# National Bank of Bahrain

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/nbb-bank
> research date 2026-06-01 · extracted at 2026-10-07
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

Specifications:
- [NBB — official](https://www.nbbonline.com/)

## Key details

- **Parent:** assets
- **Launch:** 1957

## Overview

**National Bank of Bahrain** is **Bahrain Bourse: NBB** + **Bahraini commercial bank** + **Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Bahrain sovereign wealth fund ~44%+ controlling + Social Insurance Organization Bahrain ~10%+ + Bahraini retail + institutional + foreign investors free float** + **Bahrain's largest commercial bank by assets** + **founded 1957 as Bahrain's first locally-owned commercial bank** <sup>[1][1], [Bahrain report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/BH)</sup>.

## History

**1957 — National Bank of Bahrain NBB founded as Bahrain's first locally-owned commercial bank** distinctive Bahraini banking heritage.

**2014 — NBB Mobile Banking app launch**.

**Jan 2020 — NBB acquires Bahrain Islamic Bank BISB for ~$220M consolidating Bahraini banking**.

## Ownership & operator

**Operating entity**: **National Bank of Bahrain NBB** (Bahraini commercial bank; Bahrain Bourse: NBB).

**Major shareholders**: **Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding (Bahrain sovereign wealth fund) ~44%+ controlling + Social Insurance Organization Bahrain ~10%+ + Bahraini retail + institutional + foreign investors free float**.

**Regulators**: **CBB Central Bank of Bahrain + national regulators across 5+ countries**.

## Technical integration

NBB Mobile Banking app (iOS + Android) + nbbonline.com online + NBB branch network across Bahrain + Saudi Arabia + UAE + Kuwait + UK international branches + NBB Visa + Mastercard cards; BH IBAN + Benefit BH (Bahrain national debit card + EFTPOS + ATM network).

## Implementations & partners

**NBB subsidiary**: [Bahrain Islamic Bank](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/bahrain-islamic-bank) (Bahrain Islamic Bank BISB; National Bank of Bahrain Islamic banking subsidiary post-Jan 2020 ~$220M acquisition).

**Major Bahraini banking + payments competitors**: [Ahli United Bank](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/ahli-united-bank-bahrain) (Ahli United Bank AUB; Bahrain Bourse: AUB; Bahraini commercial bank; Kuwait Finance House KFH Kuwaiti parent ~96.7% controlling post-Oct 2 2022 ~$11.6B acquisition) + [Arab Banking Corporation (Bank ABC)](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/arab-banking-corporation) (Arab Banking Corporation Bank ABC; Bahrain Bourse: BANB; Bahraini international commercial banking group + 25+ countries operations + Central Bank of Libya + Government of Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund controlling) + [Al Baraka Banking Group](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/albaraka-bahrain) (Al Baraka Banking Group Bahrain; Bahrain Bourse: BARKA; Bahraini Islamic banking group) + [Ithmaar Bank](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/ithmaar-bank) (Ithmaar Bank; Bahrain Bourse: ITHMR; Bahraini Islamic bank) + [Khaleeji Commercial Bank](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/khaleeji-commercial-bank) (Khaleeji Commercial Bank KHCB; Bahrain Bourse: KHCB; Bahraini Islamic bank) + CrediMax (CrediMax Bahrain credit card scheme + payment processor).

**Regulators**: CBB Central Bank of Bahrain + national regulators across 5+ countries.

## Status

**Active, Bahrain Bourse:NBB + Bahraini commercial bank + Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Bahrain sovereign wealth fund ~44%+ controlling + Social Insurance Organization Bahrain ~10%+ + Bahraini retail + institutional + foreign investors free float + Bahrain's largest commercial bank by assets + founded 1957 as Bahrain's first locally-owned commercial bank** <sup>[1][1], [2][2]</sup>.

## Sources

[1]: https://www.nbbonline.com/ "NBB — official"
[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bank_of_Bahrain "NBB — Wikipedia"
[bh-cro]: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/BH

- [1] [NBB — official][1]
- [2] [NBB — Wikipedia][2]
- <sup>[Bahrain report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/BH)</sup> In-corpus: `reports/countries/BH-bahrain.md`

## Source

Biography extracted from [nbb-bank.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/source/wallets/nbb-bank). See `matrix.md` for standards-support matrix if present.