IsDB Institute Expands Global Partnerships at Baku Meetings

IsDBI held discussions with officials from Tajikistan, Libya, Maldives, Türkiye, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone on ways to expand and strengthen their Islamic finance sectors.

The Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) strengthened its international partnerships through a series of high-level bilateral meetings held alongside the 2026 IsDB Group Annual Meetings in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The discussions brought together government representatives, financial regulators, development agencies, academic institutions, multilateral organizations and private-sector leaders. The engagements reflected growing interest in using Islamic economics and finance as a tool to support sustainable development, economic transformation and financial inclusion across member countries and emerging markets.

A broad range of topics featured in the meetings, including Islamic finance ecosystem development, regulatory reforms, sukuk markets, fintech, sustainable finance, digital transformation, Islamic social finance and capacity-building initiatives.

Countries seek support to strengthen Islamic finance ecosystems

IsDBI held discussions with officials from Tajikistan, Libya, Maldives, Türkiye, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone on ways to expand and strengthen their Islamic finance sectors. The conversations focused on technical assistance, regulatory improvements and institutional capacity development aimed at creating more effective financial ecosystems.

The institute also engaged with leading international organisations and standard-setting bodies such as the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB), the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), the Eurasian Development Bank and the Islamic Microfinance Development Fund.

These meetings explored opportunities for joint research, standards development, professional training and collaborative projects designed to increase the reach and effectiveness of Islamic finance in addressing development challenges.

Innovation, digital finance and research partnerships gain momentum

Several discussions centred on emerging technologies and innovative financing models. Talks with Rosatom State Corporation examined sustainable financing structures and the potential use of sukuk instruments for future projects. Meetings with Islamic Money Australia focused on digital Islamic banking models, while discussions with INCEIF University explored research collaboration in areas such as Islamic social finance data and waqf tokenisation.

The institute also explored partnerships with organisations from Brazil, Palestine, Somalia, Senegal and Djibouti, along with private-sector stakeholders. These engagements focused on expanding knowledge-sharing initiatives, developing blended Islamic finance solutions, supporting cash waqf digitalisation projects and advancing investment-related research.

According to IsDBI Acting Director General Dr. Sami Al-Suwailem and his team, the discussions highlighted increasing global interest in leveraging Islamic economics and finance to address modern development needs while creating opportunities for inclusive growth.

The meetings generated a pipeline of future initiatives, including technical assistance programmes, policy advisory services, research collaborations and capacity-building activities. IsDBI said the annual meetings provided an important platform for strengthening existing relationships, building new partnerships and advancing innovative development-focused Islamic finance solutions worldwide.