Fintech Forward 2026 concludes in Bahrain with over 60 strategic agreements and 2900 participants
The fourth edition of Fintech Forward 2026 (FF26), held in Manama, Bahrain, concluded successfully on October 9, 2026. The event featured the signing of more than 60 strategic agreements and attracted over 2,900 local and international participants. FF26 brought together key stakeholders from finance and technology sectors, including delegations and sponsors, highlighting Bahreïn's growing role as a fintech hub in the Gulf region. Among notable announcements were pilot projects such as BBK’s collaboration with ARRAY Innovation on Google Cloud Universal Ledger to explore digital ledger technologies for banking operations. Beyon and barq (Technologies Union) also announced plans to integrate Beyon Money into barq's fintech platform, pending regulatory approvals. Additionally, the National Bank of Bahrain joined a Trade Finance Registry pilot project developed by MonetaGo and Bahrain FinTech Bay aimed at reducing trade finance fraud. Bahrain FinTech Bay released its fourth ecosystem report (2024–2026), emphasizing progress in regulated implementation and opportunities in AI, tokenization, and international payments. The event also announced the third edition of the National Bank of Bahrain’s innovation program with BFB.
Topics: economic agreements financial services fintech technology partnerships