LONDON: The British Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Kemi Badenoch, and Minister of State in the Department for Business and Trade Lord Johnson announced on Monday the launch of new working group on Islamic Finance at a “Great British Iftar” at Lancaster House in London.
The working group will help realize the Secretary of State’s priority of making the UK an undisputed investment destination by ensuring the UK is a global hub for Islamic finance, a statement said.
Johnson will lead a series of roundtables with the world’s leading Islamic banks to map out a path for the UK achieving its goal of becoming a global hotspot of Islamic finance.
The inaugural Great British Iftar included ambassadors from Morocco, Malaysia and several other Muslim majority countries.
Senior executives from investment firms, CEOs of major British businesses, and founders and entrepreneurs of exciting British firms were also in attendance, as were Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen and government ministers.
Sheikh Hani Saad Mahmoud, Imam at the historic Al Azhar Mosque in Cairo, travelled from Egypt to lead prayers at sunset.
Badenoch gave a speech at the Iftar celebrating the flourishing trade and investment relationship with the Muslim world.
She made clear the amazing contribution business of all sizes make to the UK economy and the support her department can provide to make them the engines of British exports into new markets.
Celebrity chef and founder of Spice Village, Suleman Raza, and award-winning music producer DJ Naughty Boy (Shahid Khan) curated a special “British Iftar Menu” for the evening, which served up a fusion of cuisines inspired by Morocco, Turkey, Lebanon, Pakistan and Malaysia.
