Thousands of police will guard finance ministers and business leaders from the Islamic world who are gathering in Malaysia for a range of meetings this week, officials said Sunday.

A 2,800-strong police team will provide round-the-clock security for delegates to the annual meeting of governors of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Kuala Lumpur police chief Mustafa Abdullah told Bernama news agency.

"Ours is a double focus, to take care of delegates' safety and ensure Arab tourists coming to Malaysia are safe. We do not want any untoward incidents," he was quoted as saying.

Some 255 police will be deployed at the Putrajaya International Conference Centre in the country's administrative centre south of Kuala Lumpur, said its police operations base commandant Mohamad Khalil Kadir.

Maximun security

Police from the bomb squad, dog unit and riot units would ensure maximum security, he said.

Malaysia, the current chair of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), will host a range of meetings on business and finance and the information technology sector in the Islamic world, including a trade forum for the 57-nation OIC.

The annual meeting of the board of the IDB, the OIC's investment arm, will be the centrepiece.

The governors, mostly finance and economic ministers, are expected to approve a 10-year global plan to help members develop their Islamic financial service sectors when they meet on Thursday and Friday.

They will also launch a trade financing body with capital of US$3.0 billion to encourage commerce between members.