The scientific symposium on “Cryptocurrencies”, which is being held by the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) in Jeddah in cooperation and partnership with the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities in the Emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, kicked off on Monday 03 of Rabi` al-Thani 1443H corresponding to November 08, 2021G.

The event was opened by His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid, President of the Academy, Adviser to the Royal Court, member of the Council of Senior Scholars, imam and khatib of the Grand Mosque, who welcomed the honorable guests, highly appreciating their participation in attendance in a one of the Academy’s scientific conferences. He stressed that the topic of the symposium is one of the contemporary financial calamities that require a collective diligence in which Shariah scholars collaborate with economists in order to clarify the appropriate shariah ruling for it. He also stressed that the topic of the symposium is one of the issues of Ijtihad in which scholars and experts should strive in order to answer the questions of Muslims around the world regarding cryptocurrencies. His Excellency also extended his thanks and appreciation to the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities in Dubai, for their cooperation with the Academy in organizing this symposium.

Then His Excellency the Secretary General of the Academy, Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, gave the introductory speech for the opening ceremony, where he expressed his sincere thanks to the Headquarters State, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for the continuous support and for the great facilities it provides to the Academy to carry out its activities in an easy and smooth manner. He also expressed his thanks and appreciation to His Excellency the Secretary General of the OIC, Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, for his continuous support for all the activities and programs of the Academy, and praised the special care and great interest that the Academy enjoys from the President of the Academy, His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid. He also expressed his great appreciation for the strategic partnership with the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities in Dubai. His Excellency then welcomed the honorable guests of the Academy, noting the distinguished qualitative attendance of this symposium, in which many scholars participated with important research papers, studying the issue of cryptocurrencies from a shariah and economic point of view. His Excellency expressed his confidence that the scholars and researchers participating in this symposium will reach conclusions and resolutions that will benefit those who work in this field and contribute to the development of Islamic financial and banking sector.

This was followed by the speech of His Excellency Dr. Hamad Sheikh Ahmed Al Shaibani, Director General of the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities in the Emirate of Dubai, who praised the excellent organization of the symposium and the valuable contributions of scholars and researchers in its work. His Excellency added that the department relies a lot on its strategic partnership with the Academy in order to benefit from the scientific capacities and global research competencies that the Academy abounds from all over the world, and that it is looking forward to more cooperation and coordination with the Academy to organize many seminars on other topics of interest to both parties and of benefit to Muslims inside and outside the organization’s member states.

It should be noted that fifteen distinguished papers were presented for discussion and debate during the work of this symposium, in which a group of prominent Saudi university professors, Shariah and economics scholars in the Muslim world participated, including His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Al-Khalayleh, Minister of Endowments, Religious Affairs and Holy Places in Jordan, His Excellency Dr. Fayadh Abd Al-Moneim Hassanein, the former Egyptian Minister of Finance, Dr. Ahmed Abdel-Aziz Al-Haddad, Senior Mufti and Director of the Ifta Department at the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Mahmoud from Bahrain, Prof. Abdul Ghaffar Al-Sharif from Kuwait, Dr. Abdul-Bari Mishaal, Prof. Munther Qahf, Prof. Muhammad Akram Lal Al-Din from Malaysia, Dr. Burhan Arabona from Bahrain, Dr. Khawla Al-Nubani from Jordan, Dr. Mayada Al-Hassan from Syria, Dr. Majid Al-Kindi from the Sultanate of Oman, Dr. Muhammad Ayada Al-Kubaisi from Iraq, Dr. Mutlaq Al-Jasser from Kuwait, Dr. Mahdi Belwafi from Algeria, Dr. Muhammad Al-Bashari, Secretary General of the World Muslim Communities Council, Mr. Hassan Al-Marzouki from the United Arab Emirates, and Dr. Moataz Abu Jaib from Syria and other internationally distinguished and prominent scholars and researchers.