Signed May 2026, the project covers the latest official Arabic edition of the standards — 61 issued shari’ah standards across approximately 1,200 pages — translated directly from Arabic into Uzbek. The translation will be carried out in coordination with AAOIFI and in accordance with its authorisation and quality-review procedures.
The agreement builds on the strategic partnership established between AAOIFI and Mezon Kengashi in December 2025, under which the two institutions cooperate on training, professional certification, regulatory standardisation and knowledge dissemination.
The initiative comes at a pivotal moment for Uzbekistan’s financial sector. In March 2026, the President of Uzbekistan signed Law No. O’RQ–1126, On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan Aimed at Introducing Islamic Banking, which establishes a formal regulatory and licensing framework for shari’ah-compliant operations and entered into force on 29 June 2026.
The availability of authoritative AAOIFI standards in Uzbek is essential to the effective and consistent implementation of this framework. An authoritative Uzbek edition will give regulators, the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan, commercial banks, legal professionals, educators and finance specialists direct access to the global reference framework that governs Islamic financial products. It will support:
- Consistent application of shari’ah standards across the national market
- Incorporation of the standards into regulatory and supervisory practice
- Alignment with internationally-recognised benchmarks
- Development of local expertise, including the opportunity for Uzbek specialists to pursue internationally-recognised AAOIFI professional certifications in their own language
The translation will be delivered over approximately six months by a multidisciplinary team of shari’ah scholars, professional translators, editors and legal and financial reviewers, several of whom hold AAOIFI professional qualifications (CSAA, CPSS, CIPA).
The translation will be delivered over approximately six months by a multidisciplinary team of shari’ah scholars, professional translators, editors and legal and financial reviewers, several of whom hold AAOIFI professional qualifications (CSAA, CPSS, CIPA).
The work extends beyond linguistic translation to include shari’ah terminology harmonisation, legal and regulatory review, structured editorial review and quality assurance, ensuring fidelity to the original Arabic text and consistency of terminology throughout.
“The AAOIFI shari’ah standards are the foundation of trust in Islamic finance. Making them available in Uzbek removes one of the last structural barriers to building a credible Islamic finance ecosystem in our country, and equips our regulators, banks and specialists with an authoritative reference as the new legislation takes effect,” said Muzaffar Khusnidinov, CEO, Mezon Kengashi.
“This agreement reflects the Centre’s mission to support the adoption and localisation of AAOIFI standards across the CIS and Central Asia. Uzbekistan is one of the region’s most promising markets for Islamic finance, and an authoritative Uzbek edition of the standards is an important step toward its sustainable, well-regulated development,” said Amier Al Moussa, Director, AAOIFI Centre for Islamic Finance Development.
“The AAOIFI shari’ah standards are the foundation of trust in Islamic finance. Making them available in Uzbek removes one of the last structural barriers to building a credible Islamic finance ecosystem in our country, and equips our regulators, banks and specialists with an authoritative reference as the new legislation takes effect,” said Muzaffar Khusnidinov, CEO, Mezon Kengashi.
“This agreement reflects the Centre’s mission to support the adoption and localisation of AAOIFI standards across the CIS and Central Asia. Uzbekistan is one of the region’s most promising markets for Islamic finance, and an authoritative Uzbek edition of the standards is an important step toward its sustainable, well-regulated development,” said Amier Al Moussa, Director, AAOIFI Centre for Islamic Finance Development.