Arab Daily

Recognition highlights the Bank’s Shariah-compliant platform across client segments and its sukuk structuring capability across growth markets

Standard Chartered has been named ‘Islamic Bank of the Year’ and awarded ‘Most Innovative Sukuk’ by The Banker, with the latter recognising the Bank’s role in ADNOC’s debut international sukuk issuance. The awards reflect the strength of the Bank’s Islamic banking platform across affluent, corporate and institutional clients, and its ability to deliver Shariah-compliant solutions across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

The awards highlight the Bank’s role in supporting clients across the full spectrum of Islamic finance, from everyday banking and wealth solutions to financing and capital markets. This includes facilitating the flow of capital between issuers and investors through its global network, providing efficient access to funding and liquidity. Within this, sukuk remains a core differentiator, where the Bank supports structures that extend beyond traditional formats, drawing on diversified liquidity pools and investor participation across multiple markets, enabling issuers to raise funding efficiently and on a repeat basis.

Commenting on the achievement, Khurram Hilal, CEO – Islamic Banking at Standard Chartered, said: “Islamic finance is evolving beyond single-market access. Affluent clients are increasingly investing globally, while corporates and institutions are raising capital through more diversified sources of liquidity.”

He added: “We support both by providing a single Shariah-compliant platform that enables access to opportunities and capital, with the consistency and execution required to operate across markets. That ability to deliver at scale while meeting both Shariah requirements and commercial objectives is what differentiates us.”

This growth in cross-border activity is reflected in the continued expansion of Islamic finance, which remains one of the fastest-growing segments of global finance, with total assets projected to grow by 36% to reach USD 7.5 trillion by 2028. Standard Chartered supports this growth, by enabling clients to access financing, investment and liquidity solutions across its network.

Central to this proposition is Standard Chartered’s robust Shariah governance framework, supported by a highly respected Shariah Supervisory Committee comprising internationally recognised scholars ensuring financial solutions meet the highest standards of Shariah-compliance, transparency and integrity. 

These awards demonstrate Standard Chartered’s ability to deliver Islamic finance solutions at scale, supported by its global network and cross-border execution capability.