Al Salam Bank
Scaling Boldly with a Core Built for Continuous Growth
Manama, Bahrain
At a Glance
• Two banks acquired and migrated to Temenos Core within accelerated timeframes under eight months
• Temenos Core upgraded twice, validated by 1,500+ automated test cases, with all legacy systems now fully decommissioned
• 85% of processes automated
• 6x increase in IT capacity and 10x increase in telecom throughput
• Fintech marketplace OneApp launched and awarded Bahrain’s ‘Best Digital Transformation Project’
• 50+ AI initiatives launched, backed by strong enterprise-wide data infrastructure
Al Salam Bank’s Core Banking transformation was not a technology upgrade, but a strategic reset to enable scale, inorganic growth, cost discipline, and continuous innovation. By standardizing on a single, modern Temenos Core and eliminating legacy complexity, the bank created a platform that supports acquisitions, digital products, AI adoption, and regulatory resilience at speed and without disruption.
Together, these outcomes reflect Al Salam Bank’s shift from legacy-constrained operations to a more scalable, acquisition-ready, and innovation-enabled banking platform.
A Bank on the Move
Al Salam Bank is the largest bank in Bahrain, and its technology journey reflects a broader institutional transformation, shaped by strategic growth, operational discipline, and a clear ambition to remain future-ready.
Five years ago, our core system was operating well behind where we wanted to be. Today, we are running on the latest version of Temenos, which places the Bank in a stronger position to scale, innovate and perform.”
Hemantha Wijesinghe, Chief Technology Officer at Al Salam Bank.
This transformation was driven by a clear strategic intent: to remove structural technology constraints and enable the bank to grow more effectively, integrate acquisitions with greater precision, and respond more efficiently to evolving customer and market needs.
From operational automation to the integration of acquired institutions, Al Salam Bank has delivered a transformation that has been both strategic and disciplined, enabled by Temenos and driven by clear business priorities. The focus has not only been on what was implemented, but on how it was executed, with strong governance, controlled delivery, and clear alignment to long-term strategic priorities.
Removing Limits
Before the transformation, Al Salam Bank was operating within a more complex technology environment, characterized by siloed systems, slower project delivery, and limited integration pathways. “Innovation was being constrained by the structure of the legacy environment,” said Ahmed Buqais, Deputy Chief Technology Officer at Al Salam Bank. “It was becoming increasingly difficult to move at the speed the business and our customers required.”
In 2021/22, the Bank completed its first major upgrade of Temenos Core. This foundational shift paved the way for the next phase of the Bank’s strategic growth, including the successful acquisition of Ithmaar Bank’s consumer banking business. The full migration was completed in just seven months.
A second acquisition followed soon with former Kuwait Finance House Bahrain, where the full institution operation was migrated onto Temenos Core in only six months.
Unlike many banks that merge systems or run parallel platforms, Al Salam opted for a clean transfer. “We made a conscious decision to move into one strategic core environment rather than carry forward unnecessary complexity,” said Hemantha. “That gave us a cleaner, more efficient, and more scalable operating model.”
Core Banking – Upgraded and Future-Ready
In 2025, the Bank completed a second major upgrade of its Temenos Core environment, modernizing not just the software but the full infrastructure stack. The move included a transition to Temenos’ latest Java-based runtime (TAFJ), improving performance, enabling the rollout of the new Temenos browser interface, and preparing the bank for future growth.
To manage the complexity, the team invested heavily in quality assurance and testing. “We replaced hardware, restructured infrastructure, and ran more than 1,500 automated test cases to validate system performance,” Ahmed said. “That level of preparation gave us the confidence to go live without disruption, and we had zero post-upgrade issues.”
The program was delivered in collaboration with TTF and Al Salam Bank’s internal teams, combining specialist implementation support with strong in-house ownership throughout the process.
“We approached the upgrade with a clear focus on resilience, continuity, and long-term scalability,” said Hemantha Wijesinghe, Chief Technology Officer at Al Salam Bank. “The outcome has given us a stronger and more future-ready core environment.”
Keeping Customers Live During Migration
A defining feature of Al Salam Bank’s transformational approach was its ability to execute major migrations while maintaining continuity of services for customers. The team built an internal orchestration platform called Oxygen, which acted as a live transaction bridge during critical cutovers.
“Usually during a transformation, systems go down for long hours,” said Hemantha. “With Oxygen, we were able to maintain continuity and allow customers to continue transacting without any disruptions. This was significantly important in protecting both our service standards and customer trust.”
Oxygen has since become a strategic internal capability, demonstrating the Bank’s ability to engineer complex transformation solutions in-house rather than relying solely on vendors.
Built by the Bank, for the Bank
A significant share of Al Salam Bank’s transformation was delivered through internal capability, reflecting the Bank’s long-term investment in technology talent, platform knowledge, and delivery ownership.
“We have built strong in-house capability across architecture, testing, deployment, and service delivery,” said Mohammed Saleh, Head of IT Service Delivery. “From architecture to testing to deployment, we have built internal capability that gives us greater control, continuity and agility in how we deliver transformation.”
That internal capability is not only about speed, but also about long-term sustainability and institutional knowledge. “Our team has developed deep Temenos expertise over time,” said Hemantha. “Many of them have been part of this journey for years. We have grown our people alongside the evolution of the platform.”
This autonomy has led to measurable results: 85% of processes are now automated, a 10x increase in telecom throughput, a 6x increase in system capacity, and service uptime is now mostly at 99.9%. “We have eliminated all legacy systems in production,” said Hemantha. “It gives us simplicity, speed, and easier-to-manage operating environment.”
The bank’s operations are now fully paperless, with onboarding and card issuance reduced from five days to five minutes. “And we’ve done it all while staying fully compliant and ISO-certified,” he further added.
OneApp: A Fintech Marketplace
In January 2025, Al Salam Bank launched OneApp, a digital financial marketplace offering everything from microfinance to investments and non-banking services. While operating under distinct platform identity, OneApp is fully integrated with Temenos Core.
Built within Bahrain’s open banking infrastructure, OneApp connects banks across the Kingdom, offering a seamless and instant customer experience.
“If someone needs financing, they apply in the app and receive funds instantly,” said Ahmed. “No paperwork, no employee intervention. And the financing is registered directly in Temenos.”
Beyond customer experience, OneApp represents a scalable monetization model, positioning Al Salam Bank beyond traditional banking by enabling ecosystem partnerships, fee-based services, and platform-led growth without increasing operational complexity.
In 2025, OneApp was recognized at Bahrain’s eGovernment Excellence Award for Best Digital Transformation, reflecting the platform’s measurable impact on financial inclusion, customer experience, and ecosystem collaboration.
Temenos provided the stability and integration flexibility we needed to build and scale the platform effectively. OneApp was designed not only to support our own digital ambitions, but also to enable broader ecosystem connectivity and collaboration across the market.”
Hemantha Wijesinghe, Chief Technology Officer at Al Salam Bank.
A Partner and Enabler
For Al Salam Bank, Temenos is not viewed simply as just software, but as a key enabler of its strategic execution.
Daily transaction volumes average around 400,000, but the Bank regularly peaks at 1 million transactions per day, all handled smoothly by Temenos Core.
“The core system is robust,” Hemantha said. “And our team have built strong expertise around it. That combination of technology and talent is what gives us an edge.”
Temenos has also supported Al Salam Bank in strengthening governance operational resilience, and regulatory oversight within a highly regulated environment. “We operate in a market where control, auditability, and resilience are essential,” said Mohammed. “The operating model we have built enables us to meet regulatory requirements, maintain robust internal controls, and comply with ISO standards and regulators expectations, while supporting the Bank’s continued growth.
Temenos gives us three things. Flexibility, seamless integration, and the ability to scale with greater speed and confidence.”
Mohammed Saleh, Head of IT Service Delivery at Al Salam Bank
Business Value Delivered
Beyond technology, the transformation has delivered clear and measurable business outcomes:
- Cost efficiency through elimination of parallel core systems and legacy licenses
- Reduced operational and regulatory risk via a single system of record
- Faster time-to-market for digital products and AI initiatives
- Scalability to support acquisitions without the need for major re-platforming
These outcomes demonstrate how the bank’s technology investments have translated into stronger execution, lower complexity, and a more resilient foundation for sustainable growth.
What’s Next: AI, Data, and Payment Modernization
With its core now fully upgraded, Al Salam Bank is focused on data-driven banking, AI expansion, and payments modernization.
The Bank has launched various AI initiatives, including:
- AI-powered chatbots for customer support
- Automated decisioning for onboarding and credit
- Predictive analytics for internal service desk queries
- Smart document routing and workflow optimisation
- Voice-driven banking pilots for accessibility
“AI is not just an experiment, it’s a board-level priority,” said Hemantha. “It is embedded within our roadmap, ensuring that each initiative is aligned to business value and long-term strategic direction.”
What makes these initiatives possible is the Bank’s data readiness.
Because Temenos serves as our system of record, our data is more consistent, reliable and accessible. That’s the foundation for real AI.”
Ahmed Buqais, Deputy Chief Technology Officer at Al Salam Bank
Looking ahead, the Bank’s next milestone is the rollout of Temenos Payment Hub, aimed at unifying and future-proofing payment orchestration across channels.
For Al Salam Bank, this journey represents more than a one-time transformation. It establishes a platform for continued innovation, operational agility, and long-term value creation. “We are focused on building capability that supports sustainable progress,” said Hemantha Wijesinghe, Chief Technology Officer at Al Salam Bank. “This is about creating a stronger foundation for the future, not simply responding to short-term trends.”