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The gathering, formally titled The United Arab Emirates’ Efforts in the Islamic Economy: Reality, Achievements and Future Prospects, will convene at the university campus in Sharjah while offering remote participation through Zoom, according to an announcement from Al Qasimia University. It will draw researchers, academics, experts and representatives from relevant institutions to assess national achievements and pinpoint avenues for sector expansion. AQU Chancellor Prof. Dr. Awad Al Khalaf said the conference reflects the university’s commitment to addressing contemporary national issues from academic and scientific perspectives while highlighting the UAE’s leading experiences in development, economics and innovation.
Al Khalaf noted that the UAE’s Islamic economy model combines strategic vision, legislative and regulatory frameworks, Sharia governance and financial innovation, strengthening the sector’s contribution to sustainable development. The event will explore six principal themes that range from the national strategic vision for the Islamic economy to Islamic finance, legislation and Sharia governance, awqaf and zakat, Islamic fintech and the digital economy, as well as education, academic research and specialized talent development. Discussions are also scheduled to review the Central Bank of the UAE’s role, innovation in Islamic financial products and services, digital transformation in zakat management, and the Sharia and regulatory aspects of emerging domains such as artificial intelligence, virtual assets and crowdfunding.
Academics, researchers, experts, postgraduate students, research centres, government and regulatory bodies, waqf and zakat institutions, Islamic banks, takaful and investment companies, and financial technology firms have been invited to submit research papers for the conference, the university said. Abstracts must arrive by September 30, 2026, with acceptance notifications issued on October 5, full papers due December 15 and final results announced on January 2, 2027. The forum is intended to create an international academic platform that documents and analyses the UAE’s experience while sharing its findings with institutions across the region and beyond.
The UAE Cabinet approved the National Strategy for Islamic Finance and the Halal Industry in 2025, setting targets of AED 2.56 trillion in Islamic banking assets and AED 660 billion in sukuk issuances by 2031, according to government announcements. Central Bank of the UAE data has shown Islamic banking assets more than doubling over the past decade, reinforcing the country’s status as a leading hub for Sharia-compliant finance within the GCC. A Mordor Intelligence assessment placed the global Islamic finance market at USD 5.10 trillion in 2026 and projected expansion at a compound annual growth rate of 10.7 percent to reach USD 8.46 trillion by 2031.
This momentum supports the UAE’s wider economic diversification drive, in which non-oil activities have accounted for a rising share of GDP in recent years, according to official economic reports. The conference will enable participants to exchange insights that can shape both policy and industry practice across the Islamic finance landscape. Al Qasimia University has organised 10 previous editions of the event, establishing a consistent forum for scholarly engagement with Islamic economic topics.
