D-8 group looks to Malaysia’s industrial success as model for economic integration

The D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation is seeking to turn Malaysia’s industrial success into a blueprint for deeper economic integration among its nine member states.

The organization brought together more than 70 government officials, business representatives and experts for a webinar on August 27, organized in cooperation with Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), as Turkish media reported.

The D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, also known as Developing-8, is an economic cooperation group comprising Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Türkiye, which Baku formally joined in 2025. The organization was formally established through the Istanbul Declaration of the Summit of Heads of State and Government on June 15, 1997.

The nine D-8 economies have a combined gross domestic product of more than $5.19 trillion and merchandise exports worth around $1.09 trillion.

Pakistani diplomat Sohail Mahmood, who previously served as the country's foreign secretary, is currently Secretary General of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, whose secretariat is based in Istanbul, Türkiye.

During the online gathering, titled “Leveraging Malaysia’s Industrial Experience for D-8 Cooperation,” officials called for stronger investment, technology and manufacturing partnerships as the bloc seeks to increase intra-D-8 trade to $500 billion by 2030.

Mahmood said deeper integration between member states’ markets, production capabilities, technologies and investment opportunities would be essential to achieving the bloc’s $500 billion intra-D-8 trade target by the end of the decade.

He identified technology and industrial transformation, investment and value-chain integration, as well as youth and skills development, as key priorities as member economies adapt to changing global supply chains, the green transition and rapid technological development.

Mahmood called for joint industrial and investment projects in priority sectors, greater technology and knowledge transfers, and stronger links between companies, small and medium-sized enterprises, research institutions and investors.

He also urged member states to make greater use of existing D-8 platforms for research, technology and business cooperation while advancing plans for a dedicated platform for cooperation in the halal economy.

The discussions also focused on artificial intelligence, smart manufacturing, digitalization and green technologies, as well as strengthening links between industry and research institutions and increasing SME participation in regional and global value chains.

By Nazrin Sadigova