The permanent secretariat of The General Council for Islamic Banks And Financial institutions was established in 2001 and headquartered in Bahrain pursuant to the Amiri Decree No 23, dated 16 May 2001. The Secretariat shall be comprised of the Secretary General and the technical and administrative units of CIBAFI.

In line with Article 21 of CIBAFI Articles of Association, the key functions of the secretariat are to :

• Coordinate the activities of the General Assembly, the Board of Directors and sub-committees. Take measures to ensure the implementation of the resolutions adopted by any of these bodies and follow up their implementation.
• Run the day-to-day affairs and activities of the Council.
• Coordinate and supervise studies, publications, booklets and reports issued by the Council.
• Strengthen ties between the Council and other organizations having similar objectives, as well as between the Council and other Islamic financial institutions.
• Prepare the Council’s future plans and its annual budget and submit them to the Board of Directors for discussion prior to their approval.
• Prepare the financial statements and reports, and submit them to the Board of Directors for discussion prior to their approval.
• Act as rapporteur for the General Assembly and the Board of Directors.
• Undertake any other functions assigned by the General Assembly or the Board of Directors.