DUBAI, July 1 (Reuters) - SriLankan Airlines signed a $175 million sharia-compliant loan, a statement from one of the arranging banks said on Sunday, the first time the carrier has borrowed from the international syndicated loan market.

The state-owned airline completed the four-year facility with Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank ADIB.AD , Abu Dhabi's Al Hilal Bank, Mashreqbank MASB.DU , Dubai's Noor Islamic Bank and United Bank Limited UBL.KA , a statement from Mashreq's Islamic arm said.

The loan was provided in dollars and UAE dirhams and will be repayable from ring-fenced cash flows, the statement added.

"The successful closure of this transaction is clear evidence of the growing acceptance of the Sri Lanka credit story in international markets," said John Iossifidis, head of international banking group at Mashreq.

SriLankan Airlines has 19 aircraft and flies to 60 destinations, according to the statement.

(Reporting by David French; Editing by Amran Abocar)

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Keywords: SRILANKA AIRLINES/LOAN