Hakeem, the technology-driven Islamic financial services platform created by Walee Financial Services Private Limited, earns international recognition after being named among CNBC and Statista World Top Fintech Companies 2026 in the Alternative Financing category. The annual ranking published by CNBC in partnership with market research firm Statista evaluates prominent financial technology organizations across the globe based on strict performance criteria, including technological innovation, operational growth, market scalability, and measurable ecosystem impact. This prestigious global inclusion serves as independent third-party validation for the underlying architecture, governance framework, and business strategy driving the Pakistan-based fintech platform forward as a serious contender in the international financial technology landscape.
For Hakeem, this international accolade highlights years of dedicated investment in responsible technology innovation, rigorous data-driven underwriting, disciplined credit risk controls, and Shariah-compliant product engineering. Since its commercial launch, the platform has integrated sophisticated financial technology with structured credit evaluation tools to establish a fully digital financing architecture. This modern infrastructure aims to democratize access to formal Shariah-compliant credit across diverse consumer demographics throughout Pakistan. To date, the mobile application has recorded over 2.8 million downloads while facilitating more than 300,000 Shariah-compliant financing transactions, illustrating a substantial shift in consumer demand toward ethical, digital-first micro-financing and nano-credit solutions within emerging markets.
Beyond its core consumer nano-finance offerings, parent company Walee Financial Services is actively constructing a comprehensive Islamic financial ecosystem designed to address widespread structural gaps in capital accessibility. The expanding platform incorporates proprietary digital credit scoring engines, cross-border remittance financing frameworks, digital Takaful distribution mechanisms, specialized women-focused credit initiatives, and modular Islamic Fintech-as-a-Service capabilities. A cornerstone of this strategy is the flagship KhudMukhtar Khatoon women entrepreneurship program, created in partnership with Karandaaz Pakistan and supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This dedicated program expands low-barrier financing for female enterprise owners, strengthening female economic empowerment and encouraging broader financial inclusion across rural and urban centers nationwide.
The recognition from CNBC and Statista adds to Hakeem growing international footprint and builds on a series of global milestones achieved in recent years. In 2024, the platform earned the title of Global Emerging Islamic FinTech at the Singapore FinTech Festival, presented by the Monetary Authority of Singapore alongside the Singapore FinTech Association following a rigorous independent evaluation process led by professional services firm PwC. Furthermore, Hakeem has collected accolades at the APAC Payments Excellence Awards for its contributions to regional payment innovation. These collective milestones demonstrate how local financial technology platforms in Pakistan can achieve international standards of operational resilience, regulatory compliance, and ethical capital distribution.
Reflecting on the global recognition, Noshad Khalid Minhas, Chief Executive Officer of Walee Financial Services, emphasizes that inclusion on the CNBC and Statista 2026 list marks a pivotal institutional milestone for both Hakeem and the broader Pakistani financial technology sector. He notes that the achievement demonstrates the dedicated efforts of internal teams alongside the continuous strengthening of the platform underwriting algorithms, risk governance protocols, and customer interface capabilities. As the platform enters its next growth phase, leadership remains focused on disciplined expansion, transparent governance, and responsible capital deployment to build a long-term financial institution capable of delivering sustainable value to consumers, institutional partners, and market stakeholders across the region.
Executive leadership further acknowledges that the achievement reflects synchronized contributions from every functional department within the company, spanning software development, product architecture, digital credit scoring, treasury management, compliance, Shariah governance, legal operations, and human resources. As Islamic finance experiences sustained demand globally and digital financial tools reconfigure capital distribution across emerging economies, Walee Financial Services aims to maintain its position at the forefront of digital ethical banking. By combining strict commercial discipline with scalable software infrastructure, the organization continues to advance responsible financial solutions that foster long-term economic resilience and equitable access to capital.
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