BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, August 28. The National Bank of Kyrgyzstan (NBK) has granted Optima Bank a license to conduct banking operations under Islamic finance principles, Trend reports via the NBK.
The operations will be carried out through an Islamic window in both national and foreign currencies, allowing the bank to offer Sharia-compliant financial products to clients.
As of June 30, 2025, 21 commercial banks and 304 branches were operating in the country. Five of these banks provided services in accordance with Islamic banking and finance principles. The value of financing under Islamic principles increased by 50.2 percent since the beginning of the year, reaching 13.6 billion soms ($155 million), up from 9 billion soms ($103 million) at the end of 2024