Al Salam Bank Signs Strategic Deal with Denodo and NAIB IT to Advance Data Management and AI Initiatives

In line with the Bahrain Economic Vision 2030, leading Bahraini bank enhances AI experiences for its clients

MANAMA, Kingdom of Bahrain, Sept. 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Al Salam Bank has signed a strategic deal with Denodo, a global leader in data management, AWS, and NAIB IT, a Bahrain-based systems integrator known for delivering high-impact technology solutions across banking, government, public sector, and enterprise organizations. The agreement aims to adopt the Denodo platform to amplify the Bank’s data and AI infrastructure, in line with Bahrain’s Vision 2030 and the national direction toward digital transformation.

The signing ceremony was attended by Shaikha Dr. Dheya Bint Ebrahim Al Khalifa, Managing Director at NAIB IT; Mr. Anwar Murad, Deputy CEO - Banking at Al Salam Bank, Mr. Hemantha Wijesinghe, CTO at Al Salam Bank; and Mr. Gabriele Obino, Denodo Regional Vice President South Europe and Middle East and General Manager Denodo Arabian Limited.

Through the Denodo platform, Al Salam Bank will be able to unify its enterprise data across various systems, enabling faster decision-making and driving innovation. This step also reflects the Bank’s commitment to leading innovation in digital banking, in line with the Kingdom of Bahrain’s long-term economic vision.

Shaikha Dr. Dheya Bint Ebrahim Al Khalifa stated, “This strategic collaboration represents a significant milestone in Bahrain’s digital transformation journey. We are happy to facilitate partnerships that advance our nation’s technological capabilities and strengthen our position as a regional fintech hub. Through initiatives like this, we are building the foundation for a knowledge-based economy that aligns with Bahrain’s Vision 2030.”

“At Al Salam Bank, we are committed to remaining at the forefront of digital transformation within the financial sector,” said Anwar Murad, Deputy CEO - Banking at Al Salam Bank. “This strategic partnership with Denodo and NAIB IT marks a significant step in advancing our digital maturity and optimizing the use of data and AI to better serve our clients. By harnessing real-time data integration and AI-powered analytics, we aim to enhance responsiveness, strengthen operational agility, and deliver a more personalized and seamless banking experience. This initiative goes beyond technology adoption—it represents our dedication to embedding intelligence into core operations, enabling informed decision-making and positioning Al Salam Bank as a forward-looking institution aligned with the aspirations of Bahrain’s Vision 2030.”

“This partnership reflects our vision to build a smarter, more agile bank powered by advanced data and AI capabilities. We believe this initiative will not only enhance the clients experience but also set a benchmark for innovation in the region,” said Hemantha Wijesinghe, CTO at Al Salam Bank.

Al Salam Bank has signed a strategic agreement with Denodo and NAIB IT to advance its data management and AI initiatives through AWS Marketplace, enabling faster procurement, cloud-native scalability, and real-time access to data products to accelerate innovation. The agreement forms a key pillar in Al Salam Bank’s broader digital transformation roadmap, reinforcing its position at the forefront of smart banking in the region. With the Denodo Platform’s logical data management capabilities including a universal semantic layer, Al Salam Bank can connect and manage data from its core systems, cloud-based services, and fintech partners, within minutes instead of weeks. The interoperability among the different systems will enable AI-powered analytics and reporting, enabling faster, data-driven decisions at the executive and operational levels.

Commenting on the partnership, Gabriele Obino, regional vice president and general manager, Southern Europe and Middle East at Denodo, stated, “We are proud to support Al Salam Bank in its digital transformation journey. Our platform enables real-time data access, governance, and agility, critical components for AI success. This partnership showcases how modern data management can empower financial institutions to lead in a rapidly evolving digital economy.”

“As a local integrator, our mission is to ensure that global innovation translates into local success,” said Ebrahim Sonde, COO at NAIB IT. “Collaborating with Al Salam Bank and Denodo, we are committed to delivering a robust, secure, and scalable data architecture that drives meaningful transformation.”

By adopting the Denodo Platform’s logical data management layer and leveraging NAIB IT’s deployment expertise, the Bank expects further enhancements in operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and service agility. Real-time access to data will not only empower teams with faster insights but also elevate the end-user experience.

In embracing this transformation, Al Salam Bank reinforces its position as a technology-forward institution, aligned with the aspirations of Bahrain’s Vision 2030 and prepared to lead in a future defined by intelligent financial services.

About Denodo
Denodo is a leader in data management. The award-winning Denodo Platform is the leading logical data management platform for transforming data into trustworthy insights and outcomes for all data-related initiatives across the enterprise, including AI and self-service. Denodo’s customers in all industries all over the world have delivered trusted AI-ready and business-ready data in a third of the time and with 10x better performance than with lakehouses and other mainstream data platforms alone. For more information, visit denodo.com.

About NAIB IT
NAIB IT is a premier systems integrator specializing in end-to-end technology solutions for various industry verticals. We design, deploy, and optimize mission critical systems from enterprise Software Applications, ERP, Blockchain platforms to AI-driven platform, seamlessly connecting infrastructure, data, and workflows. Trusted by industry leaders, NAIB IT delivers scalable, secure, and future-ready integration that powers efficiency and innovation. NAIB IT team members are members of Forbes Technology Council. For more information, visit naibit.com.

About Al Salam Bank
Establishing its headquarters in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2006, Al Salam Bank (Al Salam Bank) has since cemented its reputation as the fastest growing bank in the Kingdom and a highly influential force in the Islamic banking industry on a regional level. Leveraging on its robust financial standing as the industry’s strongest in asset capital, the Bank has a proven track record in risk mitigation and effectively shifting to market dynamics, through its agile and aggressive growth strategy.

The Bank has adopted a digital-first mindset to meet the modern-day needs of its clientele, delivering curated financial solutions and a seamless, transformative customer experience. Harnessing the power of data-backed insights and state-of-art technology, Al Salam Bank offers a comprehensive range of innovative and unique Shari’a-compliant financial products and services through its extended network of branches and ATMs. In addition to its diverse range of retail banking services, the Bank also provides corporate banking, private banking, asset management, international transaction banking as well as treasury services.

Media Contacts
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