Auditorium of Prof. Dr. Suwito, MA SPs UIN Jakarta, SPs NEWS - The Graduate School (SPs) of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta held the 2810th Thesis Exam at the SPs Theater Room of UIN Jakarta on Monday, April 13, 2026 with candidate Mohammed Abdullah M Aldawsari.

Abdullah merupakan mahasiswa program Magister Pengkajian Islam dengan Konsentrasi Syariah. Tesisnya berjudul "Shari'a Policies to Improve the Quality of Human Resources: A Critical Study of Saudi Bank Albilad".

In his presentation, Abdullah highlighted how sharia-based HR regulations and policies play a crucial role in improving professionalism and employee competence. Taking a case study of Bank Albilad in Saudi Arabia, this study provides a real picture of the transformation of banking management that aligns the demands of modernity with fundamental Islamic principles.

This study uses a mixed methods approach, a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods that is very comprehensive. Aldawsari conducted a survey of 80 employees, conducted in-depth interviews, and dissected internal regulatory documents and company performance reports to ensure that the data produced had high accuracy.

Through this approach, this research succeeded in assessing the close relationship between the implementation of ethical values such as fairness, trust, and transparency with organizational commitment. The results show that competency development based on Islamic principles is not just a formality, but the main driving force for continuous improvement of employee performance.

Abdullah argued that in the midst of increasingly fierce global Islamic banking competition, the effectiveness of HR policies is highly dependent on organizational consistency. The alignment between sharia normative values, good governance, and modern banking professionalism standards is the main key for an institution to survive and excel in the international market.

Furthermore, the sharia HR policy in Abdullah's view does not only function as a managerial instrument to regulate daily operations. He positioned the policy as an ethical-strategic mechanism that is able to build integrity, loyalty, and a strong sense of belonging (organizational commitment) in every individual in the company.

Based on field findings, the sharia-based HR policy at Bank Albilad has been implemented relatively effectively with a success rate of 78%. This effectiveness is evident in various lines, ranging from transparent recruitment processes, systematic training programs, career development, to fair incentive and supervision systems.

The positive impact of the effectiveness of the policy is directly reflected in the company's productivity and high levels of employee job satisfaction. However, Abdullah did not turn a blind eye to the existing challenges, such as the gap between written policies and practices on the ground that are sometimes still encountered.

This study also noted the limitations of human resources who have dual competencies, namely mastering the aspects of sharia as well as modern banking. In addition, the complexity of adjusting bank operations to international standards is an important note for Islamic bank management to continue to innovate and adapt without abandoning its Islamic identity.

As a theoretical contribution, this research supports the organizational commitment theory of Meyer and Allen and the concept  of Islamic Management from Umer Chapra. On the contrary, Abdullah firmly rejects  Christopher Hood's New Public Management  paradigm which emphasizes efficiency and pure managerialism, because it is considered to ignore the ethical dimension and Maqasid al-Shari'ah which is the spirit of Islamic banking.

Abdullah successfully defended his thesis under the guidance of Prof. Dr. JM Muslimin, MA and Mohammad Adnan, LL.M, Ph.D, and was tested before a board of examiners consisting of Prof. Dr. Yusuf Rahman, MA, Prof. Dr. JM Muslimin, MA, Mohammad Adnan, LL.M, Ph.D, Prof. Dr. Iik Arifin Mansurnoor, MA, Dr. Alvian Iqbal Zahasfan, SSI, Lc., MA.

After paying attention to the thesis writing, the comments of the examiner team and the candidate's answers, the examiner team determined that Abdullah graduated with the predicate of Very Satisfactory. Mohammed Abdullah M Aldawsari is the 2810th Master in the field of Islamic Studies, in the Master's program of the Graduate School of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. (JA)