Bahrain has a sophisticated domestic payment system and was one of the earliest AFAQ participants.
Currency
Currency: Bahraini dinar
Code: BHD
Central bank: Central Bank of Bahrain
USD peg: approximately BHD 0.376 per US$1
RTGS
The CBB operates Bahrain's RTGS for large-value and interbank settlement.
The system also settles obligations from other national payment infrastructures.
EFTS
The Electronic Fund Transfer System supports multiple retail services.
Fawri+
Instant low-value transfer service.
CBB describes Fawri+ as round-the-clock and capable of moving eligible transfers within seconds.
Fawri
Deferred/batch transfer service.
Fawateer
Electronic bill presentment and payment.
BENEFIT
BENEFIT operates significant domestic payment infrastructure, including card/ATM and EFTS-related services.
AFAQ
Bahrain and Saudi Arabia exchanged the first AFAQ transactions when the regional system went live in December 2020.
Bahrain therefore has direct historical importance in the regional GCC payment architecture.
Stablecoins
Bahrain's 2025 Stablecoin Issuance and Offering framework permits licensed issuers to issue fully backed single-currency stablecoins based on:
BHD;
USD;
another CBB-approved fiat currency.
This is a licensing framework — not permission for any unlicensed token issuer to operate.
Related pages
Authoritative sources and update date
Research updated: September 16, 2026.
This content is designed as an explainer. Payment availability, participant-bank coverage, cut-off times, fees, FX spreads, stablecoin treatment, and licensing requirements can change. For an actual transaction, confirm the current position with the relevant central bank, payment-system operator, sending institution and receiving institution.