Bahrain-headquartered AI-native wholesale bank planned

An announcement on November 1, 2026, described a wholesale bank headquartered in Bahrain.[1] The bank is described as AI-native and blockchain-enabled.[1] Its intended customers are regulated financial institutions, with payment companies and businesses operating across borders also mentioned.[1] The evidence does not specify a bank name, opening date, or a list of individual products.

The planned bank is described as using artificial intelligence across its operations.[1] Its planned programmable services would connect directly with clients’ systems through APIs.[1] The proposed services would also have human oversight, governance and risk controls.[1] The proposed services would have human oversight, governance and risk controls in addition to the described API connections.[1] That is an implication of the described API approach, not evidence that integrations are already available or that specific workflows have been automated.

The bank’s products and services are planned for phased introduction, with the rollout informed by engagement with prospective clients.[1] The venture has received in-principle approval from the Central Bank of Bahrain.[1] However, the source says final authorization from the regulator was still outstanding.[1] In-principle approval therefore should not be read as confirmation that the bank is fully authorized to begin operating. The evidence does not provide a final approval date, launch timetable, pricing, or details on which products would arrive first.

Mumtalakat and Singapore’s Whampoa Group backed Singapore Gulf Bank, a digital wholesale bank launched in November 2024.[1] Singapore Gulf Bank holds a wholesale banking license from the Central Bank of Bahrain.[1] Its SGB Net clearing network was processing more than $20 billion in monthly fiat trading volume by October 2026.[1] Separately, ARP Group operates ARP Digital, a digital-asset firm in Bahrain.[1] ARP Digital previously partnered with National Bank of Bahrain on what the source calls the GCC’s first Bitcoin-linked structured investment.[1] These examples provide context, but do not establish the new venture’s future performance.