Factors affecting customers’ attitude towards Islamic banking in UAE

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of the following factors: image, awareness, Shariah compliance and individualism, on the attitude and intention of customers to use Islamic banking among Bank customers in UAE, and the mediating role of attitude in that model, using a theoretical model based on the multi-attribute attitude model, the theory of reasoned actions and the theory of planned behaviour. Design/methodology/approach: The research will focus on surveying bank customers living in UAE. The researcher will use structural equation modelling to analyse the data. Findings: Results show that attitude and awareness affect intention directly, while image, awareness, Shariah compliance and individualism affect attitude directly and intention indirectly mediated by attitude. Research limitations/implications: The sample size includes 178 bank customers living in three cities in UAE, hence, the rest of the country is not included. Practical implications: The research shows the importance of Shariah compliance, individualism and image on attitude and intention and provides suggestions for banks to benefit from these aspects to widen their customer base. Social implications: The study provides an insight into individuals’ decision making and the importance of a social approach by banks when advertising. Originality/value: The research is the first empirical attempt to test new factors affecting attitude towards Islamic banking in UAE.