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More than 200 representatives of foreign investment companies, businessmen, governmental authorities, interested in cooperation with the Russian Federation, are going to attend the Second International Islamic Business and Finance Summit 2010.

More than 200 representatives of foreign investment companies, businessmen, governmental authorities, interested in cooperation with the Russian Federation, are going to attend the Second International Islamic Business and Finance Summit 2010.

The Summit provides a unique opportunity to explore all the possibilities of the Russian business. Foreign investors are eager to know, which Russian companies are going to participate in the Summit, which sectors are mostly interested in the partnership and investments, the real image of business in Russia, etc.

The largest part of business groups in the Middle East and the South East Asia form holding companies. These companies are connected to each other through their membership in different international organizations. Therefore, the direct contact to the foreign partaker of the Summit triggers further partnership with representatives of various branches of economy.

One of them is the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (the ICD) http://www.icd-idb.com. The ICD is a multilateral organization, a member of the Islamic Development Bank Group.

The average annual investment volume is estimated at about US$200 million. The combined investment portfolio is almost US$1 billion. The company invests in more than 20 countries, including countries of the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), e.g. in 2008 the investments were attracted in the following countries:

Azerbaijan

- Construction of a trade centre – US$ 20 million (40% of ownership),

- Establishment of a Leasing company ­– US$ 6.2 million (100% of ownership),

Kyrgyzstan

- Renovation of the cement factory – US$ 14.4 million (50% of ownership).

Investments are attracted in the following sectors:

Industrial 35.7%,

Financial 18.3%,

Transportation 13%,

Real Estate 7.2%,

Oil and Gas 6.8%,

Telecom 6.4%,

Healthcare 4.1%

Pharmaceutical 3.5%,

Technology 2.1%,

Education 1.9%,

Agriculture 0.9%,

Construction 0.2%.

Other key players of the Islamic market, which are going to visit the Summit, are:

- AmanahRaya Investment Bank Ltd (Malaysia) http://www.arb.com.my/ – Its active assets exceed US$ 500 million

- Foras International Investment Company http://www.forasinvest.com (Saudi Arabia) – Invests in agriculture, infrastructure and real estate projects.
- Tanmiyat Investment Group www.tanmiyat.com – One of the leading investment and development groups in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

- Al Shiddi Group (Saudi Arabia) http://www.shiddi.com/ – Specializes in real estate, agriculture, food stock and trade projects.

- Al-Ahmar Group (Yemen) http://alahmargroup.com/ – Multisectoral holding company.

Representatives of the following companies already visited Kazan in 2009:

-Bahrain Islamic Bank (Bahrain),

- Bahrain Kuwait Bank (Bahrain),

- Bahrain World Economic Summit (Bahrain),

- Asya Katilim Bankasi A.S (Turkey),

- International Islamic Bank (Bahrain),

- Orange Gulf Co. General Trading & Contracting (Kuwait),

- International Islamic Trade Finance (Saudi Arabia),

- TURKAPITAL HOLDING B.S.C.C. (Turkey),

- Islamic Finance Co. PJSC (United Arab Emirates),

- HSBC Bank Middle East Limited (United Arab Emirates), etc.

There are several possibilities for Russian companies to participate in the Summit. They can:

- Become a sponsor of the event. This will bring a company into line with the IFC “Linova”, which is acknowledged by Islamic investors. (http://www.kazansummit.ru/2010.pdf)

- Cooperate directly with investors during private business meetings (Sabantuy Halal, trip to Bolghar, business lunches, dinners and personal meetings) (http://www.kazansummit.ru/load/1-1-0-6)

- Present their own investment projects (http://linova.ru/article/79/3/). After being monitored by the experts of the IFC “Linova”, the investment projects will be posted on the web-site www.kazansummit.com. Every registered investor will be provided with a personal access to the information, and will receive the projects by e-mail. The organizers of the KAZANSUMMIT2010 are going to present the projects in the framework of the Investment Forum. Moreover, all the necessary information on it will be printed in a booklet and distributed among all participants of the Summit. Due to these measures the project will be a focus of investors’ attention for a long time.

- To participate in the Innovation and Investment Exhibition in the framework of the Strategic and Investment Forum in order to provide guests with the necessary handout information. (http://www.kazansummit.ru/load/1-1-0-8)

- To participate in the KAZANSUMMIT2010 to get the first-hand knowledge about the Islamic investment market (http://www.kazansummit.ru/index/0-6)

Aydar Karimov, the IFC “Linova”