Tabadulat Joins AAOIFI, Pioneers Islamic Fintech Standards Revolution

It’s always heartening to see a young MENA fintech making waves beyond its home base, and that’s exactly what Tabadulat has done by joining the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions, better known as AAOIFI. The Abu Dhabi-based Shariah-compliant brokerage platform, already approved in principle by ADGM’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority, is now officially part of this global standards-setting body—a move that could set it up nicely in the fast-evolving world of digital Islamic finance.

For those who aren’t too familiar, AAOIFI was founded back in 1991 in Bahrain and has long been considered the “Gold Standard” when it comes to shaping the rules of Islamic finance. It develops frameworks for Shariah, accounting, and governance that help financial institutions ensure they’re walking the straight and narrow, ethically speaking. In short, it keeps the sector both honest and harmonised across borders—no small task, especially now that fintechs are coming in thick and fast.

According to the company’s CEO and co-founder Samy Mohamad, this step is more than ceremonial. He called the AAOIFI membership a major milestone for Tabadulat, explaining that building a transparent and fair playing field for Muslim investors was always central to their vision. And by aligning with AAOIFI’s standards, Tabadulat is setting the stage for its next bold chapter—exploring real-world asset tokenisation and digital trading, all under a strictly Islamic framework. I reckon that’s quite an ambitious move in today’s tightly regulated fintech landscape.

AAOIFI’s Secretary General, Sheikh Omar Mustafa Ansari, sounded just as upbeat. He welcomed Tabadulat into the fold, noting how the startup’s digital-first mindset fits neatly with AAOIFI’s efforts to modernise Islamic finance. And believe it or not, that’s something many industry watchers have been calling for—bridging faith-based investing with 21st-century tech in a way that doesn’t compromise principles.

The partnership isn’t just symbolic, either. Tabadulat will gain access to AAOIFI’s deep well of standards, training programmes, and ongoing guidance. On the flip side, it will also get a chance to join discussions and working groups shaping the future of ethical fintech solutions. As someone from Arageek who’s watched plenty of MENA startups struggle with the compliance side of things, I can say this sort of access can be a game-changer—it saves time, resources, and quite a bit of faff.

Tabadulat itself is a relatively young UAE-based player, founded in 2024 by Samy Mohamad (who previously worked at Morgan Stanley) and Ali Abdulkadir Ali (ex-Wahed Invest). The startup operates out of Abu Dhabi Global Market and aims to give Muslim investors a seamless platform for trading global Halal stocks and ETFs—without any hidden fees or, as they put it, a hint of *riba*. Users get real-time Shariah screening, compliance alerts, and, in theory, peace of mind.

All in all, it’s a neat example of how faith-driven fintech is quietly redefining access to ethical investing. Tabadulat’s move underlines a broader point we’ve often seen in Arageek’s coverage: when MENA startups play by international rules but inject local values, they don’t just survive—they thrive. And if this membership helps the team scale while staying true to their principles, well… that’s spot on in my book.

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