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ila Bank

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Overview

ila Bank is Bahrain's first cloud-based digital + mobile-only bank, powered by Bank ABC (Arab Banking Corporation) 1, 2, Bahrain report. Launched November 2019 as the region's first exclusively cloud-based digital retail bank. 2025 growth: ~40% customer growth since 2023 + 140+ app updates since launch.

2025 — ila Bank Global Finance Awards record haul 3:

  • Named "Best Mobile Banking App in the Middle East" at Global Finance Best Digital Bank Awards 2025
  • Earned a record 11 awards across Bahrain + Middle East

ila Bank's Islamic banking innovation — alburaq 4: New Islamic banking experience in Bahrain — distinctive Islamic-cloud-native banking offering.

Multi-country expansion: Bahrain primary + Jordan — Bank ABC's regional ila Bank rollout (ila Jordan launched 2024).

History

November 2019 — ila Bank launches by Bank ABC 2: Region's first exclusively cloud-based digital retail bank in Bahrain.

2020-2024 — 140+ app updates + multi-country expansion (Bahrain primary + Jordan).

2024 — ila Bank Jordan launch as Bank ABC's regional expansion.

2025 — ~40% customer growth since 2023 + 11 Global Finance Awards including Best Mobile Banking App in the Middle East 3.

ila Bank's alburaq Islamic banking experience launch 4.

Ownership & operator

Operating entity: ila Bank (Bank ABC subsidiary).

Parent: Bank ABC (Arab Banking Corporation; BSE: ABC) — Bahrain-headquartered pan-Arab bank.

Regulators: CBB (Central Bank of Bahrain) + CBJ (Central Bank of Jordan) for ila Jordan.

Technical integration

Layer Description
Channels ila Bank mobile app (iOS + Android; mobile-only banking) + ila Bank cards
Identifiers Phone + email + card number
BH rail EMVCo MPM (Bahrain national QR)
License Bank (ila via Bank ABC subsidiary) — region's first exclusively cloud-based digital retail bank
Sub-products ila Bank Account + ila Bank Cards + ila Bank Savings + ila Bank Loans + alburaq Islamic banking experience
Multi-country: Bahrain primary + Jordan (2024 launch)

Users & growth

2025 baseline 3:

  • 2023-2025 customer growth: ~40%
  • App updates since 2019 launch: 140+
  • 2025 Global Finance Awards: 11 awards across Bahrain + Middle East
  • 2025 distinctive recognition: Named "Best Mobile Banking App in the Middle East" at Global Finance Best Digital Bank Awards 2025
  • Multi-country: Bahrain primary + Jordan (2024 launch)

Use cases

Bahraini + Jordanian mobile-only digital banking (deposits + cards + savings + loans); alburaq Islamic banking experience; multi-country Bank ABC regional digital banking footprint; region's first cloud-based digital retail bank.

Implementations & partners

Operator: ila Bank (Bank ABC subsidiary).

Parent: Bank ABC (Arab Banking Corporation; BSE: ABC) — Bahrain-headquartered pan-Arab bank with multi-country MENA presence.

Major Bahraini digital + payment competitors:

  • BenefitPay (BENEFIT Company 17-bank Bahraini consortium; BH national wallet)
  • NBB Mobile (National Bank of Bahrain)
  • BBK Mobile (Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait)
  • Al Salam Bank Mobile

Major MENA digital-banking competitors:

Regulators: CBB (Bahrain) + CBJ (Jordan for ila Jordan).

Fun facts

  • Bahrain's first cloud-based digital + mobile-only bank (November 2019 launch).
  • Region's first exclusively cloud-based digital retail bank.
  • ~40% customer growth since 2023 + 140+ app updates since launch.
  • 2025 Global Finance Awards record haul: 11 awards across Bahrain + Middle East.
  • 2025 named "Best Mobile Banking App in the Middle East" by Global Finance Best Digital Bank Awards 2025.
  • Bank ABC (Arab Banking Corporation) parent — Bahrain-headquartered pan-Arab bank.
  • alburaq Islamic banking experience — distinctive Islamic-cloud-native banking offering.
  • Multi-country: Bahrain primary + Jordan (2024 launch).

Comparison

Feature ila Bank BenefitPay (BH national wallet rival) Wio Bank (UAE digital bank rival) Mashreq NEO + NEOPAY (UAE) (UAE Mashreq digital banking rival) Liv (by Emirates NBD) (UAE Emirates NBD digital subsidiary rival)
Operator ila Bank (Bank ABC subsidiary; pan-Arab parent BSE: ABC) BENEFIT Company (17-bank Bahraini consortium) Wio Bank PJSC (ADQ + Alpha Dhabi + e& UAE + FAB) Mashreq Bank PSC (DFM: MASQ; Al Ghurair Group + Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Chairman) Liv (Emirates NBD subsidiary)
Type BH first cloud-based digital + mobile-only bank + multi-country BH + JO + alburaq Islamic banking experience BH national mobile wallet + national QR UAE full-banking-license digital bank + SME + retail + Invest UAE Mashreq digital banking (NEO PLUS Saver) + NEOPAY merchant-acquiring + NEO Pakistan UAE digital-only lifestyle bank
Country BH primary + JO (2024 launch) Bahrain UAE UAE + Pakistan (NEO PK Nov 2025) UAE
Distinctive Region's first cloud-based digital retail bank; ~40% growth since 2023; 140+ app updates; 2025 Global Finance Awards record 11 awards + "Best Mobile Banking App in the Middle East"; alburaq Islamic banking; Bank ABC pan-Arab parent 17-bank Bahraini consortium; Pay10 Sibos India Oct 2025 cross-border 4 UAE national strategic shareholders; Euromoney Best Digital Bank SMEs 2025 UAE's most-rewarding savings rates 6.25%/5%; NEOPAY $22B; Sep 2023 Alipay+ partnership; Nov 2025 NEO Pakistan Islamic-first First MENAT digital joint accounts; Liv X crypto Mar 2025

Status

Active, Bahrain's first cloud-based digital + mobile-only bank 2, 3:

  • ila Bank (Bank ABC subsidiary) since November 2019.
  • ~40% customer growth since 2023 + 140+ app updates since launch.
  • 2025 Global Finance Awards record 11 awards including "Best Mobile Banking App in the Middle East".
  • alburaq Islamic banking experience + multi-country Bahrain + Jordan (ila Jordan launched 2024).
  • CBB + CBJ regulated.

Sources

Source

Biography extracted from ila-bank.md. See matrix.md for standards-support matrix if present.

source · content/wallets/ila-bank/index.md