Afghanistan International Bank

What Afghanistan International Bank does

Afghanistan International Bank (AIB) is a privately held Shariah-compliant bank headquartered on Airport Road in Kabul, founded in 2004 to deliver retail, corporate, and digital banking across Afghanistan. The bank serves individuals, SMEs, large corporates, NGOs/diplomatic missions, government entities, and a dedicated women's segment (Rana), operating through a physical branch network combined with consumer and wholesale divisions. Products are structured exclusively around Islamic finance principles — Qard (interest-free) current accounts, Mudarabah profit-sharing savings, Qard payroll accounts, and Murabaha cost-plus financing for vehicles (1-3 years), homes (1-7 years), and a recently added solar-energy product (50,000-1,000,000 AFN over 6-24 months) — alongside multi-currency capabilities in AFN, USD, and EUR and SWIFT-based international transfers to over 100 countries.

The bank's technology stack centers on a digital banking app available on iOS, Android, and web (Dari, Pashto, English), QR-code merchant payments, a biometric (fingerprint) E-Cash card that works offline through authorized agents in all 34 provinces, and a role-based corporate digital banking platform supporting batch payments, salary file uploads, cheque-book management, and real-time FX. A wide card portfolio spans Mastercard and Visa credit (Classic through Platinum and Prestige Travel), debit (AfPay local, Visa Platinum, Mastercard Fresh/Titanium), and prepaid products including a co-branded KamAir Visa card, with acceptance at 70+ million merchant locations globally. POS terminal services, an e-commerce payment gateway, door-to-door cash delivery, Money Taxi, Pay on ID, and trade finance (letters of credit, guarantees, documentary collections) round out the wholesale payment infrastructure.

Revenue is generated through multiple streams typical of an Islamic bank: Murabaha financing margins on vehicle, home, business, and solar assets; Mudarabah profit-sharing income on savings pools; annual credit-card fees ($25-$50 tier range) and interchange; SWIFT and domestic transaction fees; trade finance commissions; and corporate cash-management services. Distribution runs through a hybrid of branches, E-Cash agents, POS terminals, and digital channels, with named anchor relationships including UNDP Afghanistan, UNOPS ACLRP, UNCDF, Mohib Towers, OXUS Afghanistan, and KamAir. AIB positions itself as one of Afghanistan's longest-serving banks, leveraging regulatory licensing, geographic coverage, and an international-experienced leadership team (including a CEO appointed in June 2026 from an emerging-markets banking background) to compete in a constrained domestic market.

Name

Afghanistan International Bank

Legal name

Afghanistan International Bank

Website

https://aib.af

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Afghanistan International Bank is a privately held, Shariah-compliant bank founded in 2004 and headquartered in Kabul, offering retail, wholesale, and digital banking — including Murabaha financing, Mudarabah savings, multi-currency accounts, E-Cash biometric payments, and SWIFT transfers — to individuals, SMEs, corporates, NGOs, and government entities across all 34 provinces of Afghanistan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Islamic Commercial Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (522110), Commercial Banking (52211), Savings Institutions and Other Depository Credit Intermediation (52218)

SIC

National Commercial Banks (6021)

akta.pro primary industry

Islamic SME & Commercial Banking (FSABAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Islamic Retail Banking (FSABAGAA), Shariah-compliant Financing Products (Murabaha, Ijara, Tawarruq, Istisna, Salam) (FSABAGAH), Islamic Trade Finance & Supply Chain (Shariah-compliant) (FSABAGAE), Islamic Transaction Banking (Cash Management & Treasury Services) (FSABAGAF), Shariah Governance, Compliance & Advisory (Shariah Boards, Audit, Fatwa) (FSABAGAJ)

Keywords

• Islamic retail banking
• Corporate banking services
• Shariah-compliant financing
• Digital payment solutions
• Trade finance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kabul

HQ country

Afghanistan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Murabaha Financing Income: Profit income from Sharia-compliant cost-plus sale financing for vehicles, homes, and business assets. The bank purchases assets and resells to customers at agreed price including disclosed profit margin.
2. Mudharabah Savings Profit Sharing: Profit-sharing mechanism where bank acts as fund manager (Mudarib) and depositors as partners. Returns distributed based on bank's financial performance.
3. Credit Card Fees and Interest: Annual fees for credit cards ranging from $25 (Classic) to annual fee structures for Platinum and Prestige cards. Spending limits from $300 to $50,000.
4. Transaction and Service Fees: Fees from international transfers via SWIFT, domestic payment services, POS transactions, E-commerce gateway processing, and cash delivery services.
5. Qard (Interest-Free) Account Services: Profit-free current accounts for customers who prefer Sharia-compliant banking without profit-sharing arrangements.
6. Trade Finance Services: Bank guarantees, letters of credit, and documentary collections for international and domestic trade.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Afghanistan International Bank is a Shariah-compliant commercial bank that provides consumer banking (Qard and Mudarabah accounts, Murabaha retail financing, and a full debit/credit/prepaid card range), wholesale banking (Qard and Mudarabah corporate accounts, Murabaha business financing, corporate digital banking, payment services, and trade finance), and digital banking (in-house mobile/web platform, AIB QR Code Payments, E-Cash biometric agent banking, and an e-commerce payment gateway).

Product overview

Afghanistan International Bank (AIB) operates a comprehensive Islamic banking platform offering consumer, wholesale, and digital banking services. The product portfolio includes multiple account types (Qard current, Mudarabah savings, Qard payroll, and Rana women's accounts), Sharia-compliant financing products (Murabaha home, vehicle, and green/solar energy financing), and an extensive card portfolio spanning credit cards (Mastercard Classic, Titanium, Platinum; Visa Standard; Prestige Travel), prepaid cards (KamAir Visa Travel Perks, Visa Borderless, Big-Spend), and debit cards (AfPay local, Visa Platinum Flexible, Visa Fresh, Mastercard Fresh). Wholesale banking features include corporate accounts, Murabahah business financing, corporate digital banking, trade finance solutions, E-Cash biometric payment services, POS machines, and e-commerce payment gateway. The digital banking platform provides mobile/web applications with QR code payments, multi-currency support (AFN, USD, EUR), SWIFT international transfers, and role-based corporate access. All products adhere to Islamic banking principles and are designed for individuals, businesses, NGOs, and government clients across Afghanistan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AfPay: Local debit card for shopping or withdrawing in Afghani and USD across Afghanistan with no annual fee.
• E-Cash
• Rana

Products and services

• Qard Current Account Non-profit Shariah-compliant current account for individual consumers providing safe custody of funds and day-to-day transactional access.
• Mudarabah Saving Account Profit-and-loss sharing savings account for individual consumers that distributes returns generated from the bank's Shariah-compliant financing and investment pool.
• Qard Payroll Account Qard-based salary account for individual employees enabling direct salary crediting and transactional banking.
• Rana Women's Account Women-focused savings/current account supporting women's financial inclusion and economic empowerment in Afghanistan.
• Murabaha Home Financing Shariah-compliant home financing for individual consumers structured as cost-plus Murabaha financing for residential property purchase.
• Murabaha Vehicle Financing Shariah-compliant auto financing structured as Murabaha for individual consumers to purchase vehicles.
• Murabaha Green Financing (Solar Energy) Shariah-compliant green financing product for individual consumers and businesses to fund solar energy installations, delivered in cooperation with UNOPS.
• AIB Digital Banking App Proprietary mobile and web digital banking platform for retail customers with biometric login and the option to upgrade to a fully upgraded digital experience.
• AIB QR Code Payments QR-code based payment service allowing individuals and merchants to send and receive payments via the AIB digital banking app.
• Mastercard Classic Credit Card Standard-tier Mastercard credit card for individual consumers.
• Visa Standard Card Standard Visa-branded card for individual consumers.
• Mastercard Titanium Credit Card Mid-tier Mastercard credit card offering higher limits and benefits for individual consumers.
• Mastercard Platinum Credit Card Premium Mastercard credit card for individual consumers.
• Prestige Travel Card Premium travel-oriented card for individual consumers.
• KamAir Visa Travel Perks Card Co-branded travel card offering KamAir-related perks for individual consumers.
• Visa Borderless Prepaid Card Multi-currency prepaid Visa card for individual consumers enabling international usage.
• Prepaid Big-Spend Card Prepaid card targeting higher-spending individual consumers.
• AfPay Debit Card Local-brand debit card for everyday consumer spending.
• Visa Platinum Debit Flexible Card Premium flexible Visa debit card for individual consumers.
• Visa Fresh Debit Card Entry-level Visa debit card for individual consumers.
• Mastercard Fresh Debit Card Entry-level Mastercard debit card for individual consumers.
• Wholesale Qard Current Account Non-interest current account for corporate and institutional clients providing transactional banking.
• Wholesale Mudarabah Saving Account Profit-and-loss sharing savings account for corporate and institutional clients distributing returns from AIB's Shariah-compliant pool.
• Murabahah Business Financing Shariah-compliant business financing for corporates, SMEs, NGOs, and government-related entities structured as Murabaha for working capital and asset purchases.
• Corporate Digital Banking Dedicated digital banking platform (web and mobile) for corporate and institutional clients to manage accounts, payments, and financing.
• Corporate Payment Services Payment and collection services for corporate and government clients, including bulk salary processing, vendor payments, and POS/e-commerce gateway acceptance.
• Trade Finance Solutions Shariah-compliant trade finance products for importers, exporters, and NGOs supporting letters of credit, guarantees, and related cross-border transactions.
• E-Cash Services Biometric agent banking service allowing individuals to deposit, withdraw, transfer funds, and open accounts through a nationwide agent network.
• POS Machine Service POS terminal deployment and acquiring service for merchants accepting card and QR-based payments.
• E-Commerce Payment Gateway Payment gateway enabling online merchants to accept card-based and digital payments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Solar financing available from 50,000 AFN to 1,000,000 AFN covering residential and commercial solar installations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNDP AfghanistancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIB participated in UNDP high-level private sector dialogue in Kabul where VP of Wholesale Banking Ahmad Jawid Wahidi presented on economic recovery. The partnership focuses on strategic de-risking through donor-backed first-loss capital for large-scale corporate financing in sectors like green energy.
• UNCDFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with UNCDF (United Nations Capital Development Fund) for building a more resilient economic future for Afghanistan through financial inclusion initiatives and strategic de-risking mechanisms.
• Mohib TowersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU signed for Shariah-compliant home financing partnership to facilitate apartment ownership at Mohib Towers located on Airport Road, Kabul. AIB offers tailored financing facilities for homebuyers.
• OXUS AfghanistanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between AIB and OXUS Afghanistan for collaboration in financial services, potentially including financing products or market expansion.
• UNOPS ACLRPcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorE-Cash Services provided to UNOPS ACLRP (Afghanistan Crisis and Response Programme) for payroll and cash distribution to beneficiaries, representing financial inclusion initiative.
• KamAirminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-branded KamAir Visa prepaid card offering flight perks including extra baggage, fare discounts, and priority check-in with KamAir.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Azizi Bank: One of Afghanistan's largest private commercial banks offering retail, corporate, and Islamic banking products. Directly comparable to AIB as a domestic full-service bank competing for the same corporate, SME, and retail clients in Afghanistan.
• Maiwand Bank: Afghan commercial bank providing retail, corporate, and trade finance services. Directly competes with AIB in the Afghan corporate and retail banking market with overlapping product sets.
• Kandahar Bank: Afghanistan-based private commercial bank offering multi-currency accounts, financing, and digital banking. A close domestic peer to AIB serving overlapping retail and corporate segments in Afghanistan.
• Bank-e-Millie Afghan: One of the longest-standing Afghan commercial banks, with a broad retail and corporate footprint. Comparable to AIB as a domestic competitor offering similar deposit, lending, and digital banking services.
• Pashtany Bank: State-owned Afghan commercial bank providing retail and corporate banking. Competes with AIB in the same Afghan market with multi-currency accounts, financing, and payment services.

Broad incumbents

• Meezan Bank: Pakistan's largest Islamic bank, offering a full Shariah-compliant product suite including Murabaha, Mudarabah, and Ijarah. Comparable to AIB as a leading Islamic commercial bank in the broader South Asia region, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• Bank Alfalah: Large Pakistani commercial bank with international presence and Islamic banking subsidiary. Relevant peer given AIB's CCO Haidar Ali's prior background at Bank Alfalah and its comparable retail/corporate banking model.
• Habib Bank Limited (HBL): Pakistan's largest bank with historical presence in Afghanistan. Comparable to AIB in cross-border remittance, trade finance, and wholesale banking, though operating at a far larger scale across multiple geographies.
• Dubai Islamic Bank: One of the largest Islamic banks globally, offering a comprehensive Shariah-compliant retail and corporate product suite. Comparable to AIB as a full-service Islamic bank, though at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.

Emerging players

• OXUS Afghanistan: Afghan microfinance institution focused on financial inclusion for underserved populations. A formal AIB partner and a peer in the Afghan financial inclusion space, particularly relevant to AIB's E-Cash and bottom-of-pyramid strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AfgIntBank

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Afghanistan International Bank