ila News

Reflecting its commitment to drive financial services to the next frontier, Bank ABC and its subsidiaries, ila Bank and AFS, partner with BFB to accelerate the growth of the fintech ecosystem in Bahrain and the Region

Manama, Bahrain: Bank ABC, MENA’s leading international bank, along with its subsidiaries, the digital, mobile-only, ila Bank, and the MEA region’s leading payment solutions provider and fintech enabler, Arab Financial Services (AFS), enter a founding partnership with Bahrain Fintech Bay (BFB). This strategic alliance illustrates Bank ABC and Bahrain FinTech Bay‘s continued commitment to play a pivotal role in the development of the fintech ecosystem in the Kingdom of Bahrain and expedite its transformation into a cashless, digital economy.


As part of the agreement, Bank ABC Group representatives, Dr. Yousif Almas, Group Chief Innovation Officer, Mohamed Al Maraj, ila Bank Bahrain Chief Executive Officer, Amira Ismail, Head of Business Development – Acquiring, AFS, joined BFB’s advisory board to enhance collaboration between the two parties and support BFB’s endeavor to foster innovation and empower fintech start-ups to contribute to the development of the fintech landscape in Bahrain.


This partnership builds on Bank ABC’s commitment to lead the fintech revolution in the MENA region and support local efforts to attract fintechs and entrepreneurs to establish a footing in Bahrain and tap into the vast potential for innovative financial services in the MENA region. The MENA region’s growing youth population, with more than half of its residents under the age of 25, and large underserved blue-collar segments make it an ideal market to deploy inclusive fintech solutions.


On behalf of the Group, Bank ABC Chief Innovation Officer, Dr. Yousif Almas, remarked: “At Bank ABC, we are dedicated to cultivating disruptive thinking and innovation in the financial services industry. The current unprecedented pandemic underscores the importance of empowering customers with accessible digital solutions that fulfil their needs and has nudged financial institutions to rethink their offerings. We are delighted to facilitate the industry’s digital transformation through our collaboration with Bahrain Fintech Bay.”


On his part, ila Bank Bahrain CEO, Mohamed Al Maraj, said: “The success of our fast-growing digital, mobile only bank illustrates the strong appetite in the Kingdom of Bahrain for seamless, smart banking solutions that empower customers to take charge of their financial lives.”


“This is further evidenced by the surge in ila’s customer base and transaction volume, which has quadrupled, amid the current social distancing practices. Our partnership with Bahrain Fintech Bay will help us bridge the local community with a global network of fintech enablers and providers, boost efforts to create a vibrant digital economy and promote Bahrain as the region’s leading fintech hub, creating long-lasting positive change for our community,” he added.


Amira Ismail, Head of Business Development – Acquiring, AFS commented on the development: “AFS has been part of the larger regional fintech movement for many years. We are committed to expediting the growth and acceleration of fintech activities across payments ecosystems in Bahrain and beyond. Our innovative merchant acquiring and fintech solutions are game-changing and market leading offerings that support our partners, seamlessly embedding fintech innovation through lifestyle-driven solutions that enhance how we transact.”


Bahrain Fintech Bay Chief Executive Officer, Khalid Danish said: “We are delighted to announce our partnership across the Bank ABC group. Our commitment to enabling innovation within the financial services industry, coupled with our robust network of like-minded partners will further drive our strategic national efforts towards enhancing our digital economy.


During this global health crisis, innovation and ingenuity will be more significant than ever before. Through this collaboration we will support Bank ABC Group’s endeavor to deliver best in class solutions and services to collectively position the Kingdom of Bahrain as the leading FinTech hub in MENA.”