Singapore : Khalid Humaidan, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), participated in a high-level panel discussion titled “Policymakers’ Dialogue: Building Trust, Stability and Innovation in the Next Era of Money,” during the Singapore Fintech Festival 2025.
José Luis Escrivá, Governor of the Bank of Spain, and Boris Vujčić, Governor of the Croatian National Bank, also participated.
Humaidan emphasised the need for regulators to invest in digital tools to make financial services safer and noted the need for commercial banks to invest in Fintech as new technologies and players continue to reshape the financial landscape. He also highlighted that the need to monitor and address systemic risk continues to stand at the forefront of regulatory priorities.
The Governor also emphasised the need for regulators to invest in digital tools to keep pace with the rapid growth of digital products and market innovation, noting that adopting these tools is essential in reducing systemic risk. He added that Supervisory Technology (SupTech) will enable regulators to better balance their prudential mandate with innovation.
Speaking on the role of commercial banks in the evolving world of digital assets, Humaidan noted that the landscape is becoming increasingly competitive, as banks, non-banks and FinTechs are all investing in different products that compete with traditional commercial banking services. He emphasised that CBB, as a regulator, will remain vigilant and aligned to ensure consistent regulatory treatment for all players.
Humaidan underscored that managing systemic risk remains CBB’s top regulatory priority due to the financial sector being the largest contributor to Bahrain’s economy, a vital source of foreign direct investment, and a key driver of job creation across the Kingdom.
