Le Global Islamic Finance Award, remis le 6 septembre au président Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, récompense la formidable croissance de la finance islamique à Djibouti. Depuis la libéralisation du secteur bancaire, en 2006, les trois acteurs du pays, Saba Islamic Bank, Salaam African Bank et East Africa Bank, sont parvenus à s’octroyer 25% des comptes et 21% du total des actifs de la place. En 2016, pour veiller à la régularité des produits financiers, le pays a d’ailleurs installé un Comité national de la charia. Depuis six ans, la Banque centrale de Djibouti organise le grand rendez-vous africain de la finance islamique, l’International Islamic Banking Summit in Africa (IIBSA), dont la prochaine édition aura lieu en 2018.
Saba Islamic Bank of Yemen and Dahabshil Bank of Djibouti are making plans to engage in operations in Somalia in the coming year. Basel Haj-Issa, the new CEO of Saba Islamic Bank, said at the Islamic Banking Summit Africa in Djibouti that the reason for the bank's expansion into Somalia is the client demand. Since trade between Djibouti and Somalia is quite intensive, many clients of the bank need Islamic banking services in the country.
Saba Islamic Bank topped the local Islamic banks for the 12th straight year in terms of the profit rates on the investment deposits in 2010.
The Bank also posted a record increase in deposits and returns. As it continues success, Saba Islamic Bank plans to plans to open new branches in the country and the African horn and launch new services for individuals and institutions and residential cities to meet the demands of its clients.