What Bahrain Development Bank does

Bahrain Development Bank (BDB) is a government-owned development financial institution headquartered in Manama, Bahrain, established in 1992 and licensed by the Central Bank of Bahrain as a Conventional Retail Bank. Its mandate is to finance and develop small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Kingdom of Bahrain in alignment with Bahrain Economic Vision 2030. BDB serves multiple customer segments including SMEs, women entrepreneurs (via the Riyadat programme launched in 2016 in partnership with the Supreme Council for Women and Tamkeen), the agriculture and fisheries sectors via interest-free development loans, and individual students through education finance products. The bank distributes its products through three physical branches (Diplomatic Area, A'ali, and Sitra), the Tijara digital banking platform, online banking, and integrations with Benefit Pay and the national Open Banking framework powered by Tarabut Gateway.

BDB's product portfolio spans conventional and Sharia-compliant financing products, including long-term loans, working capital finance, letters of credit and guarantee, overdraft facilities, invoice discounting, and the co-financed Musanada and BDB & Tamkeen Finance programmes. The core technology stack includes the Tijara SME-focused digital banking platform (offering express loans, call accounts, and invoice discounting), an E-Cheque service, and a December 2025 strategic partnership with stc Bahrain for AWS cloud management and cybersecurity modernization. The bank recently signed an invoice discounting agreement with Alba (Aluminium Bahrain) to extend supply chain financing into large corporate supplier ecosystems.

The revenue model is anchored in interest income from its diversified loan portfolio, supplemented by fee and commission income from trade finance instruments, remittances, and other banking services. For FY2025, BDB reported total operating income of BD 11.093 million (up 15% year-over-year) and net profit of BD 837 thousand (up 16%), with the bank fully recouping previously accumulated losses. Co-financing with Tamkeen, government-backed subsidy schemes, and supply chain partnerships with large Bahraini corporates form the institutional backbone of its go-to-market motion. BDB operates exclusively within Bahrain and is not publicly listed.

Name

Bahrain Development Bank

Legal name

Bahrain Development Bank B.S.C. (c)

Website

https://bdb-bh.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Bahrain Development Bank is a government-owned, Central Bank of Bahrain-licensed conventional retail bank established in 1992, dedicated to financing and developing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across Bahrain through branch banking, the Tijara digital platform, and co-financing partnerships with Tamkeen and government entities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Development Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (522110), Public Finance Activities (92113), Nondepository Credit Intermediation (5222)

SIC

Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111), National Commercial Banks (6021)

akta.pro primary industry

National Development Banks & State Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) (BPADACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI), Treasury, Cash Management & Liquidity (SME) (FSAGAJAG), Islamic Corporate Banking (FSABAGAC)

Keywords

• SME financing
• Development banking
• Working capital loans
• Trade finance
• Digital banking

Headquarters

HQ city

Manama

HQ country

Bahrain

HQ region

Middle East

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Interest Income: BDB earns interest income from its loan portfolio including SME financing, agricultural loans, fisheries loans, education finance, and overdraft facilities. The bank reported total operating income of BD 11.093 million in 2025, with increases in core banking profit and interest income driving growth.
2. Fee and Commission Income: BDB generates fee income from letters of credit, letters of guarantee, remittance services, and other banking service charges. Fee and other income increased as part of the 15% growth in total operating income in 2025.
3. Islamic Financing Products: BDB offers Sharia-compliant financing products alongside conventional loans, serving both segments of the Bahrain market.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bahrain Development Bank (BDB) is a government-owned development bank that provides financing and banking services focused on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Bahrain. Its core offerings include long-term loans, working capital facilities, letters of credit and guarantees, overdrafts, invoice discounting, and specialized interest-free loans for agriculture, fisheries, and education. The bank also runs targeted programs such as Riyadat for women entrepreneurs and co-finances projects with Tamkeen, delivering services through a branch network and the Tijara digital banking platform.

Product overview

Bahrain Development Bank operates as a diversified financial services institution offering SME financing and banking services. The core portfolio includes the Tijara digital banking platform (providing online banking, express loans, call accounts, and invoice discounting), alongside traditional financing products such as Sanad Financing, SME Fund, Musanada Programme, BDB Finance, and Tamkeen Finance. The bank provides specialized financing schemes including Women Business Finance Scheme 'Riyadat', Education Finance, Agricultural Loans, and Fisheries Loans. Additional services include Letters of Credit, Letters of Guarantee, Overdraft Facilities, E-Cheque, Benefit Pay integration, Remittance Services, and Open Banking APIs. The bank serves as a Conventional Retail Bank licensed by the Central Bank of Bahrain, supporting Bahrain's Vision 2030 economic diversification agenda.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tijara: Digital banking platform by Bahrain Development Bank offering express loans, call accounts, and online banking services for SMEs.
• Sanad Financing
• SME Fund
• Musanada Programme
• Riyadat

Quantifiable outcome

• 16% increase in net profit attributable to shareholders in 2025 (BD 837 thousand vs BD 719 thousand in 2024)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• stc BahraincoreTechnology or Integration · 6 December 2025stc Bahrain announced a strategic partnership with Bahrain Development Bank to deliver advanced AWS cloud management and cybersecurity solutions. The collaboration aims to modernise Bahrain's financial sector by enhancing security, operational efficiency, and innovation in the banking industry.
• TamkeencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTamkeen co-finances SME lending through BDB's Musanada Programme and BDB & Tamkeen Finance products. Tamkeen provides subsidy support while BDB acts as the lending bank. The partnership is central to BDB's SME support ecosystem.
• Alba (Aluminium Bahrain)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBDB signed an invoice discounting agreement with Alba to collectively support local SMEs in Alba's supply chain. The partnership enables SME suppliers of Alba to access early liquidity through invoice discounting.
• Supreme Council for Women (Bahrain)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBDB collaborated with the Supreme Council for Women and Tamkeen to launch the Riyadat Women Business Finance programme in 2016, aimed at promoting gender equality and empowering women entrepreneurs in line with SDG 5. Through December 2023, the programme supported 323 women with 349 loans totalling BD 8.2 million.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF): Saudi Arabia's national industrial and SME development finance institution. Like BDB, it is a state-backed DFI providing concessional loans, working capital, and development financing to SMEs and industrial projects, making it the closest regional mandate peer.
• Emirates Development Bank: UAE federal development bank focused on SME financing, industrial financing, and innovation financing. Shares BDB's mandate of channelling government-aligned development capital into SMEs, with a comparable institutional structure and policy mandate.
• Kuwait Finance House: GCC-headquartered Islamic and conventional banking group with strong SME financing, trade finance, and project finance capabilities. Operates across the region and offers Sharia-compliant and conventional products — directly comparable to BDB's mixed Sharia/conventional offering.

Others

• Tamkeen (Bahrain): Bahrain's national labour fund and SME development agency that co-finances BDB's Musanada and BDB & Tamkeen Finance programmes. It is BDB's closest strategic partner with an overlapping SME mandate, though it is not a deposit-taking bank.
• International Finance Corporation (IFC): World Bank Group's private-sector development finance arm. Provides DFI-style funding and SME finance support across emerging markets including MENA; serves as a peer institution for the multilateral DFI funding BDB may tap into.
• FMO (Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank): Netherlands-based bilateral DFI investing in SMEs and financial institutions in emerging markets. Comparable as a peer DFI for cross-border development finance partnerships and concessional funding lines BDB could access.

Broad incumbents

• Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK): Largest local commercial bank in Bahrain with a full SME, corporate, and retail franchise. Competes with BDB for SME deposits and lending relationships but operates as a broad commercial bank rather than a specialist DFI.
• National Bank of Bahrain (NBB): Major Bahraini commercial bank with established SME and corporate banking operations. Competes directly with BDB across SME deposits, trade finance, and lending, but with a materially larger balance sheet and product breadth.
• Bahrain Islamic Bank (BISB): Bahrain's leading Islamic bank offering Sharia-compliant SME, corporate, and retail banking. Directly comparable to BDB's Islamic financing arm and competes for the same Sharia-conscious SME segment.
• Khaleeji Commercial Bank: Bahraini commercial bank with corporate, treasury, and SME banking capabilities. Represents another local incumbent competing for SME market share, although smaller in scale than BBK or NBB.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bdbbahrain
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCn7QMygwHpAdhbBKyn9jEnQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/bdbbahrain
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bahraindevelopmentbank
• Instagraminstagram.com/bahraindevelopmentbank

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bahrain Development Bank