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Al Baraka Bank Pakistan

A Pakistan-based Islamic bank providing Sharia-compliant banking services to retail, business, and institutional customers.

Last updated August 31, 2026

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Overview

Al Baraka Bank Pakistan, legally identified as Al Baraka (Pakistan) Limited, is an Islamic banking institution headquartered in Karachi. It operates in Pakistan within the international Al Baraka Banking Group, a Bahrain-based group focused on Islamic banking markets. The bank’s business is organized around Sharia-compliant financial services rather than conventional interest-based banking, serving individuals, businesses, and institutional customers through deposit, financing, and related banking activities. The institution’s Pakistani history began in 1991, when Al Baraka Islamic Bank entered the market through the operations of Al Baraka Islamic Bank of Bahrain. The Pakistani business was subsequently incorporated as a public limited company in December 2004. It received an Islamic banking license in 2007, establishing the regulatory basis for its operation as a dedicated Islamic bank in Pakistan. A major structural change occurred in October 2010, when Al Baraka Bank Pakistan merged with Emirates Global Islamic Bank Pakistan. The transaction combined the branch operations of Al Baraka Islamic Bank Bahrain, Al Baraka Islamic Bank Pakistan, and Emirates Global Islamic Bank Pakistan. The combined institution began operating on 1 November 2010 under the Al Baraka Bank Pakistan name. The merger was described as the first merger in Pakistan’s Islamic banking sector and expanded the institution’s operating platform. The bank later completed another significant consolidation in 2016 through its merger with Burj Bank Limited. By September 2016, the institution reported a nationwide presence comprising 191 branches in more than 97 Pakistani cities. This expansion positioned Al Baraka Bank Pakistan as a substantial participant in Pakistan’s Islamic banking sector, with a physical distribution network supporting its retail and commercial activities. Its core positioning is that of a full-service Islamic bank. The available reference material identifies deposits, financing, and banking services for retail, business, and institutional clients as central activities, but does not provide a sufficiently detailed, current product catalogue to enumerate individual named offerings. Similarly, current financial results, executive leadership, ownership percentages, website information, and present branch totals are not established by the supplied sources. The bank’s historical development is therefore best understood through its licensing, mergers, and network expansion rather than through unsupported claims about current scale or performance.

History

Al Baraka Bank Pakistan traces its Pakistani presence to 1991, when Al Baraka Islamic Bank of Bahrain established operations in the country. The business later adopted a more formal corporate structure by becoming a public limited company in December 2004. It obtained an Islamic banking license in 2007, allowing it to operate as a dedicated Sharia-compliant banking institution under Pakistan’s banking framework. The bank’s most important early organizational transformation came in October 2010, when it merged with Emirates Global Islamic Bank Pakistan. The consolidation brought together the branch operations of Al Baraka Islamic Bank Bahrain, Al Baraka Islamic Bank Pakistan, and Emirates Global Islamic Bank Pakistan. The merged entity commenced operations on 1 November 2010 and operated under the Al Baraka Bank Pakistan name. The transaction was notable because it was identified as the first merger in Pakistan’s Islamic banking sector. In 2016, Al Baraka Bank Pakistan undertook a second major merger, this time with Burj Bank Limited. The transaction further enlarged its domestic platform and helped establish a broad physical presence across Pakistan. By September 2016, the bank was reported to operate 191 branches in more than 97 cities nationwide. Throughout this development, the institution remained positioned as an Islamic bank within the Al Baraka Banking Group. Its activities serve retail, business, and institutional customers and are based on Islamic finance principles. The available reference does not establish a complete chronology of subsequent management changes, financial results, product launches, ownership changes, or later network figures. Those areas require additional current primary-source research.

  • 2016

    Merger with Burj Bank

    [1]

    The bank completed a merger with Burj Bank Limited and subsequently reported a nationwide network of 191 branches in more than 97 cities as of September 2016.

  • 2010

    Merger with Emirates Global Islamic Bank

    [1]

    Al Baraka Bank Pakistan merged with Emirates Global Islamic Bank Pakistan. The merged operations began on 1 November 2010.

  • 2007

    Islamic banking license

    [1]

    The institution received an Islamic banking license in Pakistan.

  • 2004

    Incorporation as a public limited company

    [1]

    The Pakistani banking business was incorporated as a public limited company in December 2004.

  • 1991

    Entry into Pakistan

    [1]

    Al Baraka Islamic Bank of Bahrain established banking operations in Pakistan, creating the foundation of the later Al Baraka Bank Pakistan business.

Products and positioning

A Sharia-compliant commercial bank serving retail, business, and institutional customers in Pakistan.

  • Deposits

    Islamic deposit products

    The bank provides deposit-taking services structured according to Islamic banking principles. The supplied reference confirms deposits as part of its banking activities but does not identify individual account names, eligibility rules, profit-sharing structures, or current pricing.

  • Financing

    Sharia-compliant financing

    Islamic financing is a core area of the bank’s business, supporting customers through financing structures designed to comply with Sharia principles. The available source does not provide enough detail to specify individual financing contracts, sectors, limits, or current terms.

  • Banking services

    Retail, business, and institutional banking

    Al Baraka Bank Pakistan serves retail customers as well as business and institutional clients. Its broader banking service scope is documented at a general level, while a detailed current catalogue of cards, accounts, cash-management services, and other named offerings is not established by the supplied reference.

Brand decisions

  • 2016

    Merger with Burj Bank LimitedM&A

    Background

    Al Baraka Bank Pakistan pursued further consolidation within Pakistan’s Islamic banking market.

    Action taken

    The bank merged with Burj Bank Limited in 2016.

    Aftermath

    By September 2016, the bank was reported to have 191 branches in more than 97 cities across Pakistan.

  • 2010

    Consolidation with Emirates Global Islamic Bank PakistanM&A

    Background

    Al Baraka’s Pakistani operations were combined with Emirates Global Islamic Bank Pakistan and related Al Baraka branch operations in a period of development for Pakistan’s Islamic banking sector.

    Action taken

    The merger was completed in October 2010, with the combined entity beginning operations on 1 November 2010 under the Al Baraka Bank Pakistan name.

    Aftermath

    The transaction was identified as the first merger in Pakistan’s Islamic banking sector and created the operating structure of the renamed bank.

Recent events

  • 2016

    Al Baraka Bank Pakistan completes merger with Burj Bank[1]

    M&A

    The bank merged with Burj Bank Limited, contributing to the expansion of its national Islamic banking network. By September 2016, the bank was reported to have 191 branches in more than 97 cities.

  • 2010

    Al Baraka Bank Pakistan merges with Emirates Global Islamic Bank[1]

    M&A

    Al Baraka Bank Pakistan merged with Emirates Global Islamic Bank Pakistan. The combined operations began on 1 November 2010, and the transaction was described as the first merger in Pakistan’s Islamic banking sector.

Sources1 sources

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