Wahda Bank picks Backbase for digital platform in Libya

Wahda Bank has selected Backbase to build a new digital banking platform for its business and retail customers in Libya, with the rollout starting in business banking in 2027.

The project will begin with services for business customers, including digital onboarding, day-to-day banking and invoice management. Retail banking will follow on the same platform, adding cards and money management services for more than half a million customers.

At launch, business customers will be able to open accounts online using electronic identity verification, then manage payroll, bill payments and invoices through a single app. The system will offer Arabic-first customer journeys with full English support.

Wahda Bank is one of Libya's largest banks, and the move comes as the country's banking sector shifts towards digital services. The Central Bank of Libya's National Financial Inclusion Strategy identifies electronic payments, small and medium-sized businesses and artificial intelligence as core priorities.

The platform will also be used by branch and contact centre staff, who will work from a single servicing workspace showing customer information in one place. It will connect with Wahda Bank's Oracle FLEXCUBE core banking system, as well as LYPay and OnePay, the country's instant payment rails.

Skills build

Wahda Bank's engineers will work alongside Backbase teams in joint squads from the start of the project. Staff will also train through Backbase Academy as the bank builds in-house expertise to keep developing the platform over time.

Later phases are set to include corporate banking and conversational banking tools. The partnership announcement was attended by Ahmed Gadalla, chairman of Alushibe Holding Group and one of Wahda Bank's shareholders.

Jouk Pleiter, Founder and CEO of Backbase, said: "Libya is building a modern digital economy in a matter of years, and the banks that shape it will be the ones that start from the right foundation. Wahda Bank is bringing business and retail banking together on one AI-native platform from the start. Every service that follows, from corporate banking to conversational AI, will land on that same base, which puts Wahda in a position to set the pace for the whole market."

"Wahda Bank has been a major contributor to Libya's economic growth and has consistently been at the forefront of digital transformation in the country. Our partnership with Backbase is the next step on that path. Together, we will give our business and retail customers Arabic-first digital banking on a platform our own engineers will keep extending," Rami Benissa, CEO of Wahda Bank, said.

The agreement reflects growing pressure on Libyan lenders to reduce reliance on branch visits for basic services such as account opening. Digital account access remains limited in the market, particularly for businesses seeking a broader set of tools in one place.

"A modern economy depends on people and businesses being able to bank wherever they are. Too many Libyans still depend on a branch for the most basic services. Wahda Bank's long-term partnership with Backbase will bring digital banking to customers across the country and help build the financial system Libya needs to grow," said Ahmed Gadalla, Chairman and Owner of Alushibe Holding Group.