The launch of modern Islamic community bank Ruya with Christoph Koster | Couchonomics with Arjun

In this episode, we’re joined by Christoph Koster, CEO of Ruya Bank, a digital-first Islamic community bank in the UAE. Ruya Bank is dedicated to bringing ethical Islamic banking practices to all communities in the UAE, supporting SMEs, startups, and low-income groups. Christoph and Arjun explore Islamic finance and banking, the potential for growth and collaboration in Islamic fintech, Ruya’s adoption of new technologies, and more.

Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of community banks, Islamic banking, and Ruya’s efforts to reshape banking in the UAE with its ethical approach.

#DigitalBanking #IslamicBanking #Sustainability #CommunityBanking #couchonomics #islamicFinance #OpenBanking #Innovation #Banking #digitalbanks


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Chapters:
00:00 - Episode highlights
01:43 - Introduction
02:25 - What is Ruya
03:53 - Digital Islamic bank
07:44 - Profitability and ethics
11:23 - Islamic banking
16:53 - Non-Muslim target audience
22:07 - Adopting new technologies
24:20 - Islamic fintech
30:34 - Why should you choose Ruya Bank
31:52 - Regulation
36:00 - Open banking & BaaS
39:20 - Ruya Bank launch
40:24 - Kids savings accounts
42:34 - Beyond banking
44:16 - SME and micro business banking
47:08 - Benchmarks for Ruya Bank
50:08 - Christoph’s CEO journey
51:35 - Closing words