SMEs offer huge opportunities for Islamic banks

As more and more conventional banks are now discovering, the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector provides a huge opportunity for increasing profitability and diversifying risks. Less well known is that a large number of SMEs, especially in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, would prefer to deal with Islamic banks rather than conventional ones. These SMEs are often unable to access banking services, since few Islamic banks have stepped up to the challenge of catering to their needs. Once Islamic banks have put in place the requisite infrastructure and capabilities, there is little doubt that the SME sector will be able to provide them with a profitable and sustainable revenue stream.