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This study aims to identify the determinants of bank selection for Islamic and conventional banks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Data were collected from 246 respondents in the Emirates of Dubai and Sharjah and focused on aspects such as bank products, service quality, profit, reputation, cultural and religious factors, in addition to demographic attributes of the sample. Multiple discriminant analysis is used to identify the most important determinants of bank selection.

The study concluded that the determinants for bank selection are more distinguishable amongst Islamic bank customers. Bank reputation and expectation of profit on deposits are not determinants of bank selection; however, religious preferences are the most important considerations in selection between Islamic and conventional banks.

Use of convenience sampling due to lack of resources may result in insufficient representation of population. Additionally, analysis of differences between the Muslim and non‐Muslim population with respect to their bank selection process may provide an avenue for future research.

The study has implications for both Islamic and conventional banks that can appropriately target the customers using bank selection determinants that are valued by the customers.

The study adds to the existing literature on consumer preferences for Islamic and conventional banks in the context of the UAE with a relatively large and recent data set.

The purpose of this paper is to understand if there is a customer perceived value for shareholders in investing in Islamic stocks, by using KMI30 index of Karachi Stock Exchange as a case study. The findings are then used to devise a conceptual model, highlighting the value of an Islamic branded index and for companies included on the index for market participants, Shari'ah‐compliant firms, and governments.

This is an exploratory research paper. A detailed literature review is followed by a quantitative analysis of the return series of 18 constituents of the KMI30 index. The analysis looks at performance before and after the launch of the index, to identify if inclusion on the Islamic index has impacted the average returns and volatility of the constituents and if it is considered as value added by the investors.

Analysis reveals that the KMI30 index is marginally less volatile than the KSE100 index and has relatively better returns, even in the most volatile times at the Karachi Stock Exchange. Most of the constituents under analysis have posted better returns after inclusion on the index, with 40 per cent of them showing less volatility. Though the trends are not clearly visible, there is an indication of increased returns and reduced volatility, both in the Islamic index and its constituents.

This study is the first step in analyzing if shareholders perceive inclusion of a company on the Islamic index as value added, resulting in increased share prices, better returns, and decreased volatility. Due to the lack of literature on the subject, the nature of the study is exploratory. Further analysis is required to understand if the changes in returns and volatility are due to investor perceptions. This study has implications for the organizations to understand the perception of investors about including companies on the Islamic index. If investors attach value to this proposition then it will be worthwhile for companies to invest resources in making their organization Shari'ah compliant and marketing it from that perspective. Additionally, this study will add to the knowledge of the regulators regarding whether the Islamic index is achieving its objectives of providing investment opportunities to investors offering better returns with less risk, besides being “Halal”.

There is a lack of studies that look at Islamic investments from the marketing perspective. Also, to the best of the authors' knowledge, no studies have analyzed the KMI30 index, either from a finance or marketing perspective. This study is the authors' contribution to the interdisciplinary body of knowledge and ever‐increasing literature on emerging markets in the context of Islamic investments.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the determinants of consumer loyalty in Islamic and conventional banks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The study has relevance and importance in a country with a dual banking system. Since the products and services offered by the banks are largely homogenous, customer loyalty is mostly associated with the quality of certain tangible and intangible dimensions of service. It is important for the banks to understand the factors that lead to higher satisfaction and subsequent loyalty among consumers in the context of the UAE.

More than 300 respondents were surveyed to understand the factors that lead to continuing a relationship with Islamic and conventional banks. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and stepwise regression.

The findings of the study indicate that Islamic banks’ customers are satisfied with the Shariah Advisory Board, convenience-related factors such as number of branches, and efficiency-related factors like handling issues on the phone. However, an inverse relationship is found between advice by the personnel and length of association with the bank. On the other hand, the importance of reputation and efficient handling of issues on the phone is highlighted with respect to conventional banks.

The study focusses only on consumers that bank either with Islamic or conventional banks and excludes those who deal with both Islamic and conventional banks simultaneously.

The research has several managerial implications, as the findings of the study not only highlight the factors that banking consumers value the most in the UAE banking sector, but also provide insight into the factors which need immediate attention. These decisions have strategic and resource-related implications for banks. This knowledge will allow banks to align services with their long-term objectives and invest into resources and capabilities that will provide them competitive advantage.

The study allows identification of factors that are valued the most by banking consumers in a culturally and religiously diverse country with a dual banking system.