BSI Opens Office In Dubai, Erick Thohir: An Important Step To Enter The Global Islamic Banking Industry

Erick Thohir (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - PT Bank Syariah Indonesia Tbk (BSI) is committed to supporting the Go Global state-owned enterprise (BUMN) program launched by SOE Minister Erick Thohir. One of the efforts to support the program is to build a BSI office in Dubai.

BSI officially reported receipt of the principle permit for the representative office in Dubai to the Minister of SOEs from the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) on Friday, November 5, 2021 at the Dubai DIFC Area.

The Letter of Incorporation received by BSI indicates that the largest Islamic bank in the country can officially open the market in the Middle East region. With the deed of establishment, BSI officially became part of DIFC. This brings BSI one step closer to achieving its goal of becoming a key player in the global Islamic banking industry.

SOE Minister Erick Thohir said this was the first marker of BSI's track record in the global market. BSI will be the first bank from Indonesia to have a representative office in the Middle East region.

With this expansion, said Erick, BSI hopes to realize its mission as a Top 10 Global Islamic Bank based on market capitalization by 2025.

"The presence of BSI in Dubai is expected not only to contribute to the development of the Islamic banking industry in Indonesia, but also to strengthen relations between Indonesia and Middle Eastern countries, especially the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Moreover, the UAE is one of the global investment centers, where Dubai is the center of global Islamic finance, including Sukuk," he said in a written statement, Saturday, November 6.

Erick hopes that BSI can optimize the business potential in Dubai and become a bridge between Indonesia and global investors, to invest their funds in government projects, BUMN and also for other development projects in the country.

"Of course, the presence of BSI in Dubai is also expected to facilitate access for all stakeholders to seek financial services and information to empower export and import businesses to the Middle East. This needs to be emphasized to strengthen Indonesia's economic growth and resilience, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, " he said.