Bahrain country pack.
Bahrain pack covering the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) Rulebook for conventional and Islamic banks (high-level controls, operational risk and cyber security, financial crime, business conduct and Shari'a governance), the CBB high-level controls for financing companies, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Corporate Governance Code for joint stock companies, and the Personal Data Protection Law. It serves internal audit, compliance, AML and Shari'a teams in Bahraini banks, financing companies, listed companies and other large enterprises.
Frameworks and regulations.
| Instrument | Applies to | Requirements | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBB Rulebook Volume 1 (Conventional Banks), Module HC: High-Level Controls Central Bank of Bahrain · Restructured module in force from 1 October 2023; split into Part One and Part Two in January 2024; amended May 2026 | Banks, Islamic banks | 30 | Source checked |
| CBB Rulebook Volumes 1 and 2, Module OM: Operational Risk Management (including outsourcing, business continuity and cyber security risk management) Central Bank of Bahrain · Module revised December 2019; cyber security sections amended April 2022; outsourcing chapter amended July 2022 and May 2026 | Banks, Islamic banks | 30 | Source checked |
| CBB Rulebook Volume 1 (Conventional Banks), Module FC: Financial Crime Central Bank of Bahrain · Current module as at October 2026 (MLRO and compliance monitoring rules amended May 2026; FC-4.2.1 amended October 2026) | Banks, Islamic banks | 25 | Source checked |
| CBB Rulebook Volume 1 (Conventional Banks), Module BC: Business and Market Conduct Central Bank of Bahrain · Current module; complaints reporting rules amended May 2026 | Banks, Islamic banks | 21 | Source checked |
| CBB Rulebook Volume 2 (Islamic Banks), Module SG: Shari'a Governance Central Bank of Bahrain · Issued August 2017; IESCA appointment rule amended October 2022; whole module aligned with the Fit and Proper module in May 2026 | Islamic banks | 27 | Source checked |
| CBB Rulebook Volume 5 (Specialised Licensees), Type 3 Financing Companies, Module HC: High-level Controls Central Bank of Bahrain · Current module as at May 2026 (aligned with the Fit and Proper module) | Finance companies | 23 | Source checked |
| Corporate Governance Code of the Kingdom of Bahrain Ministry of Industry and Commerce · Ministerial Decree No. (19) of 2018, as amended by Ministerial Decree No. (91) of 2022 (in force 20 September 2022) | Listed companies, Large enterprises | 17 | Being confirmed |
| Personal Data Protection Law, Law No. (30) of 2018 Kingdom of Bahrain (supervised by the Personal Data Protection Authority) · Law No. (30) of 2018, in force 1 August 2019; implementing ministerial resolutions issued 17 March 2022 | Banks, Islamic banks, Finance companies, Insurers and more | 11 | Being confirmed |
Checklists in the pack.
- CBB High-Level Controls Governance Review
- CBB Shari'a Governance and IESCA Readiness Review
- CBB Financial Crime (AML/CFT) Review
- CBB Cyber Security and Business Continuity Review
Regulators.
- CBB Central Bank of Bahrain
- MOIC Ministry of Industry and Commerce
- PDPA Personal Data Protection Authority
Who it is for
Banks, Islamic banks, Finance companies, Listed companies, Large enterprises.
Regulatory calendar.
20 recurring deliverables, each with the regulator, the instrument and the deadline rule. Some examples:
| Deliverable | Regulator | How often | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual AML/CFT compliance review report to the CBB | CBB | Every year | External auditor or consultancy report to the Anti-Financial Crime Directorate by 30 June of the following year |
| Third-party quality review of internal audit and compliance functions | CBB | Every 5 years | Commissioned by the audit committee every five years; report sent to the CBB by 30 September |
| Third-party review of the risk management function | CBB | Every 5 years | Commissioned by the risk committee every five years; report sent to the CBB by 31 May |
| Report directors with board attendance below 75% | CBB | Every year | Within one month of financial year-end |
| Audit committee meetings, including sessions with the external auditor | CBB | Every quarter | At least four meetings a year, at least two with the external auditor and one without executives |
| Quarterly report of open internal audit findings to the audit committee | CBB | Every quarter | Each quarter |
Reporting conventions.
- Reports in English and Arabic
- Amounts in BHD
The CBB Rulebook is published and maintained in English (hosted at cbben.thomsonreuters.com) and CBB reporting is in English. Laws and ministerial decrees (PDPL, Commercial Companies Law, Corporate Governance Code) are issued in Arabic, with English translations for reference. Gregorian calendar. BHD amounts use three decimal places (fils). The Shari'a Supervisory Board report is published in the annual report and read at the AGM.
Kept current.
Content version 2026.10, reviewed 27 October 2026. Descriptions are AuditHD's own; each framework links to the official text. License this pack on its own or with other countries; International standards are always included.
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