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CASE STUDY
Building Sahel
by BCFC
BCFC has grown over four decades into one of Bahrain’s most established lending institutions, with deep roots across consumer finance, automotive, real estate, and insurance. The institution partnered with Codebase Technologies and Atyaf eSolutions to build Sahel – a fully cloud-native digital lending solution powered by Digibanc. The solution now enables BCFC customers to access lending in as little as 15 minutes, and adoption has been strong, with 20,000 active users within the first three months.
Project Overview
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Bahrain’s lending industry has continued to move from strength to strength, yet access to credit remains constrained by high salary criteria, manual procedures, and excessive documentation. With 100% of Bahrainis connected to the internet and mobile penetration at 142.1%, digital presents an opportunity that financial institutions have not fully realized.
Being the leaders in the region, BCFC recognized their customers increasingly wanted faster, simpler access to lending without the friction of traditional processes. They partnered with Codebase Technologies and Atyaf eSolutions to build a modern, seamless digital lending solution that would streamline financing for their customers, powered by Digibanc.
Digibanc’s composable architecture enabled BCFC to bring the product to market with efficiency leveraging its prebuilt lending modules, including automated eKYC, biometric verification, real-time credit decisions, and instant card issuance. Sahel now delivers lending in as little as 15 minutes. Within the first 3 months of launch, Sahel recorded 20,000+ active users, and has enabled the institution digitize 50% of card issuance.
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Client's Mission & Expectations
BCFC wanted to bring to market a fresh way to access lending without the friction of traditional banking. Their vision was a mobile-first lending service that anyone could access instantly, regardless of banking history.
They wanted onboarding to take minutes, not days. A credit card that works from the moment it is approved. And a comprehensive financial tool that integrates credit, automotive, real estate, insurance, and their other lending offerings. Above all, they wanted a nimble solution they could scale as customers and markets evolve.
“BCFC has witnessed remarkable growth over the past 40 years across consumer finance, automotive, real estate, and insurance domains. However, navigating the technological landscape has not been without its challenges…Fortunately, our trusted partners, Codebase Technologies and Atyaf eSolutions, had successfully orchestrated similar projects in the past, instilling confidence in their ability to deliver.”
Abdulla Bukhowa,
Chief Executive Officer, Bahrain
Commercial Facilities Co.
How Codebase Technologies and Atyaf eSolutions Made It Possible
From conceptualization through design, implementation, and deployment, BCFC, Codebase Technologies, and Atyaf eSolutions worked side by side to build a solution that would set a new standard for lending in Bahrain. BCFC brought deep local market knowledge and a dominant lending position, while Codebase Technologies brought proven digital banking delivery experience and components of the Digibanc platform. Atyaf eSolutions provided the cloud hosting environment to ensure seamless, uninterrupted operations.
“Our successful digital transformation journey is a testament to the expertise, commitment, and collaborative synergy of all teams involved. Codebase Technologies’ Digibanc and Atyaf eSolutions’ cloud services have empowered us to launch a groundbreaking solution that will transform the lending landscape in Bahrain…”
Ali Marzoq
VP – Information Technology and Operations, BCFC
What Digibanc Delivered for BCFC
Digibanc provided the platform to engineer Sahel. Its prebuilt, independent, and composable components allowed the team to configure the required capabilities quickly and establish a scalable foundation for future growth. This enabled BCFC to reach the market fast with a product that worked from day one.
Remote Onboarding with Automated eKYC
Customers complete onboarding entirely within Sahel, eliminating paperwork and branch visits. Automated eKYC, biometric verification, facial recognition, and ID&V checks were integrated through Digibanc to ensure compliance with Central Bank of Bahrain regulations while reducing the friction that typically causes applicants to abandon the process.
Bahrain's First True Instant Credit Card Issuance
Sahel introduced Bahrain’s first true instant credit card issuance service, giving customers immediate access to financial tools. The capability enhances BCFC’s operational efficiency and strengthened its risk management, elevating the overall customer experience.
Minimalist Onboarding Journey
The onboarding journey was designed with a minimalist layout and clean presentation of essential information to guide users throughout the process, reducing customer attrition and fostering greater engagement and satisfaction
Secure Login and Pre-Login Services
A new secured login and registration process with dual authentication adds an extra layer of security for both customers and BCFC. A pre-login service enables customers to make payments without signing in, and a branch locator helps them find nearby branches for in-person services.
Holistic Financial Overview
The platform provides customers with a holistic view of various financial products, allowing them to manage daily financial needs within a single interface. Credit cards, personal loans, and vehicle loans are accessible with a simple tap.
Personalized and Customer-Centric Features
The design includes a unique UI tailored to the preferences of elite customers, along with smart reminders and countdowns for loan and card payments. Customers can stop a card, access its details, and reset their PIN, giving them full control over their accounts.
BenefitPay Integration
In a market where about two-thirds of the population uses BenefitPay, the payment solution was seamlessly integrated into BCFC’s platform, enabling customers to pay their dues through BenefitPay.
Instant Virtual Cards, Auto-Issuance, and Automatic Disbursement
Codebase integrated instant access to virtual cards, auto-issuance of credit cards, and automatic disbursement of loans to enhance convenience and speed without compromising risk management for the institution.
Offers, Deals, and Loyalty Points
An offers and deals feature helps customers get the best out of their money and digital experiences. A loyalty points functionality enables customers to easily transfer and redeem accumulated rewards.
Outcomes
The collaboration between BCFC, Codebase Technologies, and Atyaf eSolutions produced a digital lending proposition that has changed how customers in Bahrain access credit. Sahel entered Bahrain as a first mover in cloud-native lending, and its impact has been felt across customers, the institution, and the wider lending landscape.
For BCFC
Sahel repositioned BCFC as a digital pioneer in a market long defined by traditional lending practices. The platform’s cloud-native foundation allows BCFC to introduce new products and capabilities without rebuilding its technology stack, giving the institution room to expand its proposition as customer expectations shift. It also enabled BCFC to operate with greater internal efficiency, reducing reliance on manual processes across card issuance and loan disbursement while maintaining strong risk controls.
For Customers
Access to lending is no longer bound to a branch visit or a lengthy approval cycle. Customers can now apply, verify their identity, receive a credit decision, and access funds remotely, with many completing the full journey in minutes. For those historically underserved by traditional banking criteria, Sahel opened a route to credit that was previously out of reach, extending financial inclusion to a broader segment of the population.
“We have reached the sky, but it is just the beginning. In the subsequent versions of our application, we are keen to unleash a new wave of innovation…empowering our customers with even more innovative features and seamless experiences. As we continue to strengthen our partnership with Codebase Technologies, we are confident to lead the future of digital banking in Bahrain, the Middle East, and beyond.”
Mohamed Bukamal,
Deputy CEO, Bahrain Commercial Facilities Co.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sahel?
Sahel is BCFC’s cloud-native digital lending solution, built in partnership with Codebase Technologies and Atyaf eSolutions and powered by the Digibanc platform. It gives customers remote access to lending products, credit cards, personal loans, and vehicle loans through a single digital interface.
What technology powers Sahel?
Sahel runs on Codebase Technologies’ Digibanc platform, hosted on Atyaf eSolutions’ cloud infrastructure, Digibanc’s composable, API-first architecture allowed the required lending capabilities to be configured and deployed quickly, while the cloud environment provides the scalability to support BCFC’s growing user base.
How does onboarding work on Sahel?
Onboarding is fully remote and built leveraging Digibanc digital onboarding modules. Customers complete identity checks, biometric authentication, facial recognition, and eKYC screening without visiting a branch or submitting physical documents.
Can customers receive a credit card instantly?
Yes. Sahel introduced Bahrain’s first true instant credit card issuance service. Once an application is approved, customers gain immediate access to a virtual card, allowing them to start transacting without waiting for a physical card to be produced or delivered.
How long does it take to access credit through Sahel?
Customers can complete the full lending journey in as little as 15 minutes, from application through to approval and disbursement, enabled by real-time credit evaluation and automated disbursement supported by Digibanc.
Why did BCFC choose a cloud-native approach?
Cloud-native deployment gives BCFC the ability to scale capacity on demand without investing in additional hardware, maintenance, or staffing. It also provides resilience through disaster recovery capabilities and supports compliance with Bahrain’s banking regulations.
