Islamic banks and service quality: an empirical study of the UAE

This study measures the perceived level of service quality in the UAE Islamic banks, using a modified SERVQUAL model. The study attempts to determine the extent of the correlation and relationship that might exist between the service quality dimensions and Islamic banking variables on the one hand and between these and the independent variables on the other. The Islamic banking variables in this study include: return on investment accounts, services compliance with Islamic Shari'ah, financings compliance with Islamic Shari'ah, competitive service fees, competitive finance rate availability of all banking services, availability of profit-sharing finance, employee awareness of Islamic banking services and products and the trustworthiness of Shari'ah boards. The service quality dimensions include: tangibles, assurance, reliability, responsiveness and empathy, while the independent variables include: avoiding interest-based financing or riba, customers' familiarity with products and ser