NBB Signs MoU With Partior to Explore Bahraini Dinar Settlement on Blockchain Network

The National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) has entered a memorandum of understanding with Partior, the blockchain-based clearing and settlement network backed by DBS, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan, Standard Chartered and Temasek, to explore whether NBB could serve as a settlement bank for the Bahraini Dinar (BHD) on Partior’s network.

Partior’s model uses tokenisation to allow banks to execute instant interbank cross-border payments around the clock through designated settlement banks, positioning itself as an alternative to the delays and opacity of correspondent banking. The network currently clears three currencies: USD, EUR and SGD, handled by its founding settlement banks. Onboarding BHD would represent the network’s first Middle Eastern currency and a meaningful geographic extension into the Gulf.

The scope of the MoU covers evaluation of the operating model, implementation requirements, technical feasibility and Bahraini regulatory considerations. Partior has a comparable exploratory arrangement with Emirates NBD, which the source notes as the relevant precedent, suggesting this is part of a deliberate regional expansion strategy rather than a one-off approach. No commitment to proceed has been made by either party, and the outcome depends on the feasibility and regulatory assessment.