RAKCSS Executive Director Dr. Ibrahim Akoum participated in the Workshop on Islamic Finance in the National Accounts organized by The Statistics Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the Statistics Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). Dr. Akoum is a member of the working group established by these UN organizations to examine this subject. The workshop brought together representatives from the national statistical offices and other organizations of countries where Islamic finance is important. It aimed to increase the capacity of participating countries on the statistical treatment of Islamic finance in the national accounts. The workshop addressed proposals on how to sectorize Islamic financial institutions, classify and record Islamic financial instruments and the corresponding property income and related transactions; and calculate and record the output of Islamic financial services. Participants shared country practices in the compilation of statistics on Islamic finance and the challenges and issues involved. The specific accomplishments of the workshop are:1. Increased knowledge of national statisticians and central bank experts, where relevant, of the differences between Islamic finance and conventional finance and the implications for the national accounts.2. Increased skills and knowledge of national statisticians and central bank experts, where relevant, in the statistical treatment of Islamic finance in the national accounts.3. Strengthened capacity within countries with Islamic finance to improve their compilation of national accounts data.https://www.unescwa.org/events/workshop-islamic-finance-national-accounts