Manama, Bahrain: Al Baraka Islamic Bank has signed an agreement with Beyon Connect, part of the Beyon Group, to adopt eKey 2.0 for Business (EKEY-B), Bahrain’s national digital identity authentication and consent-based eKYC platform for the private sector.
The signing ceremony took place at Beyon’s Hamala Campus, with the agreement signed by Beyon Connect CEO Christoper Hild and Al Baraka Islamic Bank CEO Dr. Adel Abdulla Salem in the presence of iGA’s Director of Government Systems Support & Maintenance Directorate Mr. Hesham Ebrahim AlHashemi, and other senior officials from Beyon, Al Baraka and the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA).
Through this agreement, Al Baraka Islamic Bank is among the first financial institutions in Bahrain to begin onboarding to the EKEY-B platform. Once integrated, the Bank will leverage advanced biometric authentication and secure digital onboarding to offer customers a seamless, passwordless banking experience.
The collaboration reflects Al Baraka’s strategic focus on enhancing digital service delivery in line with its Shari’a-compliant values, while maintaining full adherence to Bahrain’s Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) and the highest standards of data security, regulatory compliance and privacy.
Commenting on the occasion, Beyon Connect CEO Christopher Hild said: “We are pleased to welcome Al Baraka Islamic Bank to the EKEY-B ecosystem. This partnership demonstrates the banking sector’s growing confidence in national digital identity as a foundation for secure, frictionless customer engagement. Together, we are enabling a trusted digital future that benefits both customers and institutions.”
Al Baraka Islamic Bank CEO Dr. Adel Abdulla Salem said,” Adopting EKEY for Business represents a key step in our ongoing digital transformation journey. This collaboration with Beyon Connect allows us to offer customers faster, safer, and more convenient access to our banking services, while remaining fully aligned with our regulatory and compliance framework.”
On this occasion, iGA’s Deputy Chief Executive for Operations & Governance, Dr. Khalid Almutawah, commented: “We commend Al Baraka Islamic Bank for joining the national digital identity authentication journey through eKey for Business. This step reflects growing private sector alignment with Bahrain’s vision for secure, user-centric digital services. The iGA remains committed to expanding access to trusted identity authentication infrastructure that enhances convenience, compliance and public confidence.”
EKEY for Business (EKEY-B) is delivered by Beyon Connect in partnership with the iGA, serving as the private-sector extension of Bahrain’s national digital identity authentication platform eKey 2.0. The service enables private companies to perform eKYC and biometric authentication through a secure, consent-based model, reducing fraud risks while enhancing regulatory compliance.
As adoption of eKey 2.0 and EKEY-B continues to grow across the finance, telecommunications, and insurance sectors, it reinforces Bahrain’s position as a leader in digital identity innovation, helping to advance the Kingdom’s vision of a secure and inclusive digital economy.