NBB launches digitalised treasury bills in Bahrain

The National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) recently launched its digitalised treasury bills (T-Bills), marking a transformative step in the evolution of Bahrain’s capital markets infrastructure. The new digital process enables end-to-end issuance, settlement, and management of T-Bills through a secure and automated platform. Accessible through NBB’s Digital Banking platform, the solution allows customers to select from a range of investment opportunities. Users can subscribe to, manage, and monitor their T-Bill portfolios anytime and anywhere through a secure and fully digitalised experience. Commenting on the announcement, NBB head of wealth management Ali Janahi said, “At NBB, our mission is to put customers at the heart of everything we do. This launch is a testament to our commitment to building strong partnerships with all our customers and potential investors to grow together. It also underscores our focus on driving innovation, enhancing operational efficiency, and delivering tailored solutions that raise the bar for investor experience.” Omar Al Adhami, head of retail digital banking at NBB added, “This initiative represents a key milestone in our digital-first strategy, aimed at delivering every customer a seamless and secure digital experience tailored to their financial needs. Through NBB Digital Banking, customers can conveniently access a new investment opportunity in addition to the comprehensive suite of products and services, all in one place, making NBB Digital their trusted one-stop shop for all their banking requirements.” The launch is aligned with NBB’s broader strategy to integrate customer-centric digital solutions across its investment banking offerings, while supporting national objectives for digital advancement and sustainability. The platform is underpinned by a robust and compliant digital infrastructure that safeguards client data and ensures the integrity of all transactions. It also contributes to the bank’s ESG agenda by reducing reliance on paper-based processes. Read more: https://lnkd.in/d4qXPVu5

A quiet transformation is unfolding in digital banking. What began as a race for speed, convenience, and low-cost access is now evolving into something more human, a movement that blends faith, personal purpose, and financial empowerment within a digital framework. Across the financial sector, digital banks are moving beyond transactional functions to create emotionally intelligent ecosystems. The shift is subtle but profound: from offering accounts and apps to offering meaning. The rise of savings features linked to spiritual, ethical, or life-stage goals reflects an awareness that money is not merely a medium of exchange, it is an expression of values. This change is most visible in faith-based digital finance. New platforms are embedding Shariah principles and value-based design into their interfaces, making financial planning feel less like accounting and more like aspiration. Savings tools that help users plan for pilgrimage, charity, or community-oriented goals are emerging as digital companions that motivate consistent behaviour rather than passive deposits. Behind the design lies technology — behavioural analytics, AI-assisted nudges, and data visualisation — quietly helping users form better habits. These systems monitor patterns and offer reminders or encouragements, turning saving and spending into guided, mindful experiences. The technology itself is agnostic, but the intent behind it, to align financial conduct with moral and emotional purpose, is what distinguishes this new generation of digital banking. Globally, the industry is also learning that inclusion is no longer just about access. True inclusion means understanding why people save and spend, not just how. Digital tools that integrate spiritual or ethical motivations bring financial planning closer to lived reality, especially for younger generations who see money management as part of personal growth rather than mere accumulation. This merging of fintech and faithtech opens intriguing policy questions too: How can financial institutions balance data-driven personalisation with ethical transparency? How do algorithms encourage responsible behaviour without crossing into manipulation? The answers will shape not only user trust but also the moral architecture of digital finance itself. As digital banking matures, differentiation will no longer rest on who has the sleekest interface or the most features. It will depend on who can design experiences that reflect conscience, community, and care. In a way, the future of finance may circle back to its oldest lesson — that wealth is a trust, not a possession. Digital tools are simply giving us new ways to live that truth, one purposeful savings plan at a time.

Bank Windhoek has emerged as a pioneer in Namibia by introducing instant wallet-to-wallet transfers, enabling customers to transact without a traditional bank account. This innovation aligns with the Payment System Management Act of 2023 and PSD-3 regulation issued by the Bank of Namibia in March 2025, which set clear rules for e-money issuance to enhance safety, efficiency, and financial inclusion. The Payment System Management Act, 2023 establishes a secure and efficient national payment system and regulates electronic money issuance. Key provisions include licensing of payment service providers, mandatory trust accounts to safeguard customer funds, consumer protection through fee transparency and dispute resolution, and promotion of interoperability and innovation. This framework aligns with Namibia’s obligations under the SADC Treaty 1992  (Articles 21 and 22) and the Protocol on Finance and Investment (2006), supporting regional financial integration. Impact on Consumers: The Act delivers greater choice through wallets and mobile payments, stronger protection via regulated fees, improved convenience with real-time transfers, and expanded access for unbanked populations. Impact on Banks The Act reshapes the banking landscape, creating new market opportunities but also introducing competition from non-bank entrants such as MTC. It opens access to underserved segments like SMEs and the informal sector, which contributed 12% of GDP in 2024. Banks face pressure to innovate as non-interest revenue declines and must integrate with the Instant Payment Platform (IPP) for real-time transfers. Future revenue will shift toward digital transaction fees and value-added services, requiring accelerated digital transformation and strategic partnerships. Namibia’s Digital Banking Landscape By 2024, Namibia had 1.7 million active bank accounts, supported by 20,669 POS devices, 1,300 ATMs, and mobile penetration exceeding 100%. E-money transactions totaled N$43.7 billion across 86 million transactions. The sector’s total assets reached N$186.7 billion, with banks contributing N$1.9 billion annually in taxes

We spent months building what we thought was the perfect banking solution for the Middle East market. Storytime…👇🏻 One successful implementation at Emirates Bank in Dubai proved we'd nailed it. Or so we thought. We successfully launched a highly-customized solution after deep gap analysis and months of configuration. The product went live, customers were happy, and we believed we'd cracked the Middle East banking market. Then we tried replicating it at Emirates Islamic Bank in the same city. Everything broke. Features that worked perfectly for conventional banking violated Sharia compliance principles. Interest-bearing accounts, standard loan structures, and core banking workflows - all unusable. We had to customize and reconfigure the entire product to suit Islamic banking. Here's the lesson that cost us four months of runway: 👉🏻 We never ran a business simulation for Islamic banking before assuming our solution would work. 👉🏻 We thought we’d be able to fulfill Islamic banking with minor tweaks, but that was not the case. In this case, both geography and customer context mattered. Until you've run a business simulation of your target customer inside your product, you can't be sure it fits. Not a demo alone. ❌ Not a presentation alone. ❌ A real business simulation in your product covering: 📍Actual data flows  📍Real user journeys 📍Compliance requirements  📍End-to-end workflows with sample customer and product type 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐯𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: ❌Assumption: Banking principles are universal across the region ✅Reality: Islamic vs conventional banking requires fundamentally different products ❌Assumption: One successful implementation proves market fit ✅Reality: Each customer segment needs separate validation What we should have done…👇🏻 Rather than going ahead with the assumptions, we should have gone ahead with the business simulation. The opportunity cost wasn't just the four wasted months. It was the competitive advantage we lost while competitors were onboarding customers with simpler, focused solutions. Actionable advice for founders…👇🏻 🫸🏻 Pick ONE core feature, stabilize it with a small diverse customer set, then expand. 🫸🏻 If you're launching based on one flagship client's success, run business simulations with 3-5 different customer types before scaling. 🫸🏻 Your product roadmap should come from customer reality across segments, not from ONE successful implementation you're hoping will replicate. Building on the back of one flagship client? Book your free product diagnostic call: https://lnkd.in/gFevzd-g #productmarketing #customerdiscovery #startuplessons #productdevelopment #entrepreneurship

In a digital-only bank with no branches, the Back of House (BOH) Operations team is the unseen engine that keeps everything running;powering customer trust through precision, speed, and control. In the first two years of a new bank’s journey, BOH carries the dual responsibility of building structure and ensuring stability while the business scales rapidly. 1. Roles and Responsibilities: BOH manages all core processes behind the scenes from transaction settlement, reconciliation, regulatory reporting, and control frameworks. In a digital environment, this extends to system integrity, data accuracy, and automation readiness. Every product launch, payment, and system integration depends on BOH’s ability to design, validate, and monitor end-to-end digital workflows. They ensure compliance, operational resilience, and efficiency in a 24/7 real-time banking ecosystem. 2. The Reality of a New Digital Bank: The early phase is defined by uncertainty. Direction may shift as leadership balances growth, compliance, and customer acquisition. Limited technology resources and evolving systems mean manual workarounds, unclear ownership, and constant reprioritization. Continuous new product launches stretch capacity and create operational stress. Regional dependencies further complicate decision-making, especially when local customization conflicts with centralized strategies. Amid this chaos, BOH must maintain control without slowing innovation. 3. Leadership and Mindset: For BOH to thrive, mindset matters more than systems. Agility, ownership, and data-driven thinking are essential. Every operational delay affects customer experience and without branches, there’s no safety net. Leaders must bridge technology, compliance, and execution by communicating clearly, setting realistic priorities, and protecting both people and process integrity. A culture of collaboration, learning, and accountability transforms firefighting into continuous improvement. Ultimately, the Back of House is the heartbeat of a digital bank. It operates silently but defines the bank’s credibility. From building to running, from uncertainty to stability, BOH transforms chaos into consistency ensuring that the promise of digital banking is not just seen on screens, but delivered behind them.

The Thread of Innovation: Transformative Banking Starts with People A Case Study on Capital One Bank!!! In the rapidly changing financial landscape, the fusion of technology and human-centered innovation has emerged as the new competitive differentiator. This report explores how Capital One Bank, under the leadership of Celia Edwards Karam, President of Retail Bank, embodies transformative banking by placing people—both employees and customers—at the heart of innovation. Through data-driven technology, inclusive culture, and a commitment to financial well-being, Capital One demonstrates that sustainable transformation begins not with systems, but with human capital. The Genesis of Transformative Banking For over 25 years, Capital One has maintained a mission to revolutionize financial services through data, digital innovation, and customer-centric thinking. As the sixth-largest U.S. bank, Capital One’s evolution mirrors the wider banking industry’s transition from traditional operations toward intelligent orchestration—where innovation is people-powered. This case study examines how a “people-first” culture has been instrumental to Capital One’s breakthroughs, such as eliminating overdraft fees, developing AI-driven financial tools, and integrating community-centric services. 2. Innovation Starts with People Capital One’s transformation journey highlights one foundational truth: innovation begins internally before it manifests externally. Celia Edwards Karam’s leadership philosophy emphasizes building teams that combine domain innovation with inclusive collaboration. By encouraging diversity of thought and empowering employees to make autonomous decisions, the organization fosters creative ownership. The success of initiatives like the elimination of overdraft fees resulted from over 140 associates’ collaboration—a testament to participative innovation rather than top-down directives. 3. The Road to Innovation and Transformative Banking Transformative banking is neither linear nor effortless. It requires continuous iteration, risk-taking, and a resilient cultural mindset. The journey involves challenging entrenched norms, integrating advanced technologies, and aligning leadership vision with market realities. Banks must navigate regulatory constraints, cybersecurity risks, and customer trust issues while simultaneously reengineering legacy systems. For Capital One, innovation is not a project—it’s a permanent organizational behavior grounded in agility, experimentation, and empathy. 4. People as the Pivotal Element of Innovation At the core of every transformative agenda lies the human element. Employees are not merely executors but co-creators of change. Capital One’s strategy hinges on leveraging “people advantage”—the collective intelligence, creativity, and motivation of its workforce.

The Future of Banking: Precision over Scale The Global Banking Annual Review 2025 by McKinsey & Company delivers a clear message: the future of banking won’t be defined by size, it will be defined by precision. Even after a record-breaking year, with global bank profits reaching $1.2 trillion in 2024, valuations remain 70% below other industries. Investors see strength, but not yet sustainability. 🔹 The next growth curve will be captured by banks that act with surgical focus, embedding precision in four dimensions: 1️⃣ Technology: applying AI where it drives measurable productivity and engagement 2️⃣ The new consumer: moving from segmentation to personalization (“a customer segment of one”) 3️⃣ Capital efficiency: optimizing line by line, client by client 4️⃣ Targeted M&A: deals that fill capability gaps, not just add scale 🌎 Latin America: Leading in Profitability, Competing in Precision Despite global headwinds, Latin America continues to lead global profitability with an average ROE of 16.5%, the highest among all regions. Brazilian banks, in particular, are proving that high returns and digital transformation can coexist. Among Latin American players, Itaú Unibanco stands out as the only incumbent bank with ROE above 23%, while Nubank has achieved over 28%, becoming one of the most profitable digital banks in the world. This dual success, a century-old incumbent and a digital-native challenger, shows how Brazil has become a global benchmark for financial innovation. 🇧🇷 Brazil’s Competitive Edge in Financial Innovation Brazil’s banking ecosystem is one of the most advanced in the world. Open Finance and PIX have redefined how consumers interact with money, enabling interoperability, instant payments, and transparent competition. The country’s digital penetration is among the highest globally, with more than 70% of Brazilians using mobile banking as their primary channel. Fintech-driven inclusion has accelerated bancarization: millions of previously unbanked consumers now access credit, savings, and investments through digital-first banks. This transformation has also inspired new markets. In Mexico, Nubank’s rapid expansion is fueling a similar inclusion wave, bringing millions of first-time users into the formal financial system, much like Brazil’s journey five years ago.

Challenges of Long Queues in Banks And Electronic Money Transfer (EMT). When last do you went to bank? When. last do you Join Long Queue in bank for transaction. either for Deposit or withdrawal? That is what EMT has done for you🎯✍️💯. EMT has transformed the way people manage their finances, offering a reliable and efficient alternative to traditional payment methods. Long queues in banks are a common issue, leading to frustration, wasted time, and decreased customer satisfaction. To address this challenge, EMT came on boards through the impact of FINTECH bank. Long queues in banks pose significant challenges, including: - 🚦1 Customer Dissatisfaction; Lengthy wait times lead to frustration and decreased customer satisfaction. 🚦2 Inefficiency: Long queues result in wasted time and reduced productivity. 🚦3 Operational Strain; Managing large crowds can be stressful for bank staff. EMT offers a solution to these challenges by enabling customers to: -♥️1 Make Transactions Remotely: Avoid visiting bank branches, reducing wait times and queues. -♥️2 Enjoy 24/7 Access: Conduct transactions at any time, from anywhere. ♥️3 Experience Increased Efficiency: Streamlined transactions reduce congestion in bank branches. -♥️4 Speed: Instant transactions, reducing wait times and increasing efficiency. ♥️ 5 Security: Advanced encryption and authentication measures protect transactions. ♥️ 6 Convenience: 24/7 access to financial services, anytime, anywhere. ♥️ 7 Cost-Effective: Reduced transaction costs and minimized paperwork. NOTE; ‼️🎯FINTECH BANK are constantly increase their customer base daily easily, effectively and efficiently. when last do you see people walking directly/ straight to Bank to open an account.?. the Answer is No?. Fintech Bank make it easy for the General public to open ZERO account compared to Commercials Bank.✍️✍️✍️.

💡 When Service Quality Depends on a Third Party: The Case of Banks and Mobile Networks I recently received a customer satisfaction survey call from my bank. When asked to rate service quality, I realized my low rating wasn’t entirely the bank’s fault — it was because of delayed SMS alerts, OTPs arriving late, and failed mobile wallet transfers. But here’s the catch: these issues were mostly caused by mobile network disruptions, not the bank itself. --- 📱 The Hidden Dependency Mobile banking has become one of the most ubiquitous financial services in Zambia. It’s convenient, accessible, and vital to financial inclusion. Yet, banks heavily depend on mobile networks for: SMS and OTP delivery Mobile money transfers USSD transactions When networks are slow or unstable, these services fail — and customers blame the bank. --- 🤔 The Perception Dilemma From the customer’s viewpoint, it’s always the bank that “failed.” Few understand that the issue often lies with network congestion or outages. This creates a serious image problem: banks are judged on standards partly outside their control. Even I, being aware of network challenges, instinctively linked poor connectivity to the bank’s inefficiency. So the question is — > How can banks convince clients that some service failures are caused by network providers, not their own systems? --- 🔍 A Way Forward To bridge this gap, banks and network operators must work more collaboratively through: ✅ Transparent communication – real-time system status updates to customers. ✅ Joint service agreements (SLAs) – defining accountability and performance standards. ✅ Customer education – helping users understand the shared nature of mobile banking. ✅ Regulatory collaboration – between BOZ and ZICTA to enforce service quality. --- 🔄 Final Thought Digital banking in Zambia is no longer just about innovation — it’s about ecosystem reliability. Service quality is only as strong as the weakest link, and in this case, that link is often the mobile network. Banks that communicate transparently, collaborate strategically, and educate their clients will build the most trust in this interconnected financial landscape.

DFCC Bank at 70: Reimagining Customer Experience in a New Era of Banking Having served Sri Lanka for seven decades, DFCC Bank is entering a new era of purpose-led service and digital transformation. For DFCC Bank, customer service has never been a transaction. It is the quiet strength that transforms numbers into stories and banking into a relationship built on trust. The Bank’s journey mirrors Sri Lanka’s own path of progress. Since the 1950s, DFCC Bank has financed industries, empowered entrepreneurs, and now leads the way in shaping digital futures. Yet, even as technology advances, the Bank believes that the essence of service remains human. “Service is the foundation on which relationships are built. The quiet strength transforms transactions into connections, numbers into stories, and a bank into an anchor in people’s lives,” said Shamindra Marcelline, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of DFCC Bank. This belief is reflected across every area of the Bank’s work. Through DFCC Aloka, more than 100,000 women have gained access to credit, mentorship, and peer networks. Through initiatives such as Vyapara Hamuwa and Thirasara Athwela, DFCC Bank supports small and medium businesses by strengthening skills, building sustainable models, and helping entrepreneurs thrive. Digital innovation has become an equally important pillar of this service philosophy. The DFCC ONE App now allows customers to onboard and transact fully online, while DFCC iConnect gives corporates real-time control over liquidity and payments. However, the Bank continues to see technology as a human enabler. As Marcelline notes, “Digital is often seen as the opposite of human. We see it differently. For us, technology is service with a pulse, designed to remove friction, not feeling.” Behind these innovations are more than 2,500 employees guided by the Bank’s PACCE values – Passion, Authenticity, Courage, Collaboration, and Excellence. Through continuous learning and training at the DFCC Learning Academy, they embody the Bank’s belief that service is not a department, but a way of being.