Bahrain Launches Bulk KYC Service to Strengthen Digital Trust in Financial Sector

The Information & eGovernment Authority (IGA) , in collaboration with Beyon Connect,  announced the launch of the Bulk Know Your Customer (KYC) Service, a new milestone in Bahrain’s journey toward a trusted, secure and fully digital financial ecosystem.

This strategic capability allows regulated financial institutions to submit large volumes of customer records for verification directly against Bahrain’s Central Population Registry (CRS). By enabling the identification and correction of outdated, incomplete or unverifiable KYC data at scale, the service supports the sector’s compliance with the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) requirements while reducing the risk of identity fraud.

For citizens and residents whose KYC information held by financial institutions is outdated, the Bulk KYC Service removes the need for them to manually update their records. This seamless process not only simplifies compliance for banks but also makes digital transformation a frictionless experience for customers.

“This initiative reflects our continued commitment to enabling Bahrain’s financial sector with practical, trusted and future-ready digital services. It gives institutions the confidence to address legacy data challenges and to meet the expectations of regulators, partners and customers — all within a secure, government-backed framework.”

– Mohammed Ali Al Qaed, Chief Executive, IGA

The IGA stated that the Bulk KYC Service is part of its broader digital identity authentication and trust ecosystem being delivered under eKey 2.0 and eKey for Business (eKey-B). Together, these initiatives position Bahrain as a global leader in digital trust, secure identity and financial sector innovation.

“This is about more than technology — it’s about strengthening the integrity of Bahrain’s financial system. The Bulk KYC Service equips institutions with a powerful tool to eliminate outdated records, enhance trust and align with national regulatory and security expectations.”

– Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, CEO, Beyon Digital Growth

The Bulk KYC Service is secured by a zero-trust framework built on eKey 2.0, ensuring the highest levels of protection for both institutions and citizens. Each access request is authenticated, verified, and continuously monitored.

Data is protected with national-grade encryption, both at rest and in transit, and login requires mandatory biometric authentication via eKey 2.0. Institutions maintain sole control of their decryption keys and data usage, while comprehensive logging and audit trails provide full transparency and accountability.

Like all eKey 2.0 and eKey for Business (eKey-B) services, the Bulk KYC Service has been designed in line with Bahrain’s Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) and other applicable regulations, ensuring strict compliance and accountability.

Eligibility and Participation

The Bulk KYC Service is available to all licensed financial institutions in Bahrain with an active eKey for Business (eKey-B) agreement.

Participating institutions will be able to upload customer records via a secure self-service portal, validate those records against official Government of Bahrain databases, and retrieve verified customer data with full encryption and audit trails.

The Bulk KYC Service will be available for a limited period, during which licensed institutions can securely submit their customer data for validation.

Next Steps for Institutions

Beyon Connect, acting as the national onboarding partner for eKey for Business, will provide full documentation, technical guidance, and onboarding support to institutions adopting the Bulk KYC Service.

Financial institutions are encouraged to engage with Beyon Connect immediately to ensure readiness ahead of the service’s planned go-live in mid-October 2025.