The Sarajevo Business Forum will grow into a regional event this year, it was announced in Sarajevo yesterday as the conference was being presented by its organizers – Bosna Bank International and the Islamic Development Bank.

Their ambition is to turn this event, taking place this year from April 6 to 8, into "Davos of the SEE". We have defined a new concept for 2011, which sees Sarajevo as a channel for investments in other countries of the SEE, BBI’s chief executive Amer Bukvic said.

Furthermore, the conference will be expanded this year to include projects not only in the areas of energy, infrastructure, agriculture and tourism, but also the forest industry and education.

Last year, on April 6. and 7., Sarajevo successfully hosted a major International Investment Conference - ‘Sarajevo Business Forum’.

The Forum was organized by Bosna Bank International and its VIP Business Club and the Islamic Development Bank’s Business Forum THIQAH (IDB) in cooperation with their strategic partners Global Alliance for Partnership in International Development (GAPID) and the Bushnak Group.

Renown Consultancy firm PGlobal was commissioned to provide expert support with the organization of this important investment conference, and in particular with the training and preparation of projects in the period preceding the Conference.

Sarajevo Business Forum gathered more than 600 participants, ranging from international investors and bankers as well as local and regional representatives of business corporations, policy makers and regulatory agencies’ officials, from both private and public sectors. More than 170 journalists from among some 60 media and press organizations, local, regional and international, covered and directly reported from this prestigious investment conference.

175 business projects were presented to the investors in four areas of economy: energy, infrastructure, agriculture and tourism. The total value of these projects was estimated at 11.5 billion Euros, which is unprecedented event in the economic history of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Highest representatives from the political and economic life of Slovenia and Croatia, the two neighboring countries, presented their views and projects at the Sarajevo Business Forum, that is a testimony SBF is seriously regarded as a truly regional business event and a gateway for the future investment in South East Europe.

Investors from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Malaysia, Turkey, Libya, Oman, Bahrain, Jordan, Iran and many other countries participated at this conference.