Next year may very well earn the title “The Year of Syariah Banking.” No less than six banks are planning to open Syariah units, although not a single foreign bank among them.

Until today, only The Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) is interested in Syariah banking in Indonesia. Citibank, which has opened Syariah units in several countries, is still preoccupied with its old business. “The Indonesian market