What drives the decision to switch to Islamic banking? Evidence from the UAE

Islamic banking has witnessed remarkable growth in the last few years. The purpose of this study is to explore the factors (religious or secular) which are more important in the decision of consumers to switch to an Islamic bank. A questionnaire was designed to collect data from the regular users of banking services in the United Arab Emirates. A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed, out of which 390 returned questionnaires were suitable for further analysis. The respondents were asked to complete a survey on consumer attitudes towards Islamic banking. Specifically, they were asked to rank several factors (either religious or secular) that would influence their decision to switch to Islamic banking. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance as well as regression analysis.