Manama, Bahrain 24 August 2025 – ​​The National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) has announced its participation in Fintech Forward 2025 (FF25) as the first Diamond Sponsor, highlighting its commitment to advancing the Kingdom’s financial services sector. The two-day event, programmed by Economist Impact, will be hosted by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB) and supported by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) and Bahrain Fintech Bay. 

 The third edition of this fintech event, will take place on October 8th and 9th at Exhibition World Bahrain (EWB) with the theme “The era of integration: the maturing age of fintech”. FF25 will bring together fintech experts, financial firms, governments, and regulators from around the world to discuss trending themes, share insights, and exchange knowledge to ​ advance the industry.  

 Usman Ahmed, Group Chief Executive Officer of NBB said, “As a Diamond Sponsor of Fintech Forward 2025, we are proud to reaffirm our commitment, for a third consecutive year, to driving innovation in Bahrain’s financial sector. We believe this event plays a vital role in shaping the future of ​fintech​​     ​ in the region by bringing together industry leaders, innovators​  and policymakers to unlock new opportunities. At NBB, we remain focused on accelerating digital transformation, fostering collaboration, and supporting the development of a dynamic, future-ready financial ecosystem.” 

 NBB continues to advance on its digital transformation journey by introducing enhanced mobile and online banking features alongside strategic investments in technologies that elevate the customer experience through cutting-edge AI and machine learning solutions. These developments reflect NBB’s commitment to innovation, customer-centricity​ ​ and operational excellence. 

  The event will cover a broad range of topics shaping the fintech landscape, including the shift from rapid growth to sustainable maturity, the emergence of embedded infrastructure and advanced technologies, and the ​​prioritisation​​​​ of trust, regulation, and integration over disruption. It will also explore lasting and increased collaboration between regulators, sovereign investors​ ​ and traditional banks.