CUSP Wealth as a voice of authority on where Islamic investing is heading.
Fifty years ago, the world’s first modern Islamic commercial bank opened its doors in Dubai. Today, the global Islamic finance industry spans 140 countries and has reached nearly $6 trillion in assets, growing 21% in a single year. If current growth continues, the industry is projected to reach $9.7 trillion by 2029.
By any measure, Islamic investing has arrived. And yet, for the everyday Muslim investor in the UAE, a fundamental problem persists: knowing how to actually participate in it.
The Growth Is Real. The Clarity Gap Is Too.
Despite the growing market, awareness of Islamic fintech products remains low, with only 30% of the UAE population familiar with available services, and 55% of respondents expressing uncertainty about the benefits of Islamic financial products.
The questions investors are left asking are practical ones: Which platforms are genuinely certified? What does Shariah screening actually mean in practice? How does a halal portfolio differ from a conventional one, and does it cost me in returns?
These are not niche concerns. They are the reason a multi-trillion-dollar industry has not yet reached the majority of the people it was built to serve.
How It Actually Works
Shariah-compliant investing is built on clear, well-established principles. It prohibits riba (interest) and investment in industries considered harmful: alcohol, tobacco, conventional banking, weapons and gambling. In practice, portfolios pass a two-layer screening process: a sector screen removing prohibited businesses, and a financial screen examining a company’s balance sheet for unacceptable levels of interest-bearing debt.
Critically, this is not a one-time exercise. Companies change. A stock compliant today may not be compliant next year. Continuous, real-time screening is what separates platforms with genuine Shariah governance from those applying a label.
Independent oversight matters equally. Certified Shariah scholars, not the platform itself, issue the Fatwa and monitor ongoing compliance. That separation is what gives investors real confidence.
The Answer Has to Be Built, Not Borrowed
“The Islamic finance industry has built extraordinary depth at the institutional level,” said Ramesh Murthy, Senior Executive Officer of CUSP Wealth. “What has lagged behind is the retail layer – the point where everyday investors can actually participate in a governed, transparent and cost-efficient way. That gap is what we are focused on closing.”
CUSP Wealth is the UAE’s first AI-powered investment platform to receive an official Shariah certification (Fatwa), issued by Amanie Advisors. Stock and ETF screening across 1,300+ halal securities is powered by Zoya. The company is regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).
But certification alone is not the differentiator. What separates CUSP Wealth is the model: an AI-powered robo advisory engine paired with access to human financial advisors, institutional-grade guidance, starting from $25, with zero trading fees and portfolio advisory fees of 0.75% annually. Both conventional and Shariah-compliant portfolios are available on one platform.
“We are not building for the UAE alone,” said Fedor Panteleev, Chief Product Officer of CUSP Wealth. “The Muslim investor base is international, mobile and underserved by the current generation of wealth platforms. We are competing globally, and we believe the platform that makes Shariah-compliant investing genuinely accessible, transparent and intelligent will define this category for a generation.”
The clarity problem in Islamic investing is solvable. CUSP Wealth has built the answer.
About CUSP Wealth
Cusp Wealth Ltd, regulated by the DFSA, is an investment company providing institutional-grade portfolio advisory services for investors from a USD 25 deposit. Through a hybrid advisory model combining AI-driven optimisation with expert financial advisor access, the platform offers transparent pricing (0.75% annual portfolio advisory fee, $0 trading fees)**, global market access to 10,000+ U.S. Stocks and ETFs, and comprehensive Shariah-compliant investment options. The platform is backed by an official Fatwa certification issued by Amanie Advisors. Cusp Wealth Ltd. is regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), Reference No. F011420.
*Cusp Wealth Ltd is registered in DIFC with license number 10863 and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority. Fees may be subject to change. Investment involves risk, including the potential loss of capital, and Shariah compliance does not eliminate investment risk. Individual experiences may vary and investment performance is not guaranteed. Shariah compliance certification does not constitute investment advice or guarantee returns. Advisory calls are only available to clients who meet the suitability assessment required by Cusp Wealth. For DIFC-based DFSA Retail clients only. T&Cs apply.
**Trading fees refers to fees during trade executions for users. Other fees, such as currency exchange rates, personalised portfolio advisory fee, credit card fees, may still apply.
