Officials from eight major Muslim nations have begun four days of talks in Islamabad aimed at increasing economic ties.
Opening the meeting, Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said the Developing 8, or D-8, group of countries' share in global trade could reach $500 billion by 2018.
The presidents of Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, and Nigeria along with leaders of Bangladesh and Malaysia will participate in a one-day D-8 leadership summit in Islamabad on November 22.
A trade exhibit and a business forum are part of the meeting.
The heads of central banks of the D-8 states will also be deliberating on new ways of cooperation.
The D-8 was set up in 1997 to forge closer economic links between emerging economies in the Muslim world.
Based on reporting by dpa, BBC Urdu, and the Associated Press of Pakistan