COMPARATIVE TFP GROWTH BETWEEN GCC CONVENTIONAL AND ISLAMIC BANKS BEFORE AND AFTER THE 2008 FINANCIAL CRISIS

This paper measures and compares the performance of GCC conventional and Islamic banks in terms of total factor productivity growth (TFPG) before and after the 2008 financial crisis. The sources of TFPG are technical change, size economies, and observed asset growth. Technical change and size economies are measured by estimating a translog cost function and factor share equations. Results show that Islamic banks outperformed conventional banks overall and across different sizes. To the extent that product and process innovation improves TFPG, Islamic banks have weathered the 2008 financial crisis by being more innovative than conventional banks.