The event comes after last month’s Kuala Lumpur Summit, a gathering of international leaders mooted by Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad that was attended by prominent delegates from Iran, Turkey and Qatar but snubbed by Saudi Arabia and its close ally Pakistan, and which is seen to have cast Malaysia into the forefront of the Islamic civilizational discourse.
The IUDC is jointly organized by three organizations, namely the US-based International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), Muslims Professional Forum (MPF) and Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement, better known by its Malay acronym, Abim.
According to the Malay Mail daily, the UIDC is scheduled to be held on January 8 at the Sime Darby Convention Centre in Bukit Kiara from 8.30am to 2pm.