Financial Inclusion and Poverty Alleviation: Perspectives from Islamic Institutions and Instruments

This book explores the relationships between financial inclusion, poverty and inclusive development from Islamic perspectives. Financial inclusion has become an important global agenda and priority for policymakers and regulators in many Muslim countries for sustainable long-term economic growth. It has also become an integral part of many development institutions and multilateral development banks in efforts to promote inclusive growth. Many studies in economic development and poverty reduction suggest that financial inclusion matters. Financial inclusion, within the broader context of inclusive development, is viewed as an important means to tackle poverty and inequality and to address the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This book contributes to the literature on these topics and will be of interest to researchers and academics interested in Islamic finance and financial inclusion.

Muhamed Zulkhibri is a Senior Economist at the Islamic Research and Training Institute, Islamic Development Bank, Saudi Arabia, with years of progressive experience in the Central Bank of Malaysia and policy-oriented institutions. He has authored extensively on monetary economics, financial institutions and markets, finance and economic development, Islamic economics and finance, in leading academic journals, industry reports and the financial press. He has lectured for under and post-graduate programs at the University of Nottingham, UK, and University Putra Malaysia. He has a PhD in economics from the University of Nottingham, UK.
Abdul Ghafar Ismail is Head of Research at the Islamic Research and Training Institute, Islamic Development Bank, Saudi Arabia, and a professor of banking and financial economics at the University Kebangsaan, Malaysia. He has been lecturing at the university since 1987 on economics and finance courses such as money and banking, financial economics, advanced macroeconomics, Islamic economics system, money and capital markets in Islam and international finance; Islamic banking; money, zakat and the real economy; risk management in Islamic banking; Islamic financial management. His specialization is in the area of Islamic economics and finance. He has a PhD in economics from the University of Southampton, UK.