Islamic Chamber Launches B57+ European Chapter
The new chapter will link business communities in OIC member states with European counterparts, with first activities planned for Brussels.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Islam
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The Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development launched the European chapter of its B57+ initiative in Istanbul. The chapter's first activities are set to begin in Brussels in the coming weeks.
Why it matters
The chapter is intended to serve as an economic bridge between business communities in OIC countries and their European counterparts. It extends a platform that brings together business leaders from the 57 OIC member states.
The Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development, founded in 1977 and headquartered in Karachi, Pakistan, has 57 member countries. The B57+ initiative runs through three platforms: an annual Business Leaders Summit, a commercial dispute resolution week, and the new European chapter.
The players
Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development
A business organization founded in 1977 in Istanbul that now has 57 member countries and is headquartered in Karachi, Pakistan. It adopted its current name in December 2023.
Abdullah Saleh Kamel
The chairman of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development who leads the organization's business outreach efforts.
Omer Bolat
Turkey's Minister of Trade, who attended the Business Leaders Summit where the European chapter was launched.
Cevdet Yılmaz
Turkey's Vice President, under whose direct supervision the B57+ initiative was launched in 2025.
The details
The European chapter was launched in Istanbul during the second Business Leaders Summit, held under the theme "The Great Convergence" on the sidelines of the 42nd session of the COMCEC Standing Committee. The European chapter is supported by the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), and an initiative office is hoped to open soon at TOBB headquarters in Brussels.
Timeline
2025: B57+ initiative launched under the direct supervision of Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz.
November 2026: Second Business Leaders Summit held in Istanbul.
In the coming weeks: European chapter's first activities begin in Brussels.
Religion Connections
The B57+ initiative draws on the 57-member structure of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, extending that membership network toward Europe. The European chapter represents a new outward expansion of the chamber's year-round business platform.
Businesses in OIC member states and European firms may find a new channel for commercial contact through the chapter's Brussels activities. The chapter also supports a commercial dispute resolution week that offers mediation and arbitration for business disagreements.
The takeaway
Business networks that link Muslim-majority economies with Europe are expanding beyond annual summits into year-round collaboration. Companies working across these markets may benefit from tracking the B57+ platforms as they develop.
What happens next
The European chapter's first activities are set to begin in Brussels in the coming weeks, and an initiative office is hoped to open soon at TOBB headquarters there.
Further reading
Explore more on Islam, the religious tradition shaping many of the OIC member states involved in this business initiative.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Ajel.
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