IslamicFinance.de

In four North African countries -- Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia -- as well as in Yemen, no more than 3 per cent of adults say they currently use a Sharia-compliant banking service. These results come from a Gallup World Poll survey conducted in 2012 on the awareness, use, and preference for Islamic financial products. Across the five countries surveyed, about half (48 per cent) of adults report having heard of Islamic banks in their country. Moroccans are the most likely to choose the Sharia-compliant loan. Within each country, choices vary little among the poor and more affluent respondents. The data suggest that in the Middle East and North Africa, there is likely to be demand for both conventional and Islamic banking services.