Fintech Forward 2026 (FF26) concluded yesterday at Exhibition World Bahrain, drawing over 2,900 local and international participants and featuring more than 60 MoUs, strategic agreements, and major initiatives.
The fourth edition of the event recorded a 65 per cent surge in announcements and signings compared to last year, marking its largest turnout of sponsors and exhibitors to date.
Hosted by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) and programmed by Forbes Middle East, the event was supported by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), Tamkeen, the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), and Bahrain FinTech Bay (BFB) under the theme ‘Finance in the Age of Intelligent Infrastructure.’
Among the major announcements was a Google Cloud Universal Ledger pilot showcased by BBK in collaboration with Array Innovation, a portfolio company of Mumtalakat.
The project explores advanced digital ledger technology within BBK’s core operations for applications in tokenised payments and programmable settlement.
In telecom and fintech, Beyon and Barq Group announced an agreement integrating Beyon Money’s operations with Barq’s fintech platform, with Beyon set to retain an economic interest subject to regulatory approvals.
Benefit announced NBB as the first participating bank and anchor partner in its Trade Finance Registry pilot, developed alongside MonetaGo and BFB to mitigate trade finance fraud.
Benefit also signed an MoU with Huawei to explore co-operation in digital infrastructure, AI, and emerging technologies, while entering a strategic partnership with Beyon Connect to pursue joint regional and international fintech ventures.
Additionally, Beyon Connect revealed plans to launch an Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Referral Programme, with AMAN Compliance Solutions joining as its initial partner.
KFH-Bahrain signed an MoU with STC Bahrain to deepen their digital partnership across cash management, reconciliation, and trade finance.
The forum also highlighted ecosystem growth through BFB’s launch of its fourth Fintech Ecosystem Report (2024-2026) and the announcement of the third edition of the NBB Innovation Programme.
This year’s edition debuted the Tech Talent Hub, featuring global giants Citi, JP Morgan, and KPMG to highlight the role of Bahraini talent in supporting global client operations.
International participation was underscored by official delegations from the United Kingdom – ”comprising 20 fintech and VC firms – and Switzerland, which made its event debut with a six-company delegation.
The forum featured over 40 prominent global speakers, led by Finance and National Economy Minister Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Sustainable Development Minister and Bahrain EDB chief executive officer Noor Al Khulaif, Central Bank of Bahrain Governor Khalid Humaidan, VIAI Chairman Shaikh Mohammed bin Saeed Al Nahyan, AI expert and former Google X Chief Business Officer Mo Gawdat, and former French international footballer and entrepreneur Louis Saha.
Key sessions across the conference addressed artificial intelligence, digital payments, stablecoins, tokenised finance, cross-border infrastructure, and the next phase of digital banking.
avinash@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))