Mapping Global Sukuk Research: A Bibliometric Analysis of Trends, Themes, and Emerging Research Directions

Abstract

This study aims to map the development, intellectual structure, thematic trends, and emerging research directions of global sukuk research using a bibliometric approach. The study analyzes 642 English-language journal articles indexed in Scopus and published between 2007 and 2026, with the literature primarily concentrated in Economics, Econometrics and Finance, Business, Management and Accounting, and Social Sciences. Bibliometric analysis was conducted to identify publication patterns, geographical distribution, dominant research themes, keyword co-occurrence, and the temporal evolution of the research landscape. The findings indicate that sukuk research has evolved from foundational themes concerning Islamic finance, Islamic banking, Sharia compliance, bonds, and capital markets toward broader issues involving investment, risk management, portfolio diversification, financial market resilience, sustainability, and green finance. The temporal mapping particularly highlights the growing prominence of green sukuk, sustainable finance, climate change, green bonds, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as emerging research frontiers. Malaysia and Indonesia emerge as major contributors to the literature, reflecting their important roles in global Islamic capital-market development. Overall, the findings demonstrate that sukuk research is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary and closely connected with contemporary issues in sustainable finance, financial resilience, and market innovation. Future research should strengthen comparative cross-country studies and explore emerging areas such as digital sukuk, fintech, blockchain, sustainability-linked sukuk, and climate financing.