In general, all financial activities within the Kingdom of Bahrain (“Bahrain”) are controlled and/or subject to the monitoring by the Central Bank of Bahrain (“the CBB”) that was established by the Decree No. (64) of 2006 with Respect to Promulgating the Central Bank of Bahrain and Financial Institutions (“the CBB Law”). By virtue of the CBB Law, the CBB has issued the rulebook and some guidelines that govern the banking and financial activities from and/or within Bahrain.
The CBB Rulebook Volume 1 governs the conventional aspect of banking.
The
CBB Rulebook includes, within its definition of regulated banking services, the
activities of deposit taking, providing credit and dealing in financial
instruments (including operating a collective investment undertaking and
arranging deals in financial instruments.
To undertake such activities, an entity needs to be licensed by the CBB as conventional bank licensee regardless whether the concerned entity is incorporated in the Kingdom of Bahrain or in an overseas jurisdiction.
A
conventional bank licensee has to be either of two kinds:
1. retail conventional bank; or
2. wholesale conventional bank.
On 25 November 2007, the CBB published on its website the standard conditions and licensing criteria for private banking.
© 2008 - Hurriyah El Islamy
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