Middle East > Bahrain > Bahrain launches new rules for financial technology firms

Bahrain: Bahrain launches new rules for financial technology firms

2017/06/15

The Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) has announced new regulations to create a regulatory sandbox that will allow startups and fintech firms to test and experiment their banking ideas and solutions.

The creation of the regulatory sandbox provides an opportunity for fintech businesses around the world to expand and thrive in the Gulf and strengthens Bahrain’s position as a fintech and financial services hub in the GCC.

The framework provides a virtual space for companies to test their technology-based innovative solutions, and is open to existing CBB licensees and other local and foreign firms.

The testing duration is nine months, with a maximum extension of three months.

In order to be eligible, solutions need to demonstrate innovation, customer benefit, technical testing, and an intention to be deployed in Bahrain next the sandbox period ends.

According to Reuters, other regulators in the region have been fighting to establish themselves as regional powerhouses in FinTech, with Abu Dhabi and Dubai both looking to cultivate a financial startup scene. Saudi Arabia is aiming to place FinTech as a focus of its King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh.

Eligibility criteria

The CBB recently issued the Regulatory Sandbox Framework directive, which includes the eligibility criteria, filing requirements and timeline for the process.

This may be found on CBB’s website on the following link.

This is in line with the Kingdom’s efforts to further develop the ecosystem in place to encourage increase in the FinTech industry.

Most recently, the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) announced a partnership with FinTech incubator and ecosystem builder Singapore Fintech Consortium and Dubai-based investment management and advisory firm Trucial Investment Partners to develop a FinTech (financial technology) ecosystem and regulatory framework for the Kingdom.

The agreement includes support in developing the related commercial and legal infrastructure required to initiate, nurture and sustain Bahrain’s FinTech ecosystem. It will pave the way for increased interaction between fintech firms in the Middle East via Bahrain and those in ASEAN via Singapore and will facilitate the entry of Singaporean FinTech companies into the Kingdom.

Rasheed Mohammed Al Maraj, Governor of the CBB, said: “These new initiatives are a continuation of the CBB’s efforts to provide the right mix of policies and products to develop and enhance the quality and competitiveness of services in the financial sector. We are living in an era of unprecedented changes mainly brought about by technological advancement, where we are witnessing how technology is defining financial services and CBB remains at the forefront of these developments to enable the industry to advance similarly.”

Khalid Al Rumaihi, Chief Executive of the EDB, said: “The launch of the regulatory sandbox is an initiative that follows on the directives of HRH the Crown Prince to prioritise innovation that supports sustainable high price job creation in the Kingdom. In order to grow the fintech industry, we know we need to create an ecosystem in which entrepreneurs can innovate and test their ideas – and the introduction of Sandbox regulations is one of the key steps towards ensuring that environment. Bahrain has always been an attractive presentation for fintech - particularly due to our incomparable offering in areas such as Islamic finance and payments, and we are looking forward to welcoming additional local, regional, and international fintech firms.”

“The regulatory sandbox will enable industry players to apply innovative Fintech products while maintaining the in general safety and soundness of the economy; We are pleased with the introduction of this regulation, which sets a very forward-looking policy that adapts with the times,” said Khalid Hamad, Executive Director of Banking Supervision.

Bahrain provided better opportunities for fintech businesses in 2014, at the same time as the CBB initiated two new license types - payment services and card processing services - marking the entry of non-banking companies into banking services.

To date Bahrain has issued 14 licenses for these two activities.

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