Organized under the theme “Reviving Waqf for Community Empowerment: Building Strong Waqf Foundations through Strategic Management, Good Governance and Sustainable Investment,” the conference provided a high-level platform to explore how waqf can be revitalized as a heritage institution and transformed into a modern driver of socio-economic development.

The three-day programme convened ministers and lawmakers, waqf founders and managers, diplomats, imams, legal practitioners, non-governmental organizations, community leaders, academics, youth representatives and members of the wider Muslim community. In addition to Mauritius, participants from Comoros, Madagascar, Malaysia, Singapore, Maldives, Mozambique, Reunion, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania and the United Kingdom attended the conference.

Participants examined the foundational principles of waqf, governance models, asset development strategies, investment approaches, practical solutions and examples, legal documentation and the role of waqf institutions in promoting transparency, accountability and long-term social impact.

The conference opened with a welcome address from AMF Chairman, Dr. Najmul Hussein Rassool, and speeches by the Honourable Muhammad Reza Cassam Uteem, Minister of Labour and Industrial Relations, and  the Honourable Shakeel Ahmed Yousuf Abdul Razack Mohamed, Minister of Housing and Lands.

This was followed by a keynote address by Mr. Yahya Aleem ur Rehman, Head of Knowledge Leaders, IsDBI, on “Reviving Waqf: Unlocking a Heritage Asset for Impactful Socio-Economic Development.” Sessions over the first two days covered the history and principles of waqf, the state of waqf in Mauritius, governance and accountability models, sustainable structuring of waqf assets, and international experiences from Southeast Asia, Europe and Africa.

The programme also featured a panel discussion on the Waqf Act 1941 and a dedicated session on the financing of waqf projects by IsDB’s Awqaf Properties Investment Fund (APIF) led by Dr. Mohamed Ali Chatti and Dr. Hassan Mahfooz. These discussions highlighted the importance of enabling legal frameworks, sound fiduciary oversight, strong documentation, professional asset management and innovative financing in advancing the waqf sector.

The final day was dedicated to a capacity-building workshop on “Strengthening Waqf Leadership: Capacity Building for Waqf Managers (Mutawallis) and Legal Practitioners.” The workshop focused on practical training in waqf development, management and operations, as well as the drafting of waqfnama, or waqf deeds, in line with Shari’ah requirements and the Mauritian legal context. The capacity building was delivered by experts from various jurisdictions including Mr. Aboubacar Salihou Kante from the IsDB Institute.

Experts from IsDBI, APIF and international partner institutions shared practical insights on the roles of waqif, mutawalli, beneficiaries and regulators; waqf development strategies and best practices; the design of waqf development plans; and the essential elements of a waqf deed. The training reinforced the need for clear governance structures, robust investment policies, risk management, compliance, monitoring and reporting mechanisms, and the effective use of technology in waqf administration.

The participation by IsDBI and APIF representatives in the conference underscored the IsDB Group’s commitment to supporting member countries and Muslim communities in strengthening Islamic social finance institutions, promoting knowledge-based solutions, and helping unlock the developmental potential of waqf. The Institute’s contribution reflected its broader mandate to advance capacity development, applied research and knowledge sharing in Islamic economics and finance.

IsDBI commends the Awqaf (Mauritius) Foundation for organizing the conference and for its efforts to raise awareness, build institutional capacity and encourage community engagement around waqf in Mauritius. The Institute also acknowledges the contributions of speakers and experts from Mauritius, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Türkiye and the United Kingdom, whose participation enriched the exchange of experiences and practical solutions.

Purpose-built for data centre interconnectivity on a resilient network with direct access to Gauteng’s key data centre hubs, this provides customers with fast, high-capacity bandwidth and secure, carrier-grade performance, supporting the levels of uptime required in today’s data-driven environments.

“As enterprises accelerate cloud adoption, AI deployment, and data-intensive workloads, they need dependable, scalable connectivity within trusted local data centres. By partnering with Oni-Tel, we’re giving our customers access to enhanced fibre infrastructure that supports their growth and innovation, while maintaining secure, enterprise-grade environments for businesses navigating South Africa’s digital economy,” said Adil El Youssefi, CEO of Africa Data Centres.

For Africa Data Centres, which operates the continent’s largest interconnected, vendor- and cloud-neutral data centre platform, the collaboration strengthens its service portfolio by enhancing performance and expanding connectivity options within its facilities. Customers gain greater interconnection choice, high-availability architecture, seamless bandwidth, and the ability to scale efficiently as their infrastructure requirements grow.

“Our partnership with Africa Data Centres enables us to deliver our premium fibre interconnection solution into some of the most strategically important data centre hubs in Gauteng. Through Infinity, customers benefit from ultra-low latency connectivity, scalable capacity, and secure, carrier-grade infrastructure designed to keep their businesses ahead in an extremely competitive digital landscape,” said Ellisha Gobind, Chief Commercial Officer at Oni-Tel.

Africa Data Centres’ facilities across the continent serve as key interconnection hubs, supporting enterprises, cloud service providers, financial institutions, mobile network operators, fixed network operators, and other users. Oni-Tel’s dark fibre solution further expands the range of carrier-neutral options available to Gauteng customers, enabling improved network speed and performance.

As demand for secure, high-performance digital infrastructure continues to rise, Africa Data Centres remains focused on building a robust, interconnected ecosystem that supports enterprise innovation and long-term growth across South Africa and the wider region.

Available globally from 08th April 2026 on Amazon Kindle and Paperback, Freedom of Money traces CZ’s journey from his early life and unconventional path into technology through the founding and rapid growth of Binance during a period when the cryptocurrency industry was expanding at unprecedented speed.

Part memoir and part reflection on the evolution of digital assets, the book offers readers a builder’s perspective on what it was like to grow a global platform in a new industry where the rules were still being written.

“While many people congratulated me on being number one, something else gave me more satisfaction,” CZ writes in the book. “I was getting messages from users all around the world thanking us for providing them with financial access or even financial freedom.”

The memoir also reflects on the challenges that came with building at such speed, including the pressures of scaling a global company, regulatory scrutiny as the industry matured, and CZ’s personal experience serving a four month sentence in a U.S. federal prison.

“This memoir is not a sanitized corporate story,” CZ said. “It reflects on what it was like to build during a time when the crypto industry was still taking shape – the successes, the mistakes, and the lessons that came from both.”

Alongside the events that defined CZ’s career, Freedom of Money explores broader themes of money, technology and responsibility, and how his views on financial freedom have evolved over time.

Reflecting on a Defining Period in Crypto

Over the past decade, Binance has played a significant role in the growth of the digital asset ecosystem, helping support the development of infrastructure used by millions of users globally.

Freedom of Money provides CZ’s personal perspective on that period of rapid innovation and expansion in the cryptocurrency industry.

Richard Teng, Co-CEO of Binance, said: “The story of Binance is closely tied to the early evolution of the crypto industry. Freedom of Money offers a founder’s perspective on the challenges and opportunities that shaped digital assets during their formative years.”

Yi He, Co-Ceo of Binance, added: “The early days of crypto were fast-moving and full of possibility, even if not always fully understood. This book captures the energy of building in that moment and the incredible progress the industry has made since.”

Rachel Conlan, Chief Marketing Officer at Binance, said: “For many people, the story of crypto has been told through headlines and market cycles. What this book offers is a first person account from someone who helped build the infrastructure behind the industry’s growth.

Availability

• Freedom of Money (https://apo-opa.co/4muGafd) is available globally 08 April 2026 on Amazon Kindle and Paperback.
• The book is published in English and Chinese, with additional translations under consideration.
• All proceeds from CZ’s authorship of the book will be donated to charity