Who We Are
Afghanistan's dedicated Islamic Development and Investment Bank
"IDIB is not merely a bank that happens to operate in Afghanistan — it is an institution built for Afghanistan, by Afghans, to serve Afghanistan's people and economy for generations to come."
The Imtiaz Development and Investment Bank of Afghanistan (IDIB) is a Shariah-compliant Development Finance Institution incorporated as a private joint stock company under the laws of Afghanistan and regulated by Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB). IDIB is Afghanistan's first purpose-built Islamic development bank — designed to bridge the vast gap between the country's enormous unmet demand for Shariah-compliant finance and the formal financial sector's longstanding inability to serve that demand.
IDIB operates as a hybrid institution, combining the development finance mandate of a multilateral DFI with the commercial discipline of a regulated bank. This unique positioning allows IDIB to access concessional international funding from multilateral partners — including the Islamic Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) — while generating competitive risk-adjusted returns for shareholders. IDIB operates exclusively in accordance with Islamic finance principles as certified by its independent Shariah Supervisory Board, adhering to AAOIFI and IFSB standards.
IDIB is headquartered in Kabul, with a phased geographic expansion plan covering Mazar-i-Sharif, Herat, Kandahar, and Jalalabad. Multilingual service in Dari, Pashto, and English ensures IDIB is accessible to Afghanistan's full diversity of clients, communities, and partners.
Our Story
Why IDIB Had to Exist
Afghanistan faces a financing challenge of historic proportions — and no existing institution was designed to meet it. IDIB was built to fill that gap.
Decades of conflict have left Afghanistan's infrastructure in disrepair, agricultural value chains underdeveloped, an SME sector starved of capital, and an acute urban housing deficit that grows with every passing year. At the same time, between 60% and 80% of Afghans — devout in their Islamic faith — actively avoid the formal banking sector because conventional finance is based on riba, which Islamic law prohibits.
- The financing gap. A nation with enormous development needs, a large and growing population, and significant domestic and diaspora financial resources — yet without a financial institution capable of channeling those resources in a way the majority of Afghans can accept.
- Existing institutions fall short. Conventional banks cannot fill this gap. Microfinance institutions lack the scale. The informal hawala system cannot finance infrastructure or capital investment. Afghanistan needed something different.
- IDIB fills it. Founded by Afghan entrepreneurs and investors committed to their country's reconstruction, IDIB is designed to be the institution Afghanistan has always needed: a fully Shariah-compliant, professionally governed, internationally credible development bank.
IDIB can simultaneously finance a solar energy project for a remote province, structure a Sukuk issuance for government infrastructure, provide Murabaha working capital to a pomegranate exporter, and offer a young Afghan family a Diminishing Musharakah home finance arrangement that their faith allows them to use.
Built for Afghanistan. By Afghans.
IDIB was conceived to fill a gap that no other institution was positioned to address. It is Afghanistan's answer to a question that has gone unanswered for too long: how do you build a modern, inclusive, Shariah-compliant financial system in one of the world's most challenging environments? IDIB is that answer.
Our Values
The principles that define us
- Integrity
- We hold ourselves to the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct in all dealings with clients, shareholders, regulators, and the communities we serve. Every commitment — commercial or developmental — is honored with full transparency and accountability.
- Shariah Authenticity
- Shariah compliance is not a marketing label — it is the defining characteristic of our institution. Every product is independently approved by our Shariah Supervisory Board, with an annual public Shariah Compliance Report published for full accountability.
- Development Impact
- Every financing proposal is assessed against both commercial viability and measurable positive impact for Afghan communities. Profit and purpose are not in conflict at IDIB — they are the twin goals that define our reason for existence.
- Transparency
- We are committed to full transparency with all stakeholders: audited financial statements for shareholders, fully disclosed pricing for clients, a public Annual Shariah Compliance Report, and complete regulatory disclosures to Da Afghanistan Bank.
- Excellence
- Our team is selected for professional excellence and developed through structured training — including Shariah finance certification — to operate at a standard comparable to the best Islamic development banks in the world.
- Inclusion
- We are committed to serving all Afghans — across provinces, income levels, sectors, and genders. Our products are designed to reach not only large institutions but also smallholder farmers, SME owners, and households excluded from formal finance for too long.
Our Commitment
Built for Afghanistan. By Afghans.
IDIB's mandate is national reconstruction. Every decision we make is evaluated through the lens of what it means for Afghanistan's people and its long-term development trajectory.
- National reconstruction.
- Every financing decision, geographic expansion, and institutional partnership is evaluated through the lens of what it means for Afghanistan's long-term development trajectory.
- Afghan ownership.
- A minimum of 10% of shares are reserved in the second-round offering for Afghan diaspora investors — recognizing the profound financial and emotional stake that millions of Afghans around the world have in their homeland's future.
- Gender inclusion.
- At least 30% of professional staff positions are targeted for women, with specific outreach to Afghan women graduates and professional networks. Service is provided in Dari, Pashto, and English.
Regulatory Standing
Regulated, Compliant, Transparent
IDIB is regulated by Da Afghanistan Bank and operates in full compliance with international Islamic finance standards — ensuring every client, partner, and stakeholder can rely on the institution's integrity.
- Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB)
- IDIB is regulated by Da Afghanistan Bank, Afghanistan's central bank, and is applying for a full banking license under DAB's regulatory framework. All products, operations, governance structures, capital ratios, liquidity ratios, and AML/CFT protocols comply fully with DAB requirements.
- AAOIFI Standards
- IDIB adheres to AAOIFI (Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions) standards for financial reporting, product structuring, and Shariah governance — ensuring internationally recognised Islamic finance compliance.
- IFSB Guiding Principles
- IDIB applies IFSB (Islamic Financial Services Board) Guiding Principles across its risk management and governance frameworks, aligning its operations with global best practice for Islamic financial institutions.
- Annual Shariah Compliance Report
- An Annual Shariah Compliance Report is issued by the independent Shariah Supervisory Board and made available to the public — providing full transparency on IDIB's adherence to Shariah principles across all products and operations.
