Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain: Kuwait Finance House – Bahrain (KFH-Bahrain) recently announced the successful renewal of its Electronic Funds Transfer System (EFTS) services certification, in compliance with the ISO 20022 MX standard.

This step follows the successful completion of technical and operational compatibility tests conducted by BENEFIT, the operator of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s national payment system. The tests were carried out in accordance with the requirements and standards approved by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), confirming that the Bank’s payment systems comply with the latest international standards.

The renewal of this certification reflects the Bank’s continued commitment to adopting international best practices and strengthening its readiness for the future of digital payments. It forms part of the Bank’s strategy to accelerate digital transformation and further develop its payment systems infrastructure, reinforcing its leadership in providing advanced payment solutions and digital banking services to individuals and businesses.

The benefits of this certification extend beyond technical enhancements, delivering direct value to customers by improving the efficiency of payment transactions, enhancing the quality and accuracy of transfer data, and strengthening compliance with regulatory requirements. It also provides customers with a faster, safer and more reliable banking experience, while supporting the development of more innovative and sustainable digital payment services that meet their evolving expectations and future needs.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Samih Abutaleb Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer of Technology & Operations – KFH-Bahrain, stated: “The renewal of our certification under the ISO 20022 MX standard represents another important milestone in the Bank’s journey towards advancing digital transformation and strengthening its leadership in digital payments. It reflects our continued commitment to adopting the latest international standards to provide more efficient and reliable services that meet our customers’ expectations.”

Commenting further, he added: “We continue to invest in developing our digital solutions and payment infrastructure to enhance the speed and efficiency of our services, elevate the customer experience and ensure the Bank’s readiness to keep pace with future developments. This further reinforces our position as a leading financial institution in innovation and operational excellence.”

It is worth noting that the ISO 20022 MX is a globally recognised standard for the exchange of financial messages between financial institutions and payment systems. It enables the exchange of more accurate and comprehensive data, contributing to improved payment processes and greater integration between financial systems. The renewal of KFH-Bahrain’s certification under this standard reaffirms the Bank’s continued investment in developing its digital services and providing banking solutions aligned with international best practices, leading to the improvement of the value delivered to customers and strengthening the Bank’s readiness for future requirements.

–Ends–

Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain – 2 August 2026: Kuwait Finance House – Bahrain (KFH-Bahrain) has recently won the Best Islamic Bank in Bahrain for ESG Practices award at the Euromoney Islamic Finance Awards 2026, as well as the Best Bank for Corporate Responsibility in Bahrain award. This latest achievement reflects the Bank’s success in integrating sustainability and corporate responsibility principles across its business activities and banking operations.

These accolades build on the extensive record of regional and international awards received by KFH-Bahrain in recent years, reflecting the success of its strategy in developing an integrated banking model that combines financial innovation, a commitment to sustainability and the creation of a positive impact on society and the economy. This further strengthens its position as a leading Islamic financial institution in the Kingdom and across the region.

The Bank received the Best Islamic Bank in Bahrain for ESG award in recognition of its continued efforts to direct financing towards projects with a sustainable development impact. Its financing commitments in this area exceeded USD400 million during 2025, covering green finance and social housing projects that support national development priorities, including water desalination, energy security and expanded access to home ownership. The Bank’s social housing finance portfolio also reached approximately USD300 million by the end of 2025, reflecting its commitment to providing financing solutions that broaden access to home ownership across different segments of society.

The Bank further strengthened its efforts in this area by implementing an integrated environmental and social risk management system aligned with the standards adopted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank. It also established a robust sustainability governance framework comprising dedicated corporate policies and Board-level oversight, while making environmental and social considerations a mandatory component of financing decisions.

In addition, the Bank implemented several operational initiatives aimed at reducing its environmental impact, including improving energy efficiency, adopting energy-saving lighting solutions, expanding the use of solar energy and providing electric vehicle charging facilities at a number of key locations.

KFH-Bahrain was also named Best Bank for Corporate Responsibility in Bahrain in recognition of its active role and development-focused initiatives. During 2025, the Bank continued to expand its community contributions by allocating approximately USD1.2 million to support more than 40 charity and development organisations across the Kingdom. Its initiatives benefited senior citizens, people with disabilities and children receiving healthcare support, in addition to supporting educational programmes, youth empowerment projects and financial literacy initiatives. The Bank also successfully reduced paper consumption by 42% through the adoption of more efficient and sustainable working practices based on digital solutions and technologies.

The Bank also placed particular emphasis on strengthening financial inclusion and expanding access to banking services by offering savings products with accessible requirements, financing solutions designed to meet the needs of diverse customer segments and more convenient and accessible service channels. It also continued to support social housing finance programmes, which recorded growth of 10% compared with the previous year, while offering attractive financing benefits and extended repayment periods to improve access to home ownership for low- and middle-income families. These efforts were complemented by the active participation of the Bank’s employees through volunteering and community partnerships with civil society organisations.

On this occasion, Dr Shadi Zahran, Group Chief Executive Officer of KFH-Bahrain, stated: “Winning these two prestigious Euromoney awards reflects the success of our institutional approach to aligning growth objectives with the principles of sustainability and corporate responsibility. It also reaffirms our commitment to building a banking model that generates a positive and sustainable economic and social impact extending beyond the scope of traditional financial services.”

He continued: “We view sustainability as an integral part of decision-making and business development. This drives us to continue investing in initiatives that support economic development, enhance quality of life and advance financial inclusion, in line with the Kingdom’s aspirations and development objectives.”

Dr Zahran added: “We will continue to develop our institutional practices and strengthen our partnerships with various stakeholders to create sustainable value for our customers and communities, while reinforcing KFH-Bahrain’s position as a leading Islamic financial institution that embraces the highest international standards in sustainability, governance and corporate responsibility.”

This latest achievement reaffirms KFH-Bahrain’s unwavering commitment to further embedding sustainability principles across its activities and strengthening its contribution to comprehensive development in the Kingdom of Bahrain, while maintaining a balance between institutional growth and responsibility towards society, the environment and the economy.

–Ends–