Vision

Formulating a comprehensive, clear-cut strategy to activate and revive the Building Contractors Federation in Islamic Countries, so that it can exercise its desired role as one of the major Islamic professional federations under the umbrella of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and under the auspices of the Islamic Development Bank, which is concerned with the most important Islamic economic sector, which is the contracting sector, the pillar of growth and development, and is entrusted with developing and strengthening this sector, advancing those in charge of it, and leading sustainable economic and social development processes in Islamic countries, especially in the current stage that is witnessing rapid global developments, major political and economic changes, the emergence of the phenomena of globalization, GATT, the market economy, digital technological transformations, climate and environmental challenges, and in light of the blocs. Giant economies and regional blocs, in addition to the emerging challenges resulting from the Corona virus pandemic and its effects

Discussing many issues related to resurrecting and reviving the role of the Federation, and working to put it on the right path. It was also recommended at the meeting to form a committee to develop a vision for developing the Federation’s work, headed by It is harsh on all economic sectors in all countries of the world, and at the heart of it is the contracting sector.

This paper also sheds light on the obstacles and solutions, the goals and means of achieving the goals, the advantages of activation, and the necessary recommendations to crystallize the vision and turn it into a tangible reality, the implementation axes, the time frame for implementation, and the responsibility for implementation and follow-up, through strategic axes that take into account the Federation’s objectives and internal systems.

Reference frame

The proposal to prepare this vision comes within the framework of working to implement the recommendation of the Federation meeting that was held in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, in 2012, during which many issues related to resurrecting and reviving the role of the Federation were discussed, and working on its development by Mr. Abu Bakr Idris, Vice President of the Federation, and the membership of Mr. Ziad Istanbouli from Syria, Mr. Abdelhak Laaraichi from Morocco, Mr. Omar Sow from Senegal, and Mr. Salti Al-Zoubi from Jorda.

The goal

The vision seeks to establish practical mechanisms and provide an organizational climate to activate and strengthen the role of the Federation of Islamic Countries Contractors, by knowing the challenges that hinder the desired activation and ways to overcome them, and the factors that have hindered the progress of its work at the present time and which should be corrected with the current reality and future expectations, and translating solutions. The recommendations turn into short- and long-term decisions and action plans, to reach future visions and directions that enhance the role of the Federation and achieve its goals and objectives for which it was established.

The vision also aims to review the structural and organizational structure of the federation, and work to improve and develop it, as it was recommended at the last meeting of the General Assembly in Khartoum in the year 2012 on the necessity of reviewing and amending the federation’s bylaws and setting regulations governing its work.

Historical context

The Islamic Countries Contractors Federation was established in 1991 in the Kingdom of Morocco, with the aim of enabling national contracting companies to implement development projects in member states in general through cooperation, integration and coordination with the Islamic Development Bank. The number of participants in the founding meeting reached 135 contracting companies from 20 Islamic countries. The federation currently includes about 250 members from 23 out of 56 Islamic countries.

The Federation was recognized as an organization operating within the framework of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, during the meetings of foreign ministers of Islamic countries held in its (33rd) session in the Republic of Azerbaijan in June 2006.

Then, several different sessions and meetings were held in a number of Islamic countries on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the Islamic Development Bank Group, including the general meeting (General Assembly). The last meeting was the one held in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, in 2012, and witnessed Sudan’s election to the presidency of the Federation against the backdrop of the end of the term. Mr. Hamed Jabr, who succeeded Mr. Al-Hajouji.

Since the date of this meeting, the Federation of Islamic Countries Contractors has been going through a period of hibernation, as no official meeting was held, and the atmosphere of the federation has been dominated from that time until today by disputes centered around the presidency of the federation and the headquarters of the federation, as the statute of the federation indicated that Morocco is the country of headquarters. While Jordan announced the transfer of the headquarters to it, which led to a dispute erupting over the matter, the members were divided between supporters of this and those who supported that, and the matter was not resolved, which caused the dispute to worsen and the federation’s activities to freeze.
Means of achieving the goal

We propose forming a small working group consisting of some members of the Federation who wish to participate, and a representative of both the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Islamic Development Bank, To serve as a joint technical committee concerned with reviewing the methodologies contained in this vision, reviewing them, amending and adding agreed-upon suggestions, and then crystallizing them into a tangible reality within specific time periods not exceeding six months from the date of the first meeting of the committee.

Some of the members of the committee must undertake communication and coordination with the corresponding institutions within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, in order to benefit from the capabilities of these institutions in developing the work of the Federation. Representatives of the contracting institutions that are members of the Federation will also be invited to attend a consultative meeting to implement and develop this vision, and the committee’s recommendations will be implemented according to their priorities and importance. It follows up and evaluates its results. It also evaluates the opinions and proposals received from members of Islamic countries for this purpose, with the importance of providing support and support from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Islamic Development Bank, and the joint Islamic groupings, to facilitate the work of implementing the committee’s axes and recommendations.

The Islamic Development Bank is requested to host the first preliminary meeting of the committee at its headquarters in Jeddah at the earliest appropriate date, taking into account the resort thereafter to virtual meetings whenever possible, in light of the outbreak of the Corona epidemic, and for the efficiency and speed of the outcomes of these meetings, and to reduce expenses.

The general frame

The Islamic world represents a unique and stimulating model for cooperation and joint integration among the countries belonging to it, due to the existence of common constants, values, traditions, goals and ambitions among them, in addition to historical civilizational ties, and the ability of the Islamic faith and culture to deepen and strengthen Islamic relations in all areas and fields, especially the economic field, This is in addition to the availability of a significant human force amounting to more than 1.6 billion people, representing a quarter of the world's population.

The Islamic world also extends over a very wide area that constitutes more than a quarter of the Earth’s area, and within this large area there is a diversity of climate, soil, water sources, energy from oil, gas and renewable energy, raw building materials and minerals, and many natural, human and material environmental resources, which... It can be sufficient if it is exploited well, in addition to the availability of the expertise and funds necessary to establish major development projects, and the vast market that Islamic countries enjoy, all of which represents an opportunity for the success of the required integration in the field of construction.

With the diversification of the products of Islamic countries and the increase in the volume of trade of Islamic countries to reach $2.8 trillion, representing 8.8% of international merchandise trade, many have called for the establishment of a joint Islamic market that meets the aspirations of the peoples of the region.

As the Islamic world moved towards unifying the vision and efforts of Islamic countries, it established many important and major political, economic, social and financial institutions and organizations that were established under the auspices of Islamic summit conferences, and are based on the basis of alliance and joint cooperation, and work in the field of political, economic and social development, perhaps the most important of which is the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. It is considered the umbrella organization for all institutions and bodies that are active in various fields, as it is the leading and supportive organization for efforts seeking to achieve Islamic aspirations. The organization has sought to establish and support efforts to establish many organizations, the most important of which is the Islamic Development Bank.

The Islamic Countries Contractors Federation is one of the organizations and institutions operating within the framework of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, forming a broad field for Islamic integration in the field of building, construction, and the contracting industry.

Therefore, the Islamic Countries Contractors Federation, as the largest gathering of professionals and companies working in the field of construction and project implementation, is based on tremendous opportunities to achieve the goals of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and its leading institutions such as the Islamic Development Bank, which aim to unify the word describing Islamic countries and to achieve economic development throughout the Islamic world 

Because Islamic countries face great challenges, the most serious of which are the phenomenon of globalization and the liberalization of international trade or the so-called market economy, as well as the internationalization of production and the increasing power of giant economic blocs, Islamic integration in the contracting industry is more than ever considered an inevitable necessity to strengthen economies and ensure reaching levels of economic growth. Better living, and enhancing the ability of contracting companies in Islamic countries to compete in global markets.

The role of the construction contracting sector

The construction sector with all its components (contracting - building materials industries - engineering consulting offices) receives great attention in all countries of the world, because of this sector’s vital role in establishing an infrastructure that keeps pace with the cultural and economic development of countries, and meeting the needs of citizens for housing, hospitals, and educational buildings. Roads, electricity, water, etc., and building infrastructure and industrial, commercial, residential, and agricultural buildings, which achieves social security for countries, in addition to eliminating the phenomenon of unemployment by employing large numbers of the workforce, absorbing huge capital investments, and providing basic support for developing national economies, stimulating growth, and operating... other economic sectors, and increasing the gross national product. It also plays a major role in achieving the goals of sustainable development and enhancing its concept, in addition to the fact that a large percentage of investment spending is allocated to building and construction operations. The latest economic report showed that the size of the global construction market will rise to 12.7 trillion dollars by Year 2022.

The construction sector in Islamic countries is one of the largest and most important sectors, which is concerned with creating an advanced industry, providing added value to building and construction materials in the various countries of the region, as well as revitalizing human resources and deepening the skills of workers in this sector.

Hundreds of billions of dollars are invested in it annually, due to the growing offering of major development projects. It also contributes to providing job opportunities for 30 percent of the workforce, as it uses organized and unorganized labor extensively. It also represents the main focus of the Islamic economy in terms of its size and contributions to the output. GDP, economic growth and infrastructure building,

 The expansion of the Islamic market, the diversity of human expertise and technical personnel, the magnitude of capital, the availability of raw materials and construction inputs, the multiplicity of technical and vocational training centers, universities and scientific research institutes, in addition to the availability of advanced means of communication, represent tremendous opportunities in the field of the contracting industry, which imposes the necessity of coordination. Partnerships are being formed between Islamic countries with the aim of implementing the needs of major development projects and infrastructure projects, and supporting sustainable development programs and plans, which can be achieved by activating the role of the Islamic Countries Contractors Federation, as a professional Islamic institution that aims to develop, strengthen and develop the contracting sector in Islamic countries by all means to achieve goals of growth, progress, and sustainable development.

Advantages of activating the role of the Islamic Countries Contractors Federation:

1. The Federation aims to develop programs and submit proposals that would raise the level of the contracting sector in member states.

2. Strengthening solidarity and cooperation between Islamic countries in the field of contracting, leading to positive results for the benefit of all.

3. The Federation contributes to supporting the efforts of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation institutions, especially those aimed at alleviating poverty, creating new job opportunities, and improving the level of provision of health and educational services.

4. Creating appropriate conditions to create fair competition between actors in the contracting sector in implementing economic activities.

5. Providing technical support and capacity building for member institutions of the Islamic Countries Contractors Federation.

6. Expanding the building and construction market, especially since the area of Islamic countries extends over four continents of the world.

7. Fully employing Islamic capabilities in sharing resources and benefiting from the advantages of each country.

8. Encouraging the building materials industries sector in Islamic countries, opening a wide scope for the sale of their products, and pushing them towards economic integration.

9. Providing joint investments to establish heavy equipment industries.

10. Exchanging information and data about proposed projects and future projects in Islamic countries.

11. Providing an Islamic mechanism to resolve disputes in construction and engineering contracts through the Federation's Arbitration Chamber.

12. Promoting construction projects and exchanging ideas about modern construction technology.

13. Enhancing regional cooperation and strengthening ties in the field of construction and contracting between Islamic countries, including programs and initiatives aimed at increasing investments and encouraging infrastructure development.

14. Facilitating the registration of expertise houses and consultants at various levels by moving between Islamic countries to implement major projects.

15. Supporting scientific research in the field of construction industry development, capacity building, and skills development.

16. Concluding bilateral and tripartite agreements and partnerships between federations and contracting companies in Islamic countries to promote good practices in the field of contracting.

17. Exchanging experiences in the field of contracting between Islamic countries to identify obstacles and confront various challenges.

18. Developing and developing the skills of workers in the sector according to the needs of the Islamic construction market and the requirements of development.

19. Paying the necessary attention to specialized studies, encouraging innovation in the field of building and construction, and raising the level of cooperation in the fields of technological research and development.

20. Encouraging cooperation to conclude agreements between organizations and federations concerned with contractors in Islamic countries.

21. Unifying classification standards to enable member states to achieve the greatest possible benefit from the economic advantages that can be gained from this unification.

22. Providing technical assistance and providing education and vocational training in member states that do not have advanced technical and vocational training centers.

23. Creating conglomerates between companies and contracting institutions, through new entities that have sufficient capacity to face the expansion and accelerating development volume.

24. Facilitating the process of comprehensive sustainable Islamic development and raising economic growth rates based on the internal capabilities of contracting companies and the availability of raw materials.

25. Increasing interconnection and connection between the economies of Islamic countries as a result of the connection and interconnection of the construction sector with various economic sectors.

26. The implementation of major projects by contractors in Islamic countries protects the economies of these countries and provides free currencies that used to go to foreign companies.

27. Playing the role of mediation between Islamic contracting companies and taking the initiative to settle disputes in disputes arising from contracting contracts of various types.

28. Developing the volume of building and construction labor exchange, opening business opportunities for it, and benefiting from technicians and skilled labor in a better and widespread manner.

Challenges facing the activation of the federation:

• Low member confidence in the capabilities of contractor organizations and federations currently existing in Islamic countries as a result of their decisions and outputs not being mandatory.

• The concept of collective action is still absent in the Islamic world as a result of weak confidence in joint action, and ignoring the importance of having alliances to confront the major Western alliances, especially the American and European ones.

• Some members fear the financial and administrative consequences of participating in the federation, such as annual subscription fees, periodic commitment to attending meetings, and implementing decisions.

• The members’ failure to pay their financial obligations to the federation has led to the lack of sufficient financial resources and funding necessary for the federation to carry out its activities and achieve its goals, in light of the high costs of travel, accommodation, and hosting for all participants.

• Failure to amend and develop the federation’s statute and internal regulations to keep pace with current developments in Islamic countries, communications developments, and technological modernization of the contracting industry.

• The communication network between the Islamic member states of the federation is still limited and needs further development, especially after the Corona crisis.

• Conflicts of interest among members and different justifications for non-participation negatively affect the activation and development of the federation.

• The federation’s achievements in the field of contracting during the previous period did not rise to the level of effective influence on those in charge of the sector in Islamic countries.

• The lack of clear incentives to participate and join the federation as a result of Islamic governments ignoring the federation, and the lack of interaction of decision-makers with the federation’s outputs.

• The lack of financing plans for the contracting sector in Islamic countries, which faces difficulties in obtaining long-term credit facilities from commercial banks.

• Weak integration and coordination between Islamic countries in various activities of the building and construction industry.

• Lack of sufficient knowledge of the federation’s goals and tasks, and knowledge of the expected benefits for the contracting industry if the federation’s role is activated.

• The absence of political and social stability, and the deterioration of security that some countries of the Islamic world suffer from.

• The multiplicity of governmental, union, and civil institutions and bodies supervising contractors in some Islamic countries leads to the complexity of the process of joining the federation until disputes are resolved and a single body responsible for the sector is determined.

• Islamic countries conflict between their geographical and regional affiliations and their political orientations regarding focus within a professional federation that includes Islamic countries.

Means of solution

1. Working to build confidence between business organizations in Islamic countries.

2. The Federation adopts the organization of conferences, workshops, and exhibitions specialized in building and construction and mobilizes participation in them, which encourages joining the Federation.

3. Achieving mutual benefit and gains from joining the Federation through governments' support and support for the Federation's objectives and implementing its decisions to create a strong incentive to join and participate in the Federation, thus increasing the Federation's intrinsic strength in various countries and enhancing its capabilities.

4. Granting preferential privileges and priority to contracting companies in member states of the Islamic Contractors Federation in projects proposed by governments and Islamic financial institutions.

5. Strengthening the Federation's own financial resources by providing a permanent mechanism to finance activities and events, whether through government donations or contributions from Islamic banks, in addition to the obligation to pay the contributions imposed on member states.

6. Benefiting from the successful experiences of organizations and federations that have achieved good results in their members' participation according to specific organizational methods and mechanisms.

7. Improving the structural and organizational structure of the Federation and reviewing and amending internal frameworks and regulations to help develop effective plans, programs, and mechanisms to implement its objectives.

8. Establishing an incentive framework for members of the Federation to participate permanently in exhibitions, conferences, and seminars held and organized by the Federation.

9. Formulating a new statute for the federation that is consistent with the requirements of the current reality and the developments that have occurred since the approval of the previous system, provided that the new system takes into account addressing the problems of lack of interaction on the part of members.

10. Facilitating membership conditions and allowing new members to join the federation.

11. Synchronizing the holding of the Federation's meetings with the meetings of the Islamic Development Bank to ensure effective attendance and provide the necessary support and support.

12. Activating communications plans with corresponding Islamic institutions and bodies.

13. Monitoring all previous federation decisions issued since the founding of the federation and knowing the obstacles that faced the implementation of some of them.

14. Assigning the working committee responsible for developing and activating the role of the Federation to prepare recommendations on the obstacles facing the implementation of the activation vision, propose formulas for overcoming them, and submit them to the Ministers of Housing, as well as the heads of government of Islamic countries.

15. The importance of media and awareness to clarify the basic purposes behind the establishment of the Contractors Federation in Islamic Countries and to highlight its core goals and ultimate goals.

16. Raising the current stipulated percentage that contracting companies benefit from in projects financed by the Islamic Development Bank in Islamic countries.

17. Representatives from the institutions and agencies affiliated with the Organization of the Islamic Conference join on an optional basis and are given the status of observer members of the Federation in order to activate the role of the Federation.

18. Coordinating in making decisions issued by the Federation among member states and creating official frameworks to facilitate their implementation.

19. Strengthening cooperation and coordination relations with the Organization of the Islamic Conference and its institutions concerned with achieving Islamic economic integration to meet the challenges facing the contracting sector.

20. Organizing lectures and forums that will serve member countries, enhance coordination between them, and achieve stable and continuous income sources for the Federation.

21. Granting the Federation the privilege of issuing accreditation certificates for contracting companies qualified to work outside their countries to motivate companies and countries to accelerate their joining the Federation.

22. Establishing an information base for building and construction across all Islamic countries within the Federation's headquarters, so that it includes all data and information about current and future projects within each country, laws and legislation related to building and construction, prices of raw materials and their availability, equipment, machinery, and labor wages, and the availability of information about sources of supply.

23. The commitment of all members of the Federation to actively participate in all meetings held by the Federation, and in the event that a member is unable to participate, they are allowed to delegate someone to represent them from those present to ensure the participation of all.

24. Establishing an independent administration within the Federation that provides all the various data and means of communication for the members of the Federation, so that it is responsible for conducting communications on a periodic basis and providing the members with everything new.

25. Expanding the base of common interests among members and opening channels of communication and cooperation with contractor groups in various parts of the world.

26. Improving the Federation's technical, organizational, and structural capabilities to enter the field of competition with counterpart institutions at the global level.

27. Islamic banks, especially the Islamic Development and Private Bank, contribute to the cost of travel and accommodation at the location where the Federation's general assemblies are held.

28. Developing a strategic vision for providing business opportunities available in Islamic countries and how to benefit from the proposed projects.

29. Examining the strengths and weaknesses of contracting and construction institutions in Islamic countries by requesting the Islamic Development Bank to implement the study on the contractingand construction sector in Islamic countries, which the bank approved in its meetings with the Federation of Islamic Countries.

30. Building effective communication programs between members by developing means of communication within the Federation as an organization and between it and member institutions in Islamic countries, including developing existing means, including reviewing and developing the Federation's website on the Internet.

31. Developing plans to build the capabilities of enterprise institutions and federations in Islamic countries, allowing them to participate in implementing projects in the Islamic space.

32. Not amending the clause contained in the current statute of the Federation, which allows active companies wishing to join the Federation to join.

33. Forming a preliminary committee at the Uzbekistan meetings to prepare for an assembly in Jeddah at the headquarters of the Islamic Bank to elect a new executive committee.

34. Vision implementation axes (recommendations)

35. Neutralizing the members of the Federation away from any political differences that may arise between Islamic countries, and considering that the primary goal of the Federation is to have a common ground for building Islamic integration in the field of the contracting industry and achieving the economic interests of Islamic countries and the aspirations of their people for renaissance, prosperity, progress, security, and stability.

36. Providing a mechanism for resolving problems and conflicting views that may occur during federation meetings, to avoid their aggravation.

37. Taking into account the harmonization of national economic legislation with the obligations contained in the objectives of the Federation, and providing a comprehensive overview of the process of unifying legislation related to the contracting sector.

38. Developing awareness of the importance of Islamic integration in the field of contracting, especially in front of international conglomerates and companies that acquire major projects.

39. Uniting the efforts of those in charge of the contracting sector in Islamic countries to confront the repercussions of the Corona virus and its devastating effects on the sector.

40. It is necessary to expand the participation of Federation members in managing meetings, positions, and committees emanating from the Federation, delegating powers, and exchanging roles and responsibilities among members, so that each country is given the opportunity to assume one of the important positions in the Federation.

41. Promoting a culture of participation, consensus, and collective decision-making on controversial issues.

42. Modifying the Federation’s strategies to produce an organizational environment that stimulates activation and achieving the desired institutional development.

43. The necessity of periodic follow-up on the implementation of all the Federation’s decisions aimed at activating Islamic cooperation in the field of building and construction in general and the contracting industry in particular.

44. Taking into account the new elements and variables affecting the current state of the Federation and its future development.

45. Settlement of existing disputes regarding the selection of the president of the federation and the headquarters country, and arriving at the most appropriate possible solutions to build bridges of trust and cooperation among members.

46. Organizing and coordinating the efforts of the members of the Activation and Development Committee, and providing means of continuous communication between them to make appropriate decisions in order to achieve the desired goals.

47. Creating a collective work environment by providing broader opportunities for all members to participate in decision-making issued by the Federation, and to contribute suggestions and visions, to instill a spirit of enthusiasm, activity, and motivation to participate in meetings.

48. Developing a framework to determine future policies and how to deal with the opportunities and challenges present in the Federation’s external environment.

49. Reviewing the goals that have been implemented since the inception of the Federation, to monitor the reasons for non-achievement, in preparation for setting new realistic goals if necessary.

50. Developing the Federation’s website, and creating pages on social media such as Facebook and Twitter, in addition to periodic bulletins, to exchange information and develop relationships with all members.

51. Providing a database of data and information within the Federation about the building and construction sector in each member state of the Federation that contains all the data on the laws and legislation related to the sector, labor wages, the prices of building materials and their availability, and future plans and projects proposed and being proposed, so that they can be referred to and given to whomever from the rest of them wants. Members.

52. The necessity of concerted efforts by members, governments, civil institutions, joint Islamic organizations, and the Islamic Development Bank to facilitate the Federation’s activities and achieve its goals of achieving a strong and advanced Islamic contracting industry locally and globally.

53. This vision must be mentioned in the reports of the governments of Islamic countries and in joint Islamic institutions.

54. Participation of members in reviewing the vision and the strategies emerging from it every period of time so that they can be developed to keep pace with the economic and political changes occurring in the world.

55. The necessity of strengthening federations, unions, and contractor organizations in Islamic countries and modifying their financial and technical infrastructure to enable them to achieve their goals.

56. Work by all means to increase the number of federations, unions and companies joining the federation.

57. Coordination between contractors in Islamic countries to implement projects implemented by the Islamic Development Bank.

58. Establishing regional funds to support, qualify and assist the contracting sector.

59. The constant and systematic endeavor to create major alliances to implement joint real estate investment projects that benefit the members of the Federation, achieve the aspirations of the Islamic peoples for adequate housing, meet future challenges, and contribute to the growth of the national economy.

60. Taking into account the economic, social, and political reality of Islamic countries when monitoring and addressing the challenges and obstacles that faced the establishment of the Federation.

61. Qualifying distinguished cadres of Muslim engineers to serve as components of comprehensive and balanced development and sustainable development in the Islamic world.

62. Deliberate on the formation of a preparatory committee for a comprehensive general assembly to elect a new board of directors for the federation and approve a new bylaw.

63. Maintaining the special clause in the previous statute, which allows companies and institutions operating in the field of contracting to join directly to the federation, and focusing on the companies that operate under the umbrella of the bank, especially the companies that have always been keen to attend the bank’s annual meetings and invite them to attend the bank’s annual meeting this year 2021, which is held in light of the challenges of the pandemic this year.

64. The Islamic Development Bank provides an umbrella to hold the meeting of the General Assembly to choose a new leadership for the federation to carry out the tasks that were set in the statute of the federation, including the promotion and development of contracting companies in Islamic countries.

65. Study all possible means to enhance economic and trade cooperation in the field of contracting between Islamic countries.

66. Reducing customs restrictions and regulations and facilitating the movement of labor and equipment, and the movement of capital and contractors between various Islamic countries.

67. Benefiting from the multiplicity of Islamic financing institutions, so that the Islamic contractor has a preferential percentage in projects financed by these institutions.

68. Establishing more partnerships and economic blocs, and consolidating the values of collective cooperation, which will consolidate and plan for the future.

69. Striving seriously to establish a unified Islamic system of specifications for building products and engineering codes, and studying the preparation of unified forms for contracts, general conditions for carrying out work, and a unified classification for contractors qualified to work outside their countries.

70. Establishing an Islamic chamber to arbitrate engineering contracts and resolve disputes amicably.

71. Contractors’ federations and unions in Islamic countries must be linked through a communication network and a unified information base that includes all data, studies, means of communication, and addresses of the headquarters of these federations.

72. Conclusion

It is clear from the above that the time has come to activate the Federation of Islamic Countries Contractors, to exercise its role as one of the most important driving tools for Islamic economic cooperation in the field of building and construction. It is qualified to be one of the pillars of the common Islamic market, and this can only be achieved by overcoming all obstacles and providing the necessary financial, organizational, administrative, and legal support to enable it to achieve its goals.

The primary goal is to expand cooperation and integration in the field of contracting among the members of the Federation, contribute to the development and growth of the competitive capabilities of national contracting companies, and enhance the skills of the human resources working in this field. Additionally, it aims to facilitate the access of Islamic countries' companies to Islamic markets and global opportunities, aligning them with the objectives of sustainable development in their respective countries. This will lead to progress, prosperity, and sophistication in the Islamic region, strengthen the commonalities between Islamic countries, expand complementary economies, and increase intra-trade in the services sector.

To achieve this vision, it requires the collective efforts of stakeholders in the contracting industry in Islamic countries, as well as the support of governments, organizations, and institutions under the umbrella of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The alignment of development goals and ambitions among Islamic countries facilitates the activation and development of frameworks and unions aimed at achieving these goals.

Furthermore, it is crucial to provide full support and assistance to the Federation from the Islamic Development Bank, as the sponsor and financier of projects and activities in countries and professional institutions working towards comprehensive and sustainable economic and social development in Islamic countries. This can be achieved by granting relative preference to contracting companies that are members of the Federation of Islamic Countries Contractors.