Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) has held, under the patronage of the Central Bank of Tunisia, and in cooperation with Al-Imtithal for Islamic Finance and the Tunisian Association of Islamic Finance, a launching ceremony for the newly issued French version of AAOIFI’s Shari’ah standards, at Ramada Plaza Hotel, Gammarath, Tunisia. A host of dignitaries and high-profile personalities including ministers, law-makers, representatives of the Central Bank and other regulatory and supervisory authorities, senior managements of Islamic banks and financial institutions, Shari’ah scholars, academicians, professionals, and the media.

The ceremony featured a presentation on the efforts exerted towards completion of this important project which was earlier awarded to Al-Imtithal for Islamic Finance and the Tunisian Association of Islamic Finance, from amongst seven distinguished competing bidders from a number of countries in Europe and North Africa. The project was carried out by a large number of experts, including translators, reviewers, and proofreaders, as well as legal, financial, banking, and Shari’ah experts, over a span of 450 days. The French version is intended to cater to French speakers around the globe, especially those interested in the area of Islamic finance, both Muslims and others.

In this respect, H.E. Shaikh Ebrahim Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, AAOIFI, stated: “the French translation project is particularly imperative as French is an official and spoken language in 29 countries around the world. It is used by more than 274 million people and is the language of business and finance in a group of countries where Islamic finance has been gaining traction, specifically, in North and West Africa and a number of European countries. He lauded the positive stance of Tunisia, now and over the years, as to support the Islamic finance industry, nationally, regionally and globally.