BisB Wins the “Best Islamic Bank in Bahrain” Award at the Euromoney Islamic Finance 2026
31-August-2026
Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB), the leading provider of innovative Islamic financial solutions for simplifying money matters in the Kingdom of Bahrain, has been named the “Best Islamic Bank in Bahrain” at the Euromoney Islamic Finance Awards 2026. The accolade marks another step in BisB’s longstanding contribution to the progress of Bahrain’s Islamic banking sector and reinforces its commitment to shaping a more accessible and intelligent model of Sharia’a compliant financial services.
On the occasion, Ms. Fatema AlAlawi, Chief Executive Officer of BisB, stated: “This recognition marks an important milestone in a journey that began in 1979, when BisB was founded as Bahrain’s first Islamic bank. It also reflects a responsibility we continue to carry today: developing an Islamic banking experience that is simpler, smarter and more responsive to the needs of our customers. Being first is not simply a matter of when we were established; it is something we must continue to earn through the solutions and initiatives that advance Islamic banking and enhance the customer experience. The Best Islamic Bank in Bahrain title reaffirms the continuity of that legacy and motivates us to keep innovating and delivering better. I am proud of our colleagues behind this achievement and grateful for the trust of our customers, which has always been, and will remain, essential to our success.”
Throughout 2025, the Bank remained focused on advancing the delivery of Islamic banking services while preserving the principles that underpin them. The requirements of the Sharia’a Supervisory Board were embedded across product design and distribution, further strengthening alignment with Islamic principles at every stage of development. This foundation informed the launch of Al Murshid, the Kingdom’s first AI-powered Sharia’a advisory platform, providing customers with immediate guidance on rulings related to financial products and contracts.
The Bank also accelerated digital adoption across its services to meet evolving customer needs, improving accessibility and enriching the overall customer experience. GCC Digital Onboarding also expanded access by enabling eligible Gulf residents to open accounts remotely without visiting a branch.
Customer service continued to combine convenient self-service capabilities with personalised assistance, ensuring a high level of responsiveness to customer queries and complaints. A dedicated team was formed to provide the necessary support to complete the registration process, while also re-engaging inactive e-banking users.
In the same vein, BisB strengthened its digital savings, financing and investment portfolio through solutions including Save Plus automated pledge-based financing against Tejoori balances, additional Tejoori Premium tiers and the Special Investment Deposit Account, giving customers greater flexibility and convenience through digital channels.
Extending this progress across its corporate and SME propositions, BisB became the first financial institution in Bahrain to pilot the Bulk KYC service through the national eKey for Business platform. The service enables secure verification of corporate information against trusted government sources, thereby improving process efficiency and reinforcing regulatory compliance. The Bank also continued to develop solutions that help entrepreneurs manage liquidity and expenditure with greater flexibility and transparency.
BisB supported this progress through biometric authentication, trusted-device controls and AI-based identity verification, with no identified customer data leaks or losses recorded in 2025. These measures were complemented by Sharia’a governance training, cybersecurity simulations and fraud-awareness programmes, ensuring that innovation remains grounded in specialist knowledge, operational resilience and responsible long-term growth.
Coinciding with the Euromoney award is BisB’s “The First” campaign, which will showcase the Bank’s pioneering achievements. Launched in parallel with the award announcement, it aims to chronicle BisB’s transformation from being the first to being the best and underscores its continued ambition to drive the next era Islamic banking growth in the Kingdom.