Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company and ARP Group have partnered to establish an AI-native wholesale bank headquartered in Bahrain, according to an announcement on November 1, 2026.
The proposed bank has received preliminary approval from the Central Bank of Bahrain but will not conduct regulated activities until it secures a final license.
It is expected to serve regulated financial institutions, payment companies and businesses with cross-border operations. The partners said the bank will focus on simplifying banking across markets and currencies while reducing the complexity and cost of delivering these services.
The bank is being designed to use artificial intelligence across its operations, with programmable services connected to customers’ systems through application programming interfaces. These services will operate with human oversight, governance frameworks and risk controls. Products are expected to launch in stages based on engagement with potential customers.
ARP Group is the holding company of ARP Global Capital and ARP Digital. The partnership combines Mumtalakat’s long-term investment approach with ARP Group’s expertise in institutional finance and digital financial infrastructure.
According to ARP Group Chairman Yousef Ali Redha, the project aims to address fragmented banking services for institutional customers with complex, cross-border needs by combining regulated banking capabilities with blockchain and AI built into its operating model.
Source: PR Newswire
