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|Published Date: 02-12-2025
Brunei Darussalam Islamic Finance (BDIF) Symposium 2025
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Brunei Darussalam Central Bank (BDCB), in collaboration with Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) as the co-organiser for the 2024 Call-for-Papers (CFP) initiative and Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) as the Symposium Host, successfully organised the second Brunei Darussalam Islamic Finance (BDIF) Symposium 2025, themed "Navigating Digital Frontiers in Islamic Finance".
The symposium served as a platform for dialogue on the latest developments, challenges, and opportunities in Islamic finance, while fostering knowledge sharing and collaboration between the industry, academia, and the public sector. It also aimed to promote peer recognition and academic advancement through publication and research opportunities.
Held at The Empire Brunei in Jerudong, the event welcomed more than 200 participants, including government officials, financial industry practitioners, academicians, and students from higher education institutions.
The guest of honour was Yang Mulia Pengiran Datin Seri Paduka Hajah Zety Sufina binti Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Sani, Acting Minister of Finance and Economy as Deputy Chairman of BDCB Board of Directors. Also in attendance were members of the BDCB Board of Directors and Syariah Financial Supervisory Board (SFSB), Permanent Secretaries, senior government officials, and industry leaders.
The event began with the recitation of verses from the Al-Quran by UNISSA third-year student, Yang Mulia Mohammad Aziz Aszreen Shah bin Haji Mohd Zain. This was followed by welcoming remarks delivered by Yang Mulia Hajah Rashidah binti Haji Sabtu, Managing Director of BDCB. In her remarks, she highlighted the strong global and regional growth of Islamic finance, noting that worldwide assets have reached USD 5.98 trillion, with Southeast Asia now being the second-largest hub with nearly USD 1 trillion in assets. She highlighted Brunei Darussalam’s achievement in ranking 13th globally in the ICD-LSEG Islamic Finance Development Report 2025, with Islamic finance assets accounting for more than half of the domestic financial system assets. She also reaffirmed BDCB’s commitment to advancing Islamic finance in Brunei Darussalam through its ongoing efforts to expand Islamic windows for the banking sector and strengthen the FinTech Regulatory Sandbox to widen access to finance and drive innovation.
The guest of honour then officiated the opening of the symposium with the launch of the Brunei Darussalam Islamic Finance (BDIF) website. The website serves as a central hub to promote greater understanding, collaboration, and development within Brunei Darussalam’s Islamic finance ecosystem. It brings together key information on the industry’s growth, regulatory landscape, and strategic initiatives, while also showcasing efforts in research, education and talent development. This marks a significant milestone in enhancing accessibility to Islamic finance knowledge and resources.
This was followed by the Best Paper Presentation Ceremony, a key outcome of the CFP initiative co-organised with UNISSA in 2024. The CFP provided a platform for researchers, practitioners, and students to contribute academic papers on key themes in Islamic finance, with selected submissions recognised for their excellence and innovation.
The Best Paper Award (Professional Category) was presented to Yang Mulia Dr. Vita Sarasi of Padjadjaran University, Indonesia for her paper on “Enhancing Transparency in Islamic Finance through Blockchain: A System Thinking Approach to Accountability”. Meanwhile, Yang Mulia Nurul Amalina binti Suprem from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, received the Best Paper Award (Students Category) for her work on “Breaking the Cycle: Addressing Systemic Challenges and Fostering Resilience in Brunei’s Collaborative Growth Enterprises (CGEs)”. The top three papers from each category were presented during the event, showcasing a diverse range of topics and perspectives. The winning and selected papers are published in UNISSA’s Special Edition Journal, underscoring the role of research and knowledge exchange in shaping the future of Islamic finance locally and beyond.
Another key highlight of the symposium was the keynote presentation delivered by Dr. Ziyaad Mahomed, Associate Professor and Lead Researcher (Shari’ah) at INCEIF University, Malaysia. This presentation explored technological advancements in the financial sector and their implications for the growth and transformation of Islamic finance in the digital era.
In line with the theme of the symposium, a Masterclass facilitated by Dr Ziyaad Mahomed will be held on 3 December 2025, offering participants deeper insights and engagement on key areas in Islamic finance.
