The 15th Turkish-Arab Economic Forum (TAF) was held in Istanbul on October 17, drawing together prominent leaders and key stakeholders from Türkiye and the Arab world. Supported by Türkiye's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, the Investment Office, and the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), the event brought together distinguished experts and high-level participants from both regions.
One of the key sessions of the forum, a panel titled "Türkiye and the Arab World: A Global Corridor for Investment, Trade, and Technology," was moderated by Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek. The panel featured leading figures such as Kuwait's Finance Minister Noora Sulaiman Salem Al Fassam, Iraq's Finance Minister Taif Sami Mohammed, Egypt's Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk, and Tunisia's Minister of Economy and Planning Samir Abdelhafidh. They explored the importance of strengthening both bilateral and multilateral collaborations, with a particular focus on enhancing economic relations through trade and technology.
In his keynote speech, Investment Office President A. Burak Dağlıoğlu reaffirmed Türkiye's dedication to fostering regional partnerships, stating, "At the Investment Office, we are actively working with our counterparts across the Arab world to deepen investment collaborations. A recent example is a Turkish fintech company acquiring a fintech firm in Dubai, marking a significant milestone in regional integration."
Dağlıoğlu further emphasized the vast potential for increasing bilateral investments and the importance of focusing on multilateral opportunities, particularly in emerging sectors such as fintech. He concluded by recognizing the contributions of the forum's organizers and sponsors, whose support made it possible.
TAF continues the tradition of bringing together government officials, business leaders, and investors to explore pathways for economic growth and collaboration across sectors including finance, investment, defense, fintech, energy, technology, industry, food, and infrastructure.