BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 31. The Islamic
Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) and Prince Mohammed Bin Salman
College of Business & Entrepreneurship (MBSC) celebrated the
graduation of the participants of the Strategic Business Leadership
Program, recognizing 30 leaders from 15 IsDB Member Countries and
Muslim communities.


Jointly developed by IsDBI and MBSC, the program combines
executive education with practical learning to help leaders
strengthen strategic execution, innovation, organizational
transformation, and sustainable value creation.


The Strategic Business Leadership Program benefited from the
support of three IsDB Group entities, namely the Islamic
Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit
(ICIEC), Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private
Sector (ICD), and International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation
(ITFC).


The graduation ceremony took place on 27 August 2026 at the IsDB
Headquarters in Jeddah. It brought together senior representatives
from the IsDB Group, MBSC, and program partners, along with the
graduating participants.


In his opening remarks, Dr. Sami Al-Suwailem, Acting Director
General of IsDB Institute, emphasized the importance of investing
in human capital, knowledge, and institutional capacity to help
Member Countries address emerging challenges and unlock new
opportunities. He thanked ICIEC, ICD, ITFC, MBSC and all the team
members who contributed to the success of the program.


The ceremony featured keynote remarks from Dr. Khalid
Khalafalla, CEO of ICIEC and Acting CEO of ICD, and Mr. Nazeem
Noordali, COO of ITFC, whose participation underscored the Group’s
commitment to strengthening private-sector development, trade,
investment, risk mitigation, and economic opportunity across IsDB
Member Countries.


Dr. Zeger Degraeve, Executive Dean of MBSC, reflected on the
partnership with IsDBI and commended the caliber of the graduating
cohort, emphasizing the importance of translating leadership
learning into tangible organizational and societal impact.







Dr. Muhammad Azam Roomi, Professor of Entrepreneurship at MBSC
and Faculty Director of the program, highlighted the practical
dimensions of the learning journey, including entrepreneurial
thinking, strategic decision-making, innovation, and opportunity
recognition and urged the participants to change lives.


Mr. Yahya Rehman, Head of IsDBI’s Knowledge Leaders Section,
highlighted the Institute’s role in developing human capital and
providing knowledge-based solutions that contribute to sustainable
economic advancement across IsDB Member Countries.


Two representatives of the graduating cohort, Mr. Hesham Ahmed
Suqail and Ms. Mahwish Naeem, also shared the participants’
perspective, reflecting on the program’s value, practical learning
experience, and opportunity for peer exchange across countries and
professional backgrounds. They expressed their gratitude to the
IsDBI and MBSC for the life changing experience and learning.


The ceremony concluded with the award of certificates and
recognition of program partners. The graduation marks the beginning
of the participants’ next stage of leadership, equipping them to
contribute to stronger organizations, more innovative businesses,
and greater economic and societal impact in their respective
countries.


The IsDBI–MBSC partnership provides a continuing platform for
developing leadership capabilities across the IsDB ecosystem and
empowering a new generation of leaders to translate knowledge into
action and learning into sustainable development outcomes.