BisB Launches “Al Murshid” Shari’a AI Platform During AAOIFI’s 20th Conference and Wins “Best AI Initiative” at The Digital Banker Global Awards 2025

02-November-2025

Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB), the leading provider of innovative Islamic financial solutions for simplifying money matters in the Kingdom of Bahrain, announced the launch of its new AI-powered Shari’a Platform, “Al Murshid,” the first of its kind in Bahrain. The announcement took place during the Bank’s participation as a Golden Sponsor at the 20th AAOIFI-IsDB Annual Islamic Banking and Finance Conference, organized by the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) in collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), held on 2–3 November 2025 at the Crowne Plaza Manama. Held under the theme “Islamic Finance in the Era of Artificial Intelligence: Present Potentials and Future Prospects,” this year’s conference convened prominent industry leaders and regulators from across the globe to explore the transformative potential of AI in advancing the Islamic finance ecosystem.

As part of the Bank’s active participation, Mr. Naser AlAwadhi, Head of Digital Banking at BisB, joined a distinguished panel discussion titled “Integrating AI in Islamic Finance Operations and Services.” The session explored AI’s role in enhancing Shari’a compliance, operational efficiency, and customer engagement, while promoting financial inclusion. It also addressed the ethical and governance challenges of AI adoption and its alignment with Islamic principles to ensure responsible innovation.

Launched during the conference, “Al Murshid” aims to democratize access to Shari’a knowledge by leveraging an intelligent system powered by AI. The platform draws from a comprehensive repository of more than 2,000 Fatwas and resolutions issued by the Bank’s Shari’a Supervisory Board since 1979, alongside AAOIFI standards, approved publications, and authoritative jurisprudential references. It provides instant AI-powered advisory responses on Islamic financial rulings and contract structures through a seamless, integrated digital experience.

In recognition of this pioneering initiative, BisB was named the winner of “Best AI Initiative” at The Digital Banker Global Islamic Finance Awards 2025, underscoring its leadership in leveraging intelligent technologies to enhance access to Shari’a guidance and redefine digital Islamic finance in the region.

Commenting on the achievement, Ms. Fatema AlAlawi, Chief Executive Officer of BisB, stated: “We are honored to receive this global recognition alongside our participation at AAOIFI’s 20th Annual Conference, marking a milestone that reflects our unwavering commitment to purposeful innovation anchored in Islamic values. Al-Murshid represents a transformative step in advancing transparency, facilitating access to Shari’a knowledge, and harnessing technology to support sustainable economic growth.”

She added: “Through this initiative, we reaffirm our pledge to ensure that innovation remains in service of Shari’a compliance, while reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a global hub for Islamic finance and digital excellence.”

The platform is powered by a proprietary AI engine that delivers instant advisory responses on Islamic financial rulings and applicable contract structures. It is built on a robust database of over 2,000 Fatwas issued by BisB’s Shari’a Supervisory Board since 1979, along with a curated collection of publications, research papers, and certified Shari’a guidelines. This empowers finance professionals, researchers, and individuals to access Shari’a guidance through a fast, integrated digital experience eliminating the need for lengthy traditional processes.

Looking ahead, BisB has outlined an ambitious roadmap to further enhance Al-Murshid, including the integration of multilingual capabilities, voice assistance, predictive analytics, and open API functionalities, empowering financial institutions, researchers, and individuals to access Shari’a guidance faster and more efficiently.

These milestones reaffirm Bahrain Islamic Bank’s alignment with the Kingdom’s vision to establish Bahrain as a center of excellence for Islamic banking innovation, while underscoring the Bank’s role in accelerating the digital transformation of Shari’a-compliant finance across the region.