BAB Announces Judging Panel for Second Edition of Digital Innovation Awards

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

The Bahrain Association of Banks (BAB) has announced the members of the independent Judging Panel for the second edition of the Digital Innovation Awards 2026.

The panel comprises four experts whose experience spans Bahrain and international markets across artificial intelligence, digital transformation, governance and fintech: Dr. Khalid Ahmed Almutawah, Dr. Ana Barjasic, Mr. Tey Bannerman and Professor Tek-Yew Chia.

Operating independently of the Organizing Committee, the panel will evaluate eligible entries and select the winners. Each innovation will be assessed against its relevance to the intended customer segment, the significance of the challenge it addresses, the quality of its execution and its ability to deliver measurable results.

Dr. Khalid Ahmed Almutawah is Deputy Chief Executive, Operations and Governance at Bahrain's Information & eGovernment Authority. He has more than two decades of experience in information technology, governance, enterprise architecture and data analytics, and holds a PhD in Data Mining and Business Intelligence from Monash University.

Dr. Barjasic is the Founder and CEO of Connectology, an ambassador and former Board Member of the European Innovation Council, and an Advisory Board Member of the European Start-up Nations Alliance. She brings extensive experience as an entrepreneur, investor and policy advisor across international innovation ecosystems.

Mr. Bannerman is an internationally recognized expert in innovation, user-driven solution design and artificial intelligence. He serves as a Senior Advisor to McKinsey & Company, having previously been a Partner and Head of McKinsey Design Europe. He also advises major technology companies and European banks and co-authored The AI Revolution.

Professor Chia is an advisor and Adjunct Professor at the Asian Institute of Digital Finance at the National University of Singapore, as well as a Senior Advisor at Boston Consulting Group. His career spans more than 30 years across Asia and the Middle East, covering strategic transformation, risk management, payments modernization, fintech and capital markets.

Mrs. Zeeba Askar, Chief Executive Officer of the Bahrain Association of Banks, said: "The strength and credibility of the Awards are closely linked to the quality of the judging process. We have therefore brought together a distinguished panel of national and international experts, combining technical expertise, practical experience and strategic insight. This breadth of experience will support a rigorous and objective assessment of the submissions, with a clear focus on their ability to deliver meaningful value to customers and the wider market. We are confident that the panel will identify and recognise innovations that demonstrate meaningful and measurable value across the financial services sector."

Entries will compete across three categories: the Digital Innovation Award – Individual, the Digital Innovation Award – SME and the Digital Innovation Award – Corporate.

The second edition will culminate in an awards ceremony on 8 October 2026 as part of the concluding activities of Fintech Forum 2026. Hosted by the Bahrain Economic Development Board, supported by the Central Bank of Bahrain, Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority and Bahrain FinTech Bay, the event will be programmed by Forbes Middle East. The two-day forum will bring together financial services innovators and policymakers to examine the challenges and opportunities shaping the fintech ecosystem and the future of financial services.