H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugurated The 3rd Turkish Arab Economic Forum (TAF'08), which took place at Ceylan Intercontinental Hotel Istanbul on the 12-13 June 2008 and was organized by Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal Group in cooperation with the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) and the League of Arab States.

The opening ceremony was attended by more than 700 participants headed by: Prime Minister of Qatar , H.E. Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassem Bin Jabr Al Thani, Prime Minister of Syria, H.E. Eng. Mohammad Naji Otri, Prime Minister of Palestine, H.E. Dr. Salem Fayyad, Prime Minister of Somalia, H.E. Nur Hassan Hussein, Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq, H.E. Barham Saleh and General Coordinator for the Arab Economic, Social, and Development Summit, The League of the Arab States H.E. Dr. Mervat Tallawy.