism and Hospitality: This session will explore investment opportunities and service standards, bringing together representatives from Tajikistan, Azerbaijan as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina alongside Malaysia’s Halal Development Corporation;
Women, Youth and Development: This session will highlight ways to unlock capital for women-led businesses and youth entrepreneurship, guided by Global One founder Dr Husna Ahmad and Women Leadership Foundation founder Datuk Zunaidah Idris.
Building on success
GMBF was established in 2022 by KSI, ICCD and Global One UK. Its 2023 edition in Kuching drew over 1,000 participants.
Confirmed speakers include Pakistan Senate chairman and former Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg and senior officials representing markets, investment mandates and trade flows across the Muslim world. The forum includes a luncheon ceremony with Melaka Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Mohd Ali Rustam as guest of honour, during which the GMBF Business Excellence Awards will recognise companies driving innovation and market expansion.
GMBF president Datuk Seri Mohamed Iqbal Rawther said, “GMBF is where policy meets capital, where regional priorities translate into actionable partnerships and where Muslim economies demonstrate their relevance to global growth.”
ICCD secretary-general Yousef Hassan Khalawi said: “This forum serves as a powerful catalyst, driving trade, investment and sustainable growth across Muslim economies.”
Malaysia’s successful 2025 Asean chairmanship has laid the foundation. GMBF provides the platform to leverage this momentum, connecting Malaysian businesses to a trillion-dollar economy growing faster than most developed markets.
The GMBF 2025 will take place on Dec 8 at the InterContinental Kuala Lumpur. Registration is available at www.gmbforum.org or via email at mradhi@kasi.asia.
