Within the framework of the Samarkand Islamic Finance Forum 2026, a high-level roundtable was held on regional cooperation in the development of Islamic finance in Central Asia.
Roundtable brought together high-level representatives of central banks, international standard-setting bodies, including the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) and AAOIFI, universities and Islamic finance experts from Malaysia, Pakistan and Türkiye.
Participants shared international experience in developing common standards, the cross-border offering of investment products and the establishment of joint working groups. They agreed that such platforms, joint workshops and the study of each other’s practices help build a practical understanding of the industry, whose development requires the involvement of all stakeholders: regulators, ministries, financial institutions and the academic community.
Participants emphasised that developing the sector requires sustained investment in professional education and research. Capacity-building efforts should extend beyond bankers and regulators to judges, lawyers, accountants and Shariah scholars, while universities and other educational institutions can help develop local expertise and support regional knowledge-sharing.
The discussion also highlighted the need to build public understanding of Islamic finance and create demand among both individuals and businesses. Participants shared examples of awareness and training programmes for young people and stressed that outreach should involve a broad range of stakeholders, including educational institutions and the business community.
In conclusion, the participants underlined the value of regular dialogue and expressed their readiness to continue joint work in this area.
