Independent Shariah advisory · Kingdom of Bahrain
Sheikh Dr. Osama Bahar
Independent Shariah Advisor & Islamic Financial Engineer
Principled by Shariah. Structured for modern finance.
Independent judgement. Institutional authority.
Sheikh Dr. Osama Bahar is a distinguished Bahraini Shariah scholar, Islamic financial engineer and independent advisor whose career spans more than three decades of Islamic banking, Shariah governance, financial structuring and institutional advisory.
30+ Years in Islamic finance
14 Shariah boards & advisory mandates
5 Markets served
10+ Studies & research papers
Mandates
Trusted at board level
Regulators, banks, takaful operators and investment institutions across the Gulf.
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Central Bank of Bahrain
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Bahrain Bourse
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Gulf International Bank B.S.C.
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Al Salam Bank
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Al Salam Bank Algeria
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Ithmaar Bank
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Family Bank
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ADCB Islamic Bank
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First Energy Bank / Sayacorp
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Venture Capital Bank / Esterad Bank
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Alizz Bank
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Solidarity Bahrain B.S.C.
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Gulf Islamic Investments
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Reef Real Estate Finance
Boards
Board memberships & mandates
Current Shariah supervisory board seats and advisory appointments.
Regulatory & capital markets
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Central Bank of Bahrain
Member, Shariah Supervisory Board
Bahrain Current
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Bahrain Bourse
Shariah Advisor
Bahrain Current
Shariah supervisory board appointments
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Gulf International Bank B.S.C.
Shariah Supervisory Board
Bahrain Current
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Al Salam Bank
Shariah Supervisory Board
Bahrain Current
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Al Salam Bank Algeria
Shariah Supervisory Board
Algeria Current
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Ithmaar Bank
Shariah Supervisory Board
Bahrain Current
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Family Bank
Shariah Supervisory Board
Bahrain Current
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ADCB Islamic Bank
Shariah Supervisory Board
United Arab Emirates Current
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First Energy Bank / Sayacorp
Shariah Supervisory Board
Bahrain Current
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Venture Capital Bank / Esterad Bank
Shariah Supervisory Board
Bahrain Current
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Alizz Bank
Shariah Supervisory Board
Oman Current
Investment, takaful & specialist finance
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Solidarity Bahrain B.S.C.
Chairman, Shariah Supervisory Board
Bahrain Current
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Gulf Islamic Investments
Shariah Advisor
United Arab Emirates Current
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Reef Real Estate Finance
Shariah Advisor
Bahrain Current
Advisory
Core advisory practice
Governance · Financial engineering · Independent opinions · Shariah disputes · Transaction review · Product structuring
Shariah Governance
Board-level Shariah governance: framework design, policy, oversight and the reporting line between a Shariah board and executive management.
Islamic Financial Engineering
Designing compliant structures for instruments that conventional finance solves differently — and making them work commercially.
Independent Shariah Opinions
Written, reasoned opinions on specific transactions, products and contractual questions, issued independently of any institution.
Shariah Dispute Advisory
Independent Shariah analysis of contractual and transaction disputes, differing Shariah positions, and proposed resolutions where financial and Shariah considerations intersect.
Transaction Review
Pre- and post-execution review of investment transactions for Shariah compliance, with practical alternatives where a structure fails.
Product Structuring
Taking a commercial objective and building the compliant product around it, from concept through documentation and launch.
- Islamic credit card
- Islamic cash financing
- Islamic investment funds
- Conversion of conventional financing into Murabaha structures
- Murabaha
- Mudarabah
- Ijarah
- Istisna'a
- Investment transaction review
Biography
Three decades in Islamic finance
From the Shariah department of a Bahraini bank to the boards that govern them.
Sheikh Dr. Osama Bahar is a distinguished Bahraini Shariah scholar, Islamic financial engineer and independent advisor whose career spans more than three decades of Islamic banking, Shariah governance, financial structuring and institutional advisory.
His work sits where Shariah scholarship, institutional governance and financial engineering converge: reviewing investment transactions for Shariah compliance, developing alternative solutions, restructuring Shariah contracts, preparing research studies, training institutional staff, and representing institutions at conferences and seminars on Islamic investments and banking.
Experience
The experience behind the authority
Senior Shariah roles across four institutions, 1994 to 2017.
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First Energy Bank
Head of Shariah Compliance & Advisory
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Al Salam Bank
Head of Shariah Compliance
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ABC Islamic Bank
Shariah Compliance Officer
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Shamil Bank of Bahrain
Manager, Shariah Department & Secretary to the Shariah Board
Speaking
Training, conferences & seminars
Programmes for institutional staff and keynote participation across the industry.
Institutional training
In-house programmes for Shariah, compliance, product and front-office teams on Islamic instruments and their practical application.
Conference keynotes
Keynote and panel participation on Islamic investment, banking and Shariah governance.
Board & executive briefings
Closed briefings for boards and executive committees on Shariah governance obligations and structural risk.
Fiqh assemblies & seminars
Participation in Islamic seminars and Fiqh assemblies on contemporary application of Islamic jurisprudence.
Questions
Frequently asked
Who is Sheikh Dr. Osama Bahar?
Sheikh Dr. Osama Bahar is a Bahraini Shariah scholar, Islamic financial engineer and independent advisor with more than three decades of experience in Islamic banking, Shariah governance, financial structuring and institutional advisory.
Which Shariah supervisory boards does he serve on?
He serves on the Shariah Supervisory Board of the Central Bank of Bahrain and as Shariah advisor to Bahrain Bourse, alongside board appointments at Gulf International Bank, Al Salam Bank (Bahrain and Algeria), Ithmaar Bank, Family Bank, ADCB Islamic Bank, First Energy Bank / Sayacorp, Venture Capital Bank / Esterad Bank and Alizz Bank, Oman. He chairs the Shariah Supervisory Board of Solidarity Bahrain.
What advisory services does he provide?
Shariah governance, Islamic financial engineering, independent Shariah opinions, Shariah dispute advisory, transaction review and product structuring — for banks, takaful operators, investment institutions, regulators and corporates.
What are his academic qualifications?
A doctorate from Lahaye University in the Kingdom of Holland, a master’s degree from Al Emam Al Awzae University in Beirut, and a bachelor’s degree in Islamic Shariah from Prince Abdul Qader University of Islamic Studies in Algeria.
What is his senior banking experience?
Head of Shariah Compliance & Advisory at First Energy Bank (2008–2017), Head of Shariah Compliance at Al Salam Bank (2006–2008), Shariah Compliance Officer at ABC Islamic Bank (2005–2006), and Manager of the Shariah Department and Secretary to the Shariah Board at Shamil Bank of Bahrain (1994–2005).
Which markets does he cover?
Bahrain is his base, with current mandates in the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Algeria, and advisory work for institutions and funds across the GCC.
Does he act as an independent expert in Shariah disputes?
Yes. He provides independent Shariah analysis of contractual and transaction disputes, assesses differing Shariah positions, and proposes resolutions where financial and Shariah considerations intersect.
Which Islamic finance structures does he work with?
Murabaha, Mudarabah, Ijarah and Istisna’a structures, Islamic credit cards, Islamic cash financing, Islamic investment funds, and the conversion of conventional financing into Murabaha structures.
Does he provide training for institutional staff?
Yes. He trains staff of Islamic financial institutions and represents institutions as a speaker at conferences and seminars on Islamic investment and banking.
How can an institution engage him?
Through the contact form on this site, or directly by email or telephone. Enquiries should state the institution, the mandate type — board seat, opinion, review, structuring or training — and the expected timeline.
Contact
Enquiries
For board appointments, opinions, reviews, structuring mandates and training.
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Email
[email protected] -
Mobile
+973 3303 3013 -
WhatsApp
+973 3303 3013 -
Manama
Kingdom of Bahrain