Jakarta, 10 December 2025. The Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs, Prof. Dr. KH Nasaruddin Umar, MA., officially opened the 9th International Conference on Zakat (ICONZ) organized by BAZNAS RI together with UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, at the Jakarta Auditorium, Wednesday (10/12/2025).

The conference, themed “Zakat & Philanthropy: Beyond Technology – Designing a Global Transformation for Humanity and Shared Prosperity,” serves as a strategic forum to strengthen the role of zakat in global humanitarian missions and the improvement of welfare for the poor.

Zakat is our foundation. Faith-based philanthropy is our collective strength. Our mission today, at the 9th ICONZ, is to collectively design a new paradigm—an architecture that harmoniously integrates digital innovation with humanitarian values and universal spiritual responsibility.

Minister Nassarudin also hopes that ICONZ will produce concrete and strategic policy recommendations. “We need a practical roadmap that can guide policymakers and implementers to maximize the real impact on society,” he said. 

The 9th ICONZ strengthens Indonesia's position as a global center for zakat development. BAZNAS affirms its commitment to presenting zakat as a force for social and humanitarian change, both nationally and internationally.

The 9th ICONZ is a tangible commitment by BAZNAS RI to strengthen the role of zakat as a pillar of global humanity, while ensuring that the protection and empowerment of the poor remains at the forefront of every global zakat agenda.

This year's ICONZ featured speakers from various countries, reflecting the spirit of inclusive global collaboration. In addition to Indonesia, speakers came from Malaysia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Brunei Darussalam, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Jordan, the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Africa, including South Africa. 

The involvement of interfaith philanthropic institutions such as the Buddha Tzu Chi Foundation strengthens the forum's direction based on universal human values. This cross-faith and cross-border collaboration shows that the issues of the poor and humanitarian crises are a shared agenda that can be pursued collectively.

ICONZ, held on December 9-11, 2025, discussed strategic issues ranging from strengthening global zakat governance, integrating zakat and the state in social policy, digital zakat and AI innovation, to global philanthropy best practices in responding to poverty and humanitarian crises. 

The 9th ICONZ was held through a collaboration between BAZNAS RI, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, and received support from various parties such as PT Bank Syariah Indonesia, BSI Maslahat, Rumah Zakat, Transjakarta, INDEF, Tazkia University, Paramadina University, KNEKS, IAEI, and Indiana University.

Also present were: Chairman of BAZNAS RI Prof. Dr. KH. Noor Achmad, MA., Head of BAZNAS RI for Planning, Research, and Development Dr. Zainulbahar Noor SE, M.EC., Head of BAZNAS RI for Collection H. Rizaludin Kurniawan M.Si, CFRM., Director of Zakat and Waqf Empowerment (Ditzawa) of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Prof. Dr. Waryono Abdul Ghafur, Rector of UIN Jakarta Prof. Asep Saepudin Jahar, MA., Ph.D., Chairman of BAZNAS BAZIS DKI Jakarta Dr. Akhmad H. Abubakar, M.M., along with officials and academics. (Baznas RI)