Baku, Azerbaijan, 16 June 2026: The Federation of Contractors from Islamic Countries (FOCIC) held its 5th General Assembly and Board of Directors meeting on the sidelines of the IsDB Group Annual Meetings in Baku, Azerbaijan. The event gathered representatives of construction federations from 24 IsDB Member Countries, reaffirming FOCIC’s role as a leading platform for promoting the contracting industry across the Islamic world.

During the Assembly, the Manager of the Project Procurement and Financial Management (PPFM) Division at the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) emphasised FOCIC’s vital role in supporting the implementation of national and IsDB-financed projects. He remarked that IsDB continues to back FOCIC’s strategic efforts to enable greater access for contractors from member countries to procurement opportunities financed by multilateral development banks.

In his speech, FOCIC President Engineer Zakariya bin Abdulrahman Al-Abdulqadir highlighted the Federation’s significant progress since its revitalisation in 2022 and reaffirmed its dedication to driving infrastructure-led development, strengthening institutional governance, and expanding cooperation across regions.

The General Assembly also marked an important milestone in FOCIC’s international recognition. The Federation was officially admitted as a member of the Confederation of International Contractors’ Associations (CICA), the world’s leading global organisation representing the construction industry. As part of this achievement, FOCIC has been awarded a Vice-Presidency position within CICA, while all FOCIC member federations have been accepted into the CICA membership framework. This development notably enhances the global profile of contractors from OIC countries and opens new pathways for knowledge exchange, advocacy, and access to international markets.

The Assembly also reviewed key priorities for the coming period, including accelerating the registration of FOCIC’s permanent headquarters in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; expanding technical capacity-building programmes for member federations; and deepening collaboration with IsDB and other multilateral development banks on procurement capacity and market access.

FOCIC remains dedicated to fostering business-to-business collaboration, promoting South-South cooperation in large-scale infrastructure and civil projects, and improving the competitiveness of contractors from IsDB Member Countries in regional and international markets. The Federation is also planning to launch a digital platform, in collaboration with the Islamic Federation of Chambers of Commerce, to further enhance business connectivity and partnership opportunities across member countries.