Mr Mohammad Nazir-Chair West Midlands Minority Business Forum Opportunities and Challenges for Re-branding Birmingham as a second city & a key European Centre in Islamic Business

Mr Mohammad Nazir-Chair West Midlands Minority Business Forum Does Birmingham Need Re-branding to attract Islamic Business?

Mr Mohammad Nazir-Chair West Midlands Minority Business Forum Facts UK’s first Halal Business Investment Funding Head Quarters of UK’s First stand alone Islamic Bank Head office of UK First Islamic Finance Consultancy Services and Marketing Services UK’s First Halal Food Standard European Halal Development Agency Expanding Legal services Big Islamic Finance Investment (this year alone £100m plus) UK’s First Qurbani Project UK’s First Islamic Business Development Consultancy

Mr Mohammad Nazir-Chair West Midlands Minority Business Forum Opportunities UK’s second largest Financial Centre UK’s leading manufacturing sector Leading IT, Fibre Optic Infrastructure Top Universities and Innovation Centres A responsive regional Development Agency and Regional Economic Strategy Highest number of business start-ups Birmingham Airport and big development plans UKTI (China, India, Middle East Trade Plans) – Islamic Finance and Halal Food being very important to it’s strategy Locate Birmingham Proactively promoting Birmingham’s asset for Islamic Finance Birmingham City’s Development Plan (to place Birmingham on the World Map, Islamic Finance????) Mega projects and developments A large Muslim Population (and growing) and higher propensity to starting business and self employment Islamic Business Centre Development at Aston Business School

Mr Mohammad Nazir-Chair West Midlands Minority Business Forum Challenges Skills and educational challenges Rising Centres-Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain, Malaysia, Morocco, Germany Other Cities gearing up-Manchester etc., Property for inward investment, relocations and growth Education Curriculum Development Legal, Accounting, Business Development Development of Islamic Business products which perceived by the market as 100% Halal Education of the Birmingham Population to understand Islamic Finance and Islamic Business Globalisation and Internet based Islamic finance and business services

Mr Mohammad Nazir-Chair West Midlands Minority Business Forum What do the TOP CEOs Say The top-three rated opportunities for contributing to growth in the industrial manufacturing sector are geographic expansion, penetration of existing markets and new product development. CEOs are looking to grow their business to meet demand in new markets and despite the downturn they are also looking out for suitable deal-making opportunities. CEOs will have to ensure they focus long-term risks like climate change, shrinking natural resources and the impact of demographic shifts on the talent pool. They recognise the need for new business models to address the challenges being faced currently. PWC Survey

Mr Mohammad Nazir-Chair West Midlands Minority Business Forum Rising to the challenge Islamic Business Development Forum

Mr Mohammad Nazir-Chair West Midlands Minority Business Forum Our Panel Mike Loftus Imran Pasha Mohammad Sheikh Farrukh Raza ………. And your questions to them ???????