From WhatsApp to Global Commerce: How GICTC and Connect Souq are Building a Global Muslim Business Network
Abdulla Hassan Thakur is an entrepreneur with a clear vision. As the founder and CEO of a venture capital fund and a globally recognized speaker on entrepreneurship, his professional background is deeply tied to business growth and innovation. But his latest venture, the Global Islamic Chamber of Trade & Commerce (GICTC), established in 2023, represents a different kind of ambition—a platform designed to connect Muslim entrepreneurs worldwide and foster collaboration under the guiding principles of Shariah.
The idea for GICTC emerged from Thakur’s experiences during his global travels. He noted the success of individual Muslims in various countries, yet also observed a fragmentation among them. Despite a shared faith and values, the collective strength of Muslim businesses seemed lacking. "We have common denominators among Muslims," he says. "We pray to one Allah, we believe in the Prophet, we believe in the same book." These commonalities, he realized, could serve as a foundation for something much larger: a global platform where Muslims could connect, collaborate, and conduct business.
GICTC began humbly as a WhatsApp group. Thakur chose WhatsApp due to its ubiquity—already the most widely used messaging platform globally, with users spanning family connections, business interactions, and casual conversations. Instead of launching an app or a website, Thakur opted for simplicity, creating groups where members could engage immediately. The approach worked. In a short time, GICTC expanded across 39 countries, with sector-specific groups spanning industries from fintech to Islamic finance and healthcare.
The growth of GICTC highlights its unique appeal. Today, it claims to be the largest Muslim professional network in the world. By leveraging WhatsApp’s accessibility, the platform allows Muslim entrepreneurs from diverse regions to exchange knowledge and pursue business opportunities together. This practical focus on daily interactions—across national and cultural boundaries—addresses a critical gap Thakur identified: Muslims often remain siloed within their local contexts, unaware of broader developments in the global Muslim business community.
Thakur’s entrepreneurial drive seems deeply rooted in his family history. His father, who left his village in India in 1945 and embarked on a journey through Burma, Singapore, Iran, and eventually Kuwait, seeking better opportunities, serves as his inspiration. "There is no bigger adventure than jumping on a ship and travelling to all these places in search of a livelihood," Thakur reflects. His father’s belief in helping others shaped GICTC’s motto: "Bringing Together for Each Other."
Connect Souq - Global B2B E-commerce Platform
As GICTC continues to build momentum, Thakur is already planning its next phase with the launch of Connect Souq, a global B2B e-commerce and professional networking platform. Scheduled to launch in November, Connect Souq aims to facilitate business partnerships across borders, enabling users to engage business partners worldwide to generate leads and close deals. The platform offers a unique structure: business owners appoint "business partners" who use their networks to drive sales, earning commissions based on successful deals.
Thakur sees Connect Souq as a bridge between established e-commerce platforms and professional networks. While GICTC focuses on Muslim entrepreneurs, Connect Souq will be open to anyone engaging in halal business. Its model, which Thakur describes as a combination of Alibaba and LinkedIn, is designed to create a global sales funnel that supports governments in boosting their export GDP. G-PAVILION, a feature within Connect Souq, will enable countries to connect their businesses with global sales networks, potentially unlocking new export opportunities.
One of the key advantages Thakur emphasizes is the immediate, built-in reach that Connect Souq will have from day one, thanks to GICTC’s established networks. Over the past year, GICTC has grown rapidly, forming chapters in 39 countries with industry-specific groups. This foundation is what differentiates Connect Souq from other B2B platforms that often struggle to scale in their early stages. "We have experience already," Thakur says, referring to GICTC’s year-long operation that allowed it to refine its processes and build a diverse, global user base.
The chapters established under GICTC aren’t merely symbolic; they represent a real, active network of entrepreneurs across various sectors, ranging from fintech and Islamic finance to healthcare and construction. Each chapter is organized into WhatsApp groups, tailored to specific countries and regions. This granular structure ensures that businesses not only connect globally but also stay deeply rooted in local realities, allowing for both international collaboration and local relevance. By tapping into these existing networks, Connect Souq can offer immediate access to a robust professional ecosystem, which is rare for most startups launching similar platforms.
"In terms of accessibility, no other platform had it, even before its launch," Thakur says, highlighting the importance of this pre-existing global footprint. For entrepreneurs and businesses joining Connect Souq, this means they won’t have to build relationships from scratch—they will enter a space where connections are already happening daily across industries and regions. This leapfrogs one of the biggest challenges in launching a new business or professional network: achieving critical mass.
Thakur believes this wide-reaching access will be a decisive factor in Connect Souq’s success. Other platforms often take years to reach a comparable level of engagement, while Connect Souq will be able to leverage the GICTC network from the outset, offering immediate value. This early advantage allows Connect Souq to focus on optimizing the platform’s functionality and user experience rather than expending resources on building its initial user base.
Thakur is confident that this early momentum, combined with GICTC’s established trust within the global Muslim business community, will set Connect Souq apart from previous attempts to create similar platforms. "We already have people on board who understand the value of community-driven business growth," he explains. This ready-made audience, coupled with GICTC’s proven track record in creating meaningful business interactions, offers Connect Souq a unique head start in the competitive B2B marketplace space.
For Thakur, the success of GICTC and the future of Connect Souq lie in focusing on efforts and leaving the results in Allah’s hands. His journey—from establishing GICTC to developing Connect Souq—reflects a long-term vision of building a global community that transcends national borders, bringing together businesses and entrepreneurs from across the Muslim world and beyond.
