Bahrain has entered the implementation phase of a landmark National Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) initiative that will create a secure digital ledger for all financed trade transactions and invoice submissions in the Kingdom. Led by national infrastructure provider BENEFIT and Singapore’s MonetaGo, the project aims to de-risk SME lending, strengthen trade finance and accelerate Bahrain’s economic transformation under Vision 2030.
The initiative—developed in collaboration with Bahrain FinTech Bay and the Bahrain Association of Banks—unites Bahrain’s advanced fintech ecosystem with Singapore’s globally recognised digital trust frameworks. It also lays the foundation for a cross-border digital public infrastructure linking the Middle East and Asia.
By creating a transparent, tamper-proof ledger for trade transactions, the system will reduce fraud risk and help banks build alternative data credit scores, expanding access to finance for SMEs, which make up 92% of Bahrain’s businesses but have only 11% funding access.
Executives from BFB, BENEFIT and MonetaGo emphasised that the initiative strengthens financial integrity, increases liquidity, and positions Bahrain as a regional leader in modern, interoperable DPI systems. The project leverages the success of Singapore’s Trade Finance Registry, built using MonetaGo’s technology and adopted by over 50 banks since 2023, establishing a digital trade bridge between both financial hubs.
This marks one of the first major regional DPI deployments and represents a significant step toward deeper digital integration across Asia and the Middle East.
Bahrain and Singapore team up to launch National Digital Public Infrastructure for trade finance
