Week ending 10 October 2026: Bahrain banks pilot a trade finance registry

Fintech Forward 2026 closed in Manama on 8 October with more than 60 agreements and announcements and about 2,900 participants, a 65 percent rise in signings on the previous edition. The most relevant for trade finance: BENEFIT named National Bank of Bahrain as first participating bank and anchor partner in a trade finance registry pilot with MonetaGo and Bahrain FinTech Bay, aimed at reducing fraud and risk.

Separately, Kuwait Finance House Bahrain signed an MoU with stc Bahrain to expand digital solutions including cash management, reconciliation and trade finance.

Do this. If you finance invoices or goods through Bahraini banks, ask your bank whether registry checks will apply to your receivables. A registry makes it harder to finance the same invoice twice, which tends to lower risk for lenders and, over time, the price for honest borrowers.

Numou, the ADGM subsidiary that runs a digital marketplace for SMEs, and Comera Financial Holding, part of Abu Dhabi’s Royal Group, signed a partnership at ADGM on 7 October. Comera’s lending, payments and supply chain finance units will be added to Numou, giving SMEs access to working capital, supply chain financing, business account opening and digital payments.

Mohamed Al Binali, General Manager of Numou, said the partnership makes it easier for UAE businesses to access services through one platform. Akhtar Saeed Hashmi, Managing Director and Group CEO of Comera Financial Holding, said the company is bringing financing and payments together. No deal value or lending volumes were disclosed.

Do this. UAE SMEs should compare marketplace offers on all in cost, tenor and security required, not just speed. Ask for the same quote from your bank. Without disclosed volumes, treat this as a new channel to test, not a proven source of capital.

Saudi construction procurement platform Project Suppliers closed a USD 1 million (SAR 3.75 million) pre seed round on 5 October, its first, from undisclosed angel investors. The platform connects more than 12,000 suppliers and contractors and has handled nearly 600,000 quotation requests. The company plans AI driven cash flow tools, including predictive and financing products, for mechanical, electrical and plumbing and construction suppliers.

Hossam Gaber, Co Founder and CEO, called the sector a key backbone of major projects under Vision 2030.

Do this. Construction suppliers in Saudi Arabia that wait on contractor payments should note where this is heading. Quotation and transaction data on a platform is exactly what a lender needs to underwrite receivables. Start keeping clean, platform based records now.

NEOPAY signed a definitive agreement on 5 October to acquire a 65 percent controlling stake in noon payments, the payments arm of noon. Financial terms were not disclosed and closing needs regulatory and antitrust approvals. noon payments serves merchants in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, so the deal gives NEOPAY a route into Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

The combined business plans online payments, in store acquiring, faster settlements, data and analytics, and embedded financial services. Vibhor Mundhada, CEO of NEOPAY, said the combination could create a truly regional payments platform. Faraz Khalid, CEO of noon, said it would help merchants grow.

Do this. Online merchants that rely on noon payments should ask what changes to settlement times, fees and data access to expect after closing. Faster settlement shortens the gap you need to finance.

On 10 October, at the Made in GCC 2026 Forum and Exhibition, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB) signed an MoU to strengthen industrial financing. BisB launched Sharia compliant financing packages totalling USD 32 million for manufacturers, SMEs and companies in Bahrain, built around three pillars: Make Local, Make Green and Make Resilient.

The packages cover solar energy projects, low emission technologies, supply chains and working capital, with benefits linked to the Takamul local value added programme. Fatema Al Alawi, CEO of BisB, said the allocation will support manufacturers seeking to increase local content. All financing remains subject to BisB’s eligibility criteria.

Do this. Bahraini manufacturers should check their Takamul local value added position before approaching BisB, since the benefits are tied to it. Working capital and supply chain lines are the practical entry point.

Visa published its Pay and Get Paid 2026 report on 8 October, based on a survey of 290 Qatari SMEs in March and April. The biggest challenges: tracking outstanding invoices (46 percent), organising payroll records (42 percent) and organising financial records (40 percent). Some 43 percent say they would likely switch providers for a unified solution, and 31 percent find an all in one tool appealing. Among those who use integrated tools, satisfaction is 51 percent and 57 percent report efficiency gains.

Luca Bianconi, Vice President and Country Manager for Qatar at Visa, said the value of SME digital payments lies in what they enable after the transaction.

Do this. If you run a Qatari SME, an aged receivables list is the first thing a financier or credit insurer will ask for. Build it weekly, before you need it.

Mastercard expanded its collaboration with stc pay Bahrain on 7 October. Mastercard will keep powering a Mastercard Business prepaid product that helps SMEs manage payments and expenses, help shape the stc pay Bahrain product roadmap and explore advisory, processing and security services.

Mastercard’s SME Confidence Index 2026 found that 96 percent of Bahraini SMEs see digital payments as critical to growth, yet 57 percent still use personal cards for business expenses. Saud Swar, Country Manager at Mastercard, and Metin Zavrak, CEO of stc pay Bahrain, were quoted.

Do this. Separating business spending from personal cards is the cheapest step towards a credit file a lender can read. If you still mix them, fix that first.