The Fourth Meeting of the ICRIC Board of Directors
Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
16 February 2026
The fourth meeting of the Board of Directors of the Islamic Chamber Research and Information Center (ICRIC) was held on 16 February 2026, in Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, concurrently with the 41st General Assembly Meeting of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (ICCD).
The meeting was attended by Mr. Samad Hassanzadeh, Chairman of the ICRIC Board of Directors; Dr. Khalawi, Secretary General of the Islamic Chamber; Dr. Karbasi, Director General of ICRIC; as well as Iranian and international board members representing Türkiye, Egypt, and Benin.
During the session, progress reports on ICRIC’s ongoing projects were presented, including the Islamic Countries Corporate Rating System (IC-CRS), the Islamic Countries Tourism Chain (ICTC), the Network of Small and Medium-sized Agencies (ONSA), the Islamic Countries Trade Directory (IWTD), ongoing research projects, and the proposed roadmap for the Center’s activities in 2026.
At the opening of the meeting, the President of Iran Chamber welcomed the ICRIC board members and participants, expressing appreciation to the Secretary General of the Islamic Chamber and the Chamber’s Secretariat for organizing and coordinating the meetings. He emphasized the vital role of ICRIC as a knowledge and intellectual hub aimed at strengthening economic cooperation among Islamic countries. Mr. Hassanzadeh also commended the Director General of ICRIC and the Secretariat team, stating that continued close cooperation among the Islamic Chamber, ICRIC, and the Iran Chamber of Commerce could significantly enhance the economic standing of Islamic countries in the global economy and deliver tangible benefits to the private sector.
Subsequently, the Director General of ICRIC presented a report on the Center’s activities covering the period from October 2024 to February 2026.
Regarding the IC-CRS and MEC-Awards project, it was agreed that following Iran’s selection as the pilot country for the ranting initiative, the next phase would extend to the GCC Countries. Additionally, the Muslims ESG Award project will commence operations.
Concerning ICTC project, updates were provided on the completion progress of three information segments on the ICRIC website, covering travel agencies, tourist attractions, and tourism regulations of Islamic countries. In the field of health tourism, information related to Iran HTP and HICOIC was introduced, and member countries were invited to cooperate by providing relevant data and participating in each country’s Health Tourism Program through their respective chambers of commerce.
Progress updates were also presented regarding the completion of information on the website for the ONSA and IWTD.
Brief explanations were also provided on ICRIC’s research projects, including “Green Financing Methodologies” and “Alcohol and Alcoholic Products: Classification and Jurisprudential Analysis,” the printed English editions of which were distributed among participants.
The meeting further reviewed plans for a virtual workshop entitled “The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Shaping the Future Economy,” scheduled for winter 2026 in cooperation with the Iran Chamber Research and Training Center and the ICCD Academy. The workshop aims to examine the impact of emerging technologies on future economic and trade developments and private sector activities in Islamic countries.
The proposed ICRIC Workplan for 2026 was also presented, focusing on four main pillars: enhancing engagement with member countries, strengthening research and knowledge production, advancing digital transformation and brand revitalization, and expanding training and capacity-building programs.
Under this framework, ICRIC seeks to reinforce its position as a leading economic research and information hub among OIC member countries while facilitating knowledge exchange among chambers and improving private sector access to economic information through digital platforms, thereby contributing more effectively to economic cooperation.
Another topic discussed was the update of ICRIC’s visual identity as part of ICCD’s brand revitalization program, during which the new ICRIC logo design received approval from the board members.
Participants expressed appreciation for ICRIC’s efforts in implementing the objectives and resolutions of previous meetings.
At the conclusion of the session, it was agreed that the next meeting of the ICRIC Board of Directors would be held concurrently with the next Islamic Chamber meeting.