Program Director

Dr. Irum Saba

Dr. Irum Saba

Email: isaba@iba.edu.pk




  • Associate Professor, Department of Finance, Institute of Business Administration-Karachi, Pakistan
  • Board Member in Malaysian, Pakistani and Maldivian companies
  • Member of Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Standing Committee on "Islamic Banking" 2020
  • Grand Councillor, Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals (CIIF), Malaysia
  • Coordinator, (Academics and Research) Centre for Excellence in Islamic Finance (CEIF), IBA-Karachi, Pakistan
  • Program Director, MS Islamic Banking and Finance, IBA-Karachi, Pakistan
  • Recipient of Most Influential Woman (No. 17) in the world in Islamic Business and Finance by Cambridge Institute of Islamic Finance, 2020.
  • Recipient of Most Influential Woman (No. 18) in the world in Islamic Business and Finance by Cambridge Institute of Islamic Finance, 2019.
  • Recipient of Women on Board Distinction & Award for Leading Woman in Islamic Finance, 2017, Maldives
  • Recipient of Women on Board Distinction & Award for Best Young Woman Professional, 2016, Maldives
  • Sub-editor of Journal of Islamic Finance Accountancy (JOIFA), AAOIFI, Bahrain
  • Vice President-Asia Pacific Applied Economics Association (APEA), Australia

Dr. Saba has more than 15 years of progressive regulatory, research, training and teaching experience with organizations of international repute. Currently, she is on deputation from State Bank of Pakistan (central bank) to IBA-Karachi. She is Assistant Professor in the Department of Finance and Program Director of MS Islamic Banking and Finance at IBA-Karachi Pakistan.

She has the honour to be first Pakistani female to be part of International Shari'ah Advisory Board in South East Asia and Middle East. She delivers trainings both at local and international levels in addition to teaching, research and administrative work. She has written several articles and chapters in books on the topics of Management, corporate governance, Islamic finance and Islamic microfinance.

She has extensive regulatory experience with specific focus to promote Islamic banking and Finance while working in the Islamic Banking Department of SBP. She has also contributed to the promotion and growth of Takaful industry while working with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). She is a Shari'ah-registered financial planner (Shari'ah RFP). She holds the Chartered Islamic Finance Professional (CIFP) credential from INCEIF with distinction and PhD in Islamic Finance from INCEIF. She holds a Master in Commerce (M. Com) with distinction and PGD in Islamic Banking and Insurance from Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance (IIBI), London. Her areas of interest are Political Economy, Management, Shari'ah, Wealth planning and Management, Islamic microfinance, corporate governance and Islamic finance.