Manama, Bahrain – The 2^nd of October 2025: Bank ABC, MENA’s leading international bank headquartered in the Kingdom of Bahrain, has announced its participation as a Platinum Sponsor for the upcoming edition of FinTech Forward. Recognised as the region’s premier strategic FinTech forum, the event is hosted by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB) and is set to take place on October 8th and 9th, 2025, at Exhibition World Bahrain (EWB).

Sael Al Waary, Group CEO of Bank ABC, said, “Our engagement in Fintech Forward 2025 underscores our firm commitment to advancing the digital transformation of the financial ecosystem in Bahrain and internationally. As we approach an era of integration driven by Fin-AI, we remain committed to enhancing our collaboration with global leaders and visionary innovators, sharing insights on the future of finance and particularly around the success of our digital, mobile-only bank, ila.”

Widely recognised for its strategic focus on digital transformation, Bank ABC operates a global network spanning 15 countries across five continents, delivering sophisticated global wholesale banking solutions in both conventional and Islamic finance. To maintain local market penetration, it operates dedicated retail branch networks in key North African and Levant jurisdictions (Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria). Furthermore, the launch of its innovative digital-only subsidiary, ila Bank, marks a strategic move into the future of retail banking, capturing the next generation of customers in markets such as Bahrain and Jordan. The Bank’s innovation and digitisation centre, ABC Labs, is recognised as one of the world’s best Financial Labs, and has introduced multiple region-first initiatives including MENA’s first AI-powered, emotionally intelligent digital assistant and blockchain based instant cross-border payments.