Manama: The Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Kingdom have reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing knowledge-exchange, trade, and cross-border partnerships with an extensive three-day UK-delegation visit, which was jointly coordinated by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB) and the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT).
According to Bahrain News Agency, the longstanding bilateral relationship between the two nations was underscored by a collective ambition to drive growth in the digital economy and spearhead transformative innovation in the financial services industry. Bahrain hosted over 70 delegates from 36 UK-based fintech companies, marking the largest fintech delegation the Department has ever led to any country. The delegation's participation at Fintech Forward 2025 (FF25), the region's premier two-day fintech event, kicked off with a networking reception and was a strategic component of the mission's agenda.
The programme brought together senior government officials, regulators, and leading fintech innovators from both countries to explore new areas of cooperation and showcase the evolution of Bahrain's dynamic fintech ecosystem. Katie Ramsey, Head of FinTech at UK DBT, participated in a panel discussion at FF25 entitled 'Charting the next frontier for digital assets.' The session focused on innovations in fintech, such as stablecoins, central bank digital currencies, blockchain infrastructure, and AI-driven wallets, which are blurring the lines between payments, assets, and infrastructure.
The visit included high-level exploratory meetings with key ecosystem stakeholders across Bahrain's financial services ecosystem, such as the Central Bank of Bahrain, the BENEFIT Company, the Bahrain Labour Fund (Tamkeen), and Bahrain FinTech Bay. Discussions centred on regulatory innovation, digital transformation, and opportunities to enhance cross-border financial connectivity.
A highlight of FF25, held under the banner of 'Advancing Bahrain-UK Partnerships in Fintech and Innovation,' featured high-level opening remarks delivered by Noor bint Ali Alkhulaif, Minister of Sustainable Development, Chief Executive of the Bahrain EDB; Khalid Humaidan, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain, and Alastair Long, British Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain. The segment spotlighted leading UK-based fintech firms, including AMAN Powered by Themis, Oxford Risk, Money Squirrel, Greengage, JustTip, Escode, SaaScada, Raidiam, SensFish, and BKN 301, presenting their solutions to regional investors and ecosystem players.
Supported by Bahrain's Labour Fund, Tamkeen, the launch of AMAN powered by Themis, a fintech built by financial crime experts, simplifying risk management through smart technology, was celebrated both on stage at FF25 and at the British Embassy in Manama. AMAN, led by Themis Founder and CEO Dickon Johnstone and AMAN CEO Fawzi Al Aradi, is actively contributing to Bahrain's ambition to become a regional model for AI-driven financial crime prevention and fintech innovation.
Katie Ramsey, Head of FinTech at the UK DBT, commented on the collaboration, stating that the partnership between the UK and Bahrain continues to set an example of how open dialogue, regulatory innovation, and shared ambition can drive growth across the global fintech landscape. Dalal Buhejji, Executive Director of Financial Services at the Bahrain EDB, added that the active participation of UK-based fintechs underscores Bahrain's ability to attract forward-thinking companies.
During the flagship fintech event, UK WealthTech firm Velexa signed an agreement with Ajyad Capital, where Velexa's technology and white-label trading applications will serve as the backbone for Ajyad's upcoming Shari'ah-compliant digital trading app. Additionally, Umazi, a UK-based Fintech company, signed an agreement with Bahrain Fintech Bay to advance Bahrain's fintech ecosystem through collaborative initiatives.