How it all started
The company began operations in 1979 with Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal, a pan-Arab business and economic magazine covering the public and private sectors. The magazine was a pioneer in this endeavor and quickly gained favor among decision-makers in the region for providing an alternative to Arab readers with its audience-specific coverage. A subsequent goal of founder and general manager, Mr. Raouf Abou-Zaki, was to use this medium as a means of furthering direct ties with regional and international communities alike.
In the early 1990’s, the company launched a new business line of conferences and exhibitions to foster investment in the region. Among the first of these was the Arab Investment and Capital Markets conference, the regional success of which spurred a series of other topical conferences that cemented the Group’s reputation as the foremost planner and marketer of investment conferences in the region.
The Group
Thanks to 34 years of insight into Arab economies and a vast network of field specialists, Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal group has gained substantial expertise in predicting development and investment trends, offering in depth and up to date analysis and coverage of the latest business issues in the region, as well as providing the needed platform to bring together businesses in the Arab economies and to expand business relations internationally.
Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal Group is an independent, private company with a shareholder base of 45 leading businesses, corporations and investors from 10 Arab countries. The group encompasses a number of business divisions that include 4 publications and an event management and conferencing unit.
Our conferences
Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal group organizes more than 20 conferences per year on average in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. Conference topics are chosen to be timely and relevant to the issues concerning the industry or country in question. Selected speakers are made up of prominent leaders from the public and private sectors, such as ministers, central bank governors, top executives, analysts and independent business entrepreneurs. Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal conferences are designed to join private companies and policy makers to promote regional development and offer a one of its kind network opportunity for entrepreneurs and business leaders across the MENA region.
Our conferencing division also provides event-planning and marketing solutions for private companies holding new product launchings, seminars or meetings. Our solutions include media and PR campaigns, set and graphic design, special issue publication and other communication services.
