10 Islamic Trade Finance Providers for Importers and Exporters
Islamic trade finance providers fund imports, exports, and commodity flows using Shariah-compliant structures such as murabaha, wakala, and musharaka in place of interest-bearing loans. The ten below include multilateral institutions, Gulf banks, and international banks with dedicated Islamic windows.
In a murabaha, the bank buys the goods and sells them to the client at a disclosed markup, payable later. Letters of credit, guarantees, and collections work much as they do in conventional banking.
1 International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC)
The trade finance arm of the Islamic Development Bank Group and the largest specialist in the field. ITFC approved USD 9.35 billion of trade finance in 2025, mostly for energy and food imports in member countries, and has approved USD 92.1 billion since 2008.
2 Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC)
Also part of the IsDB Group, ICIEC provides Shariah-compliant credit and political risk insurance. Banks use its cover to take on more trade risk, as Al Baraka Bank Egypt did with USD 100 million of ICIEC policies for LC-backed exports and Islamic trade finance.
3 Dubai Islamic Bank
One of the most complete Islamic trade product ranges in the Gulf, including murabaha LCs, wakala murabaha for open account trade, standby and back-to-back LCs, commodity murabaha for export LC discounting, and a full set of guarantees.
4 Al Rajhi Bank
Saudi Arabia's largest Islamic bank offers musharaka letters of credit, where the bank and importer buy goods jointly, alongside export LC financing and confirmation. It is also digitising guarantees and supply chain finance for Saudi businesses ( GTR, 2025).
5 Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB)
Runs Shariah-compliant trade finance through its transaction banking unit, and checks invoices for fraud and duplicate financing through the UAE Trade Connect blockchain platform.
6 Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB)
Qatar's largest Islamic bank provides LCs, guarantees, and trade financing to corporates, and works with international banks on Islamic trade lines, such as a USD 100 million facility with HSBC.
7 Kuwait Finance House (KFH)
Kuwait's first Islamic bank, founded in 1977, with a balance sheet above USD 100 billion and operations in the Gulf, Turkey, Malaysia, Germany, and, since acquiring Ahli United Bank, the UK and Egypt ( Altss).
8 Al Baraka Group
A Bahrain-based Islamic banking group with units across the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, Pakistan, and South Africa. Its trade platform connects importers and exporters across group banks, starting with Egypt and Turkey.
9 Maybank Islamic
Malaysia's largest Islamic bank, with a wholesale branch in Dubai's DIFC covering corporate financing and trade finance for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE.
10 Standard Chartered Saadiq
Standard Chartered's Islamic banking brand offers Islamic trade finance for imports, exports, and domestic trade, backed by the parent bank's network across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
How to Choose a Provider
Match the provider to your trade corridor and size. Multilaterals such as ITFC suit large, government-linked flows. Gulf banks are strongest for importers in their home markets. International Islamic windows help when the trade crosses several regions. Ask which Shariah board approves the structure, how the markup is set, and whether the bank can confirm LCs from your counterparty's bank.
FAQ
Is Islamic trade finance more expensive?
Not necessarily. The markup on a murabaha is usually benchmarked to market rates, so pricing is often close to conventional trade finance.
Can non-Muslim companies use it?
Yes. Any company trading in permitted goods can use Islamic trade finance.
Structure Your Islamic Trade Facility
FG Capital Advisors prepares the transaction file, structures murabaha and wakala facilities, and approaches the Islamic banks and institutions that fit your trade. See our structured trade and commodity finance practice.
Request an EstimateThis list is based on public information and is not an endorsement. FG Capital Advisors is not affiliated with the providers named.
