Gulfood 2026; GIFT Report (2025/26) launch; Qatar’s $2bn expansion

February 06, 2026

Pulse of the Global Islamic Economy

Sha’ban 18, 1447 AH

Assalamualaikum,

This week's newsletter leads with the recently concluded Gulfood event - one of the world's most marquee F&B conventions - and its role in promoting the halal food space, showcasing innovation and repositioning halal as a competitive advantage rather than a compliance requirement. 

On the Islamic finance front, the Global Islamic Fintech Report 2025/26, co-produced by DinarStandard and Elipses, was launched at Web Summit Qatar in Doha this week. Read our piece to know how Islamic finance is getting its digital-assets moment. 

Meanwhile, Qatar's sovereign wealth fund has expanded its venture capital programme, boosting it to $3 billion. 

Did you know?

Collectively, the top 10 OIC fintech markets, comprising Saudi Arabia, Iran, Malaysia, the UAE, Indonesia, Türkiye, Bangladesh, Pakitsan and Qatar, account for 93% of the global Islamic fintech market size.

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