The Saleh Kamel Lecture Series, a notable event recently inaugurated in London, serves as a beacon of knowledge on ‘The Future of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Economic Insights from the Middle East.’ The Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development’s president, Abdullah Saleh Kamel, took this opportunity to announce their collaboration with the esteemed Adam Smith Institute, a think tank revered for its economic policy expertise and influence in the United Kingdom and beyond.
Abdullah Saleh Kamel emphasized the series’ role as an analytical forum, discussing the burgeoning prosperity of Saudi Arabia under the transformative Vision 2030, spearheaded by King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He remarked on the vision’s far-reaching effects, not only within the Arab region but across the globe, and expressed the series’ dedication to highlighting ethical business and trade practices, a commitment passionately maintained by the late Sheikh Saleh Kamel.
The lecture series is poised to foster conversations on the economic evolution of the Middle East, with a special focus on Saudi Arabia. These sessions are a golden opportunity for participants, particularly the youth, to dissect and understand the nuances of Saudi Arabia’s rapidly changing economic environment and its broader international ramifications.
In his address, British politician and ex-Treasury Minister Nadhim Zahawi praised the progress of ‘Islamic financing’ and the concept of ‘free markets’ with an Islamic perspective, as envisioned by the late Saleh Kamel. He highlighted the significant strides Saudi Arabia has made in leading the growth of Islamic finance, with expectations for the industry’s substantial expansion in the coming years.
Zahawi called on Britain to strengthen ties with Saudi Arabia, urging the Western world to engage with the kingdom’s promising economic landscape and progressive reforms. He shared insights on the Islamic finance sector’s impressive growth trajectory, noting the tripled value of Islamic banking assets globally to $3.24 trillion by the end of 2022, and the presence of numerous Islamic banking institutions on the London Stock Exchange.
The series was conceived to pay homage to Sheikh Saleh Kamel, an influential figure in the realm of Islamic banking, who devoted his life to philanthropy and the pioneering of Islamic finance principles. His legacy extends across the Middle East and the Islamic community at large, with notable contributions to media and societal development.
Complementing the lectures, an English biography of Sheikh Saleh Kamel was released to acquaint Western readers with his life and achievements. Furthermore, the Adam Smith Institute has published a study titled ‘Seizing the Opportunity,’ which examines how the United Kingdom can leverage the burgeoning Islamic finance market, encouraging the establishment of London as a hub for Islamic banks and financial technology startups, thereby extending services to a global Muslim population.