Engine by Starling to power the next era of Shariah-compliant banking

- Engine by Starling is expanding offering to support Islamic banking capabilities

- New capabilities set to support multi-trillion dollar addressable market

DUBAI: November 2026:

Engine by Starling, the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) subsidiary of Starling Bank, is expanding its cloud-native platform capabilities to deliver infrastructure specifically engineered for the Islamic banking sector. This enhancement is designed to serve one of the fastest-growing sectors in global banking, driven by rising demand for ethical, transparent and asset-backed financial solutions.

Engine by Starling will provide banks with the technology, capabilities and flexibility necessary to launch Shariah-compliant products without relying on legacy systems or complex vendor interdependencies. Financial institutions will be able to configure, test, and deploy compliant products within a single environment, accelerating time-to-market while maintaining regulatory compliance.

Engine's platform provides strategic optionality for financial institutions by enabling greenfield digital ventures to launch rapidly, incumbent Shariah-only banks to modernise through migration, and traditional banks to introduce insulated Islamic capabilities to their proposition.

Following an assessment by specialist Shariah advisors, Amanie Advisors, Engine has been awarded conditional Shariah approval to serve the Islamic finance market, with the advisors finding that the platform’s architecture is well-positioned to Shariah adaptation through considered enhancements, without changes to its foundational infrastructure.

The platform’s native capabilities will support the six pillars of Islamic finance:

• No interest-based financing (Riba): Configurable product structures will let banks offer financing and savings on fixed-price or profit-based contracts, with segregated ledgers keeping Shariah-compliant balances separate.

• Real economic substance: Products will be linked to an underlying asset or transaction, supporting necessary Shariah contract structures.

• Profit and risk sharing: Flexible product configuration and profit calculations will support partnership contract models. Shariah compliance screening: MCC and merchant blocking, alongside Shariah business screening, will automatically block non-permissible transactions or entities.

• Transparency and informed consent: Unified dashboards and a granular data model will give banks and customers clear, real-time visibility of terms, charges and balances.

• Shariah governance and oversight: Clear data tagging and auditable product configuration will support ongoing compliance needs and any review by a bank’s Shariah board.

Sona Raichoora, Regional Manager, Middle East at Engine by Starling, adds: “Engine's capabilities are set to open new doors for financial institutions worldwide. Established retail and business banks can modernise their legacy tech without sacrificing Shariah compliance, while emerging digital banks and fintechs can launch ethical, asset-backed products in weeks rather than years.

By supporting everything from daily transaction accounts to profit-sharing deposits and home financing, our platform empowers institutions to capture expanding markets, cater to younger, tech-savvy demographics, and deliver seamless, values-driven banking to millions of customers globally.”

With a dedicated regional presence and a local office in Dubai, Engine is committed to supporting existing and new client banks with on-the-ground expertise and long-term partnership.

About Engine by Starling Engine by Starling is a SaaS technology provider with the goal of bringing its modern banking platform to banks around the world. The Engine platform, built to power Starling Bank in the UK, is modular, API-based, cloud-native and a proven technology at scale.

For further information about Engine by Starling, please visit: enginebystarling.com/about-us/

About Starling Group Starling Group includes Starling Bank, the fully licensed and regulated UK bank, Engine by Starling, a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider, and Fleet Mortgages, a specialist Buy-to-Let mortgage lender. Headquartered in London, the Group has offices in Cardiff, Manchester and Southampton.

Contacts: Engine by Starling media@enginebystarling.com