QFB attends IAC meet in Istanbul

Qatar First Bank (QFB), a leading Shari’ah compliant bank based in Qatar and listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), attended the invitation-only 9th Investment Advisory Council (IAC) meeting, which took place in Istanbul, Turkey.
The meeting, attended by QFB’s CEO, Ziad Makkawi, was chaired by Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim. Top Turkish government officials, representatives from 20 global companies as well as the major Business Associations shared their expertise and discussed ways of strengthening the competitiveness of Turkey’s investment climate.
The Investment Advisory Council meeting is aimed at improving Turkey's investment environment and attracting foreign investors to the country. 
Commenting on QFB participation, Abdulla bin Fahad bin Ghorab Al Marri, Chairman of QFB, said: “The IAC meetings are setting the roadmap to strengthening the competitiveness of Turkey’s investment climate. Allowing the participation of leading intuitions from across the region, reflects a country’s bold behaviour towards achieving a quantum leap in its successful journey on both economic and developmental levels. IAC meetings will promote an exchange of foreign investments from Qatar and the region to Turkey.” 
Al Marri added: “QFB is proud to be invited to this meeting, and we are confident that our business platform and competences in the Shari’ah compliant finance arena is a key to accelerate the execution of building a prosperous economy.”
Speaking at the meeting, Makkawi said: “Leaders of Turkey have continually shown their commitment and dedication to maintain and develop a healthy business climate, supported by a clear communication strategy and engagement with the international investor community.” 
“As a long standing and committed investor in Turkey we feel encouraged by these type of initiatives that help to align perceptions with reality in terms of the Turkish economic and political environment. QFB has invested in Turkish companies in both the Health Care and Retail sectors, the companies we have invested in past are generating some USD300MM in Revenues and have created over 5000 jobs. We believe that QFB can serve as a bridge between Turkey, Qatar and the broader GCC in terms of two way investment and business flows”, Makkawi added.
Giving the message that his government is ready to ease the way for new investments Turkey, Prime Minister Yildirim stressed that the aim for next year is to be a year of investment flows as he addressed at the IAC meeting. 
Prime Minister Yildirim added that Turkey will review what it can do in order to create a more available investment environment and turn the country into an attraction center for global investors along with the suggestions and demands we will hear. He also thanked QFB for its ongoing support and commitment and encouraged further engagement and business relations.
Deputy Prime Ministers Mehmet Simsek and Nurettin Canikli, Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci, Finance Minister Naci Agbal, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak, Development Minister Lütfi Elvan also attended the meeting.
Senior executives from the world's leading groups, including the World Bank Group's Vice President Cyril Muller, Alstom's CEO Henri Poupart-Lafarge, CEO of Alzahid Group Holding Abdul Rahman Al Zahid, APM Terminals' Senior Vice President Teimen Meester, Bank of China's Senior Vice President Qiang Liu, Bombardier's President Laurent Troger, CEO of British Petroleum Tufan Erginbilgiç, CEO of Burgan Bank Eduardo Eguren attended the event..
As a leading listed entity on the Qatar Stock Exchange, QFB can serve as a trusted advisor and gateway for investors interested to tap into innovative, shari’ah-compliant, financial solutions and investment opportunities in both Qatar and Turkey. QFB has the competences and capabilities to offer high-net-worth individuals and corporates an attractive range financial products and services focused on private equity and real estate, private banking and wealth management, as well as corporate and institutional banking, Makkawi said.