Wahda Bank partners with Backbase to launch digital banking platform

By Divya Shah

Why it matters: The partnership highlighted how banks in emerging markets were investing in modern digital platforms to improve customer access and service delivery.

Libya’s Wahda Bank has partnered with Dutch banking technology provider Backbase to develop a new digital banking platform, with deployment scheduled for 2027. The partnership aimed to modernise the bank’s digital services and improve customer experiences across its business and retail banking operations. 

The initial phase of the project focused on business customers. It aimed to simplify digital onboarding through electronic identity verification and bring services such as payroll, invoice management, and other banking functions together in a single application. 

Wahda Bank planned to extend the platform to retail customers in a later phase. This would include integrating card services and money management features. However, the bank had not announced a timeline for the retail rollout. 

The partnership also covered the bank’s internal operations. Wahda employees were set to move to Backbase’s Banking OS, which was designed to give staff a unified view of customer information through a single servicing workspace. 

To support the implementation, Wahda’s engineering team would receive training through the Backbase Academy to develop the skills needed to maintain and manage the new platform. Corporate banking and conversational banking integrations were also planned for later phases. 

Founded in 1970, Wahda Bank operated 76 branches across Libya and served more than 500,000 customers. Its services covered individual, corporate and Islamic banking. 

The partnership followed Wahda Bank’s agreement with Profinch in June to upgrade its core banking infrastructure to the latest version of Oracle Flexcube Universal Banking Solution and Oracle Banking Digital Experience. 

Backbase’s platform would be integrated with the upgraded core banking system, alongside the bank’s existing connections to Libya’s instant payment networks, LYPay and OnePay. 

Through the agreement, Wahda Bank joined Backbase’s growing portfolio of Libyan banking partners, which also included Libyan Islamic Bank and Jet Bank.