New Guide Highlights Rising Role of IFCs in Islamic Finance

The Islamic Finance News (IFN) Annual Guide 2026 highlights the expanding role of international financial centres (IFCs) in supporting the growth and sophistication of global Islamic finance.

In this year’s edition, our Director for the Middle East, Africa and India, Faizal Bhana, reflects on how IFCs have evolved into well regulated, innovation driven hubs that enable Shari’a compliant markets to scale with confidence.

The report notes that 2025 marked a year of strong momentum for the sector, including rising institutional appetite for Shari’a compliant products, growth in sustainability linked and green Sukuk, and increasingly sophisticated fund solutions for family offices and sovereign investors.

Meanwhile, Jersey also advanced its digital capabilities, supported by new guidance on tokenisation, positioning the jurisdiction to facilitate emerging forms of Islamic financial products.

Looking ahead to 2026, Faizal Bhana identifies three trends set to shape the industry: greater institutionalisation and governance expectations;, the continued convergence of Islamic and conventional product features;, and the acceleration of digital transformation through tokenisation and programmable finance.

With regulatory strength, cross‑border efficiency and growing digital readiness, IFCs such as Jersey are well placed to act as global centres of excellence for Shariah‑compliant capital.

The full IFN Annual Guide 2026 is available here.