Thursday, 24th April 2025

The Riphah Centre of Islamic Business (RCIB) successfully held the 7th International Conference on Islamic Business (ICIB-2025) at the Pearl Continental Hotel Rawalpindi, under the theme: “Harnessing Technology with Ethical Governance: An Islamic Perspective on Fairness, Justice, and Equity in the Digital Age.”

The event brought together over 240 participants, including scholars, regulators, and professionals from across the globe. Key speakers included Prof. Dr. M. Kabir Hassan (USA), Mr. Saleem Ullah (SBP), Mr. Zeeshan Rehman Khattak (SECP), and Mufti Zubair Usmani (HBL). They emphasized aligning digital innovation with Islamic ethics to build a fair and inclusive financial system.

Seventeen research papers were presented from countries including Pakistan, India, Türkiye, and Malaysia. A pre-conference workshop explored full conversion to Islamic banking by 2028, featuring Meezan Bank’s case study on HSBC’s transition.

Key recommendations from the conference included:

• Promoting a riba-free economy through equity-based finance
• Expanding Islamic social finance tools like Zakat, Waqf, and Qard-e-Hasan
• Ensuring Shariah-compliant digitalisation and ethical fintech innovation
• Strengthening regulatory collaboration between SBP and SECP
• Advancing green and sustainable finance within an Islamic framework

The conference concluded with a unified call for building a just, ethical, and resilient financial system rooted in Islamic principles.