Maybank Islamic wins Islamic Bank of the Year 2026, tops global rankings

Maybank Islamic Berhad (Maybank Islamic) recently emerged as The Banker’s Islamic Bank of the Year 2026– a prestigious accolade it last received four years ago – amid strong competition from leading institutions across the Middle East and Asia

The Banker, an international financial affairs publication owned by the Financial Times, highlighted Maybank Islamic as the apex of global Islamic banking by perfectly balancing a RM390 billion asset base with cutting edge ecosystem technology, positioning it strongly for future growth, in its May/ June 2026 edition.

Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Islamic Banking, and CEO of Maybank Islamic, Mohamad Yasin Abdullah said, the Bank is deeply honoured to be recognised as the Global Islamic Bank of the Year by The Banker. 

“This achievement reflects the success of Maybank Group’s M25+ strategy and our strong commitment and capability to leverage our regional leadership to deliver meaningful value to our customers, communities, and stakeholders.

“As we move forward, guided by our ROAR 30 aspirations, we are focused on delivering top- quartile performance, accelerating digital and ecosystem leadership, and strengthening

“Our leadership in sustainable and inclusive Islamic finance. We aspire to remain at the forefront of global Islamic finance by offering innovative, Shariah-compliant solutions while advancing the broader Islamic economy,” he said.

Maybank Islamic is one of the world’s most established Islamic banks and the largest by assets outside the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets. 

According to The Banker, the award spotlights the strength of Maybank Islamic’s retail proposition and its steadfast commitment to sustainability, further recognised through additional honours as Islamic Bank of the Year for Sustainability and Retail Bank of the Year for Asia.

Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Islamic Banking, and CEO of Maybank Islamic, Mohamad Yasin Abdullah

Shariah-compliant assets accounted for 72.4 per cent of Maybank Malaysia’s total loans and financing for the financial year ended 31 December 2025, and the Bank continues to maintain a dominant market position, holding about 30 per cent of the country’s Islamic banking assets.

The judges also acknowledged the depth of Maybank Islamic’s offerings and its success in building integrated Shariah-compliant ecosystems beyond traditional financing,

This includes halal facilitation efforts, which saw more than RM369 million in Islamic financing disbursed in 2025, alongside support for over 200 halal certification submissions.

Last year, the total sustainable Islamic finance mobilised by Maybank Group Islamic Banking across its home markets of Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia reached RM34.54 billion, accounting for approximately 60 per cent of Maybank Group’s overall sustainable finance.

Maybank Islamic’s social finance initiatives also received commendation, having positively impacted more than 89,000 households in ASEAN through zakat distribution in 2025.

In addition, The Banker highlighted the success of Salaam Market– Malaysia’s first Shariah- compliant B2B halal marketplace – in integrating trade, banking, and ecosystem services. 

Since its launch in late 2024, the platform has on boarded over 9,000 buyers and sellers, generating RM8.3 million in transaction value and RM220 million in deposits, with operations now extended to Singapore.

The latest recognition marks Maybank Islamic’s fifth time being named Global Islamic Bank of the Year by The Banker since 2015.