Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI)

What Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) does

Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) is the knowledge and capacity-building arm of the Islamic Development Bank Group, headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Founded in 1981 as the Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI) and rebranded to IsDBI in 2018, the institute operates as a non-profit and serves the IsDB's 57+ member countries across the Muslim world. Its mandate is research, technical assistance, training, and standardization in Islamic finance, delivered through publications (working papers, technical and country reports, an annual report), executive training programs, Islamic finance grants, the annual IsDB Prize, an eBook Reader application, IsDBI Corner Libraries, and a Financial Product Development Center (FPDC) that builds Shariah-compliant instruments for partner institutions.

IsDBI's technology stack includes the IsDBI Chat Assistant deployed on its website, a patented Smart Stabilization System (Singapore Patent No. 10202250873B, granted July 2026) built on distributed-ledger infrastructure with autonomous stabilization algorithms, and an Applied AI in Islamic Finance Capacity-Building Program launched in 2025 to train member-country institutions on AI tooling. These systems are developed internally and represent the institute's move into fintech infrastructure beyond pure research.

The institute's business model is grant-and-allocation funded rather than commercial: it does not charge for most publications and derives its operating budget from IsDB Group allocations and donor contributions, with no disclosed commercial revenue stream. Customers are governments and central banks (Uzbekistan, BMICE Maghreb partners), multilateral organizations (UNDP, World Bank, UNESCAP, ITFC, CIBAFI, LSEG), and the broader IsDB member-country ecosystem reached through flagship events (the annual IsDB Global Forum on Islamic Finance, now in its 20th year), training delivery, and direct technical-assistance agreements.

Name

Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI)

Legal name

Islamic Development Bank Institute

Website

https://isdbinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IsDBI is the knowledge and capacity-building arm of the Islamic Development Bank Group, providing Islamic finance research, training, technical assistance, and standardization across 57+ member countries from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Islamic Finance Research and Capacity Development

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Public Finance Activities (92113)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Shariah Governance, Compliance & Advisory (Shariah Boards, Audit, Fatwa) (FSABAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Islamic SME & Commercial Banking (FSABAGAB), National Development Banks & State Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) (BPADACAC)

Keywords

• Islamic finance research
• Capacity development programs
• Financial product development
• Islamic economics publications
• Technical assistance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Jeddah, Makkah Province

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grants and Technical Assistance: IsDBI operates as a non-profit knowledge institute and member of the IsDB Group. It provides grants for Islamic finance development and technical assistance to member countries and financial institutions. Revenue is derived from the Islamic Development Bank Group funding and donor contributions rather than commercial revenue generation.
2. Publications and Knowledge Products: IsDBI publishes research reports, working papers, books, and annual reports. Many publications are offered free of charge as public knowledge goods to advance Islamic finance globally.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IsDBI is the knowledge and research arm of the Islamic Development Bank Group, providing research, training, capacity development, and technical assistance on Islamic economics and finance to 57+ member countries. Its core offerings include the Publications Portal (technical reports, working papers, books, annual reports, IES Journal), Training Programs (Islamic Finance Executive Program, Fintech applications on Awqaf), Islamic Finance Grants for member-country initiatives, the IsDB Prize for impactful achievement in Islamic economics, and technical assistance programs supporting regulatory and institutional development of Shariah-compliant finance.

Product overview

Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) is a knowledge and research institute and a member of the Islamic Development Bank Group. The organization offers a portfolio of knowledge products and services including: a Publications Portal with digital repositories of research on Islamic finance (Annual Reports, Technical Reports, Working Papers, Country Reports); Training Programs for capacity development in Islamic finance; Islamic Finance Grants supporting member country initiatives; the IsDB Prize recognizing impactful achievements in Islamic economics; an eBook Reader Application for digital publications; IsDBI Corner Libraries for knowledge dissemination; a Financial Product Development Center for innovative product research; and the Smart Stabilization System, a patented technology for market stabilization using distributed ledger technology and advanced algorithms. The institute also provides technical assistance programs for establishing Islamic finance windows in financial institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IsDB Prize: Annual award recognizing impactful achievements in Islamic economics and development solutions.

Products and services

• Publications Portal Digital repository offering Islamic finance research publications including Annual Reports, Books & Proceedings, Knowledge Review, Technical Reports, Working Papers, IES Journal, and Islamic Finance Country Reports in multiple languages. Targeted at researchers, policymakers, academics, and financial professionals in IsDB Member Countries.
• Training Programs (Capacity Development) Capacity development programs such as the Islamic Finance Executive Program and specialized courses on Fintech and its Applications on Awqaf. Designed for professionals in Islamic finance, banking, and policy roles from IsDB Member Countries.
• Islamic Finance Grants Grant funding programs supporting Islamic finance development initiatives across IsDB member countries, including support for establishing Islamic windows in financial institutions and developing national Waqf ecosystems. Targeted at governments, financial institutions, and development partners.
• IsDB Prize for Impactful Achievement in Islamic Economics Annual prize program recognizing impactful achievements in Islamic economics and development solutions, awarded by IsDBI with cash prizes for winners. Open to Islamic economics researchers, social entrepreneurs, and developers across IsDB Member Countries.
• eBook Reader Application Digital reading application for accessing and managing IsDBI's electronic publications and research materials. Available to researchers, students, and general users of IsDBI's knowledge products.
• Financial Product Development Center Research and development hub for creating innovative Islamic finance products and solutions, supporting innovation in Shariah-compliant financial instruments. Targeted at IsDBI's institutional partners and member-country financial institutions.
• IsDBI Smart Stabilization System Patented digital market infrastructure technology designed to stabilize asset markets by intelligently managing supply-demand gaps and mitigating excessive volatility. Uses sophisticated algorithms, advanced simulation models, distributed ledger technology, and cryptographic trust mechanisms to achieve autonomous market stabilization. Protected under Singapore Patent No. 10202250873B.
• IsDBI Chat Assistant AI-powered chatbot deployed on the IsDBI website providing instant responses to visitor inquiries about publications, training programs, and the institute's services. Available to general website visitors.

Quantifiable outcome

• IsDB Prize winners receive US$100,000 for first place (Medikids waqf initiative) and US$30,000 for third place (Blue Filter water purification)

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Maghreb Bank for Investment and Foreign Trade (BMICE)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 August 2026IsDBI and BMICE signed a grant agreement to support the establishment of an Islamic window within BMICE, marking an important step toward strengthening Islamic finance offerings and expanding access to Shariah-compliant financial services in the Maghreb region. IsDB Institute will extend technical assistance to BMICE in developing institutional, regulatory, operational, and capacity-building requirements for the Islamic window.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025IsDBI cooperated with UNDP and the Committee on Religious Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan to convene a high-level roundtable on developing a Waqf system in Uzbekistan. The partnership is part of a technical assistance project on 'Developing the Enabling Environment for Awqaf in Uzbekistan' supporting legislative, institutional, and regulatory frameworks.
• Committee on Religious Affairs of the Republic of UzbekistancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment body partnering with IsDBI on the Waqf ecosystem development project in Uzbekistan, working on national dialogue and framework development.
• LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the publication 'Surmounting the Middle-Income Trap: Drivers, Pathways, and the Role of Islamic Finance' - a joint research report on Islamic finance and economic development.
• International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Islamic Finance in Azerbaijan report and other publications. ITFC provided input for the 'Prospects of Islamic Finance in Azerbaijan' flagship report launched at the 20th IsDB Global Forum.
• World Bank GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint publication of the 'Global Report on Islamic Finance 2018' with the Islamic Development Bank Group. The report addresses impediments to long-term investment financing and proposes risk-sharing mechanisms for Islamic finance.
• CIBAFI (General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term strategic partnership established with CIBAFI and Thomson Reuters for the Islamic Finance Country Report (IFCR) program, providing comprehensive coverage of Islamic finance industry characteristics in OIC countries.
• IRTI and IFSBminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 'Islamic Financial Services Industry Development: Ten-Year Framework and Strategies a Mid-Term Review' document addressing the Islamic Financial Services Industry (IFSI).
• UNESCAPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on 'Business Process Analysis of Trade Procedures in Selected Central Asian Countries' research publication.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• INCEIF (International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance): INCEIF is a global university dedicated to Islamic finance education, offering professional certificates, master's, and doctoral programs. It is a direct peer of IsDBI's training programs division because both deliver professional and executive Islamic finance education to practitioners and regulators across OIC countries using similar pedagogical models.
• AAOIFI (Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions): AAOIFI is the leading international not-for-profit body that issues Shariah standards, accounting standards, and ethical codes for Islamic financial institutions. It is highly comparable to IsDBI because both produce authoritative standards and capacity development for Islamic finance, serve regulators and financial institutions across OIC markets, and operate as non-commercial knowledge bodies with similar funding models.
• CIBAFI (General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions): CIBAFI is an international Islamic finance industry association representing Islamic banks and financial institutions, focused on research, training, and policy advocacy. It directly peers with IsDBI as both deliver capacity building, policy research, and industry events for the global Islamic finance industry, and the two organizations already maintain a long-term partnership for the Islamic Finance Country Report program.
• IIFM (International Islamic Financial Market): IIFM is an industry body focused on standardization of Islamic financial contracts, product development, and capacity building across Islamic capital and money markets. It is a close peer to IsDBI's Financial Product Development Center and Smart Stabilization System efforts because both work on Shariah-compliant product structuring and market infrastructure.
• IFSB (Islamic Financial Services Board): IFSB is an international standard-setting body that issues prudential standards and guiding principles for Islamic financial institutions. Comparable to IsDBI in mandate (research, standards, and capacity development for Islamic finance), target audience (regulators and financial institutions in OIC markets), and non-commercial operating model.

Others

• LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group): LSEG is a global financial markets infrastructure and data provider with deep Islamic finance indexing and research offerings. It is an ecosystem peer because LSEG and IsDBI co-published the 'Surmounting the Middle-Income Trap' research report and operate adjacent knowledge products serving Islamic finance stakeholders globally.
• International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC): ITFC is a member entity of the Islamic Development Bank Group that provides trade finance to OIC member countries. It is an ecosystem peer of IsDBI because both belong to the same IsDB Group, co-publish Islamic finance research, and serve the same member country stakeholders; this is included to capture the IsDB Group ecosystem context rather than direct market competition.

Regional players

• Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF): BIBF is a Bahrain-based professional training institute offering executive programs in banking, finance, and Islamic finance. It is a regional peer of IsDBI's training division because both deliver Islamic finance executive education programs and capacity building to practitioners across MENA markets.

Broad incumbents

• World Bank Group Knowledge Hub: The World Bank Group operates the principal global development knowledge function, producing flagship research (e.g., Global Findex, Doing Business, Human Capital Index) and capacity development programs. It is a broad peer of IsDBI because both produce development-focused research and capacity building, and they have co-published the Global Report on Islamic Finance 2018.
• Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI): ADBI is the knowledge arm of the Asian Development Bank, conducting research, training, and policy dialogue across Asia and the Pacific. It mirrors IsDBI's role as the knowledge/research institute of a multilateral development bank, with comparable functions in research publication, capacity development, and convening policy forums.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/isdbinstitute?s=11
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@isdbinstitute?si=z0UDmBiogogqj-3Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/isdbinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/isdbinstitute-isdbi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI)