LONDON 

Muslim Tech Fest, a rapidly growing technology event, kicked off on Saturday in London to highlight Muslim excellence in technology and encourage ethical, values-driven innovation.

Founded in 2023 by Arfah Farooq and Zahid Mahmood, the festival brings together entrepreneurs, developers, and investors from all over the world to network, share ideas, and challenge industry norms.

This year's Muslim Tech Fest, with Anadolu as its global media partner, opened its doors to over 1,500 international participants from 27 countries, including the UK, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the US, and Canada.

“This isn’t about diversity optics,” the organizers said. “It’s about real access.”  

'We need to go back to principles as Muslims'

Zahid Mahmood, co-founder of MTF, said the aim is to return to first principles in how technology is built.

"Faith and innovation aren't opposites; they've always gone hand in hand. What we need to do is go back to first principles as Muslims and see how it is that we build enterprise, technology, and innovation in a way that serves Allah," he said. 

"It’s not contradictory to what major tech companies are doing today—it's about putting the right philosophy and principles in place."

Mahmood also spoke about the importance of building technology that works for everyone, including people with disabilities or those using tech for the first time.

He said Islamic values encourage developers to think about who their work serves and impacts.

The event also featured difficult conversations, including discussions about the conflict in Gaza.

"We spend a lot of time and effort inviting those from conflict zones," Mahmood said.

"We have Gaza Sky Geeks' presence here today to share their stories… these are real human beings living a very difficult truth."

Last year, MTF hosted a Gaza Expo, and this year, despite challenges, Palestinian tech founders were still present through talks and startup showcases, he said.

"Technology alone is not going to save the world," Mahmood said. "But if this event can inspire someone to make a change, support a cause, or spread a message, then it’s been a success."