Kinexys, J.P. Morgan’s enterprise blockchain platform for programmable payments, asset tokenisation and near real-time settlement, will support Arab Bank in bringing parts of its Middle East network onto blockchain-based payment rails.
With more than 600 branches across 27 countries, Arab Bank operates in exactly the type of environment where cross-border banking remains structurally inefficient with fragmented markets, misaligned settlement windows, currency complexity and liquidity trapped across jurisdictions.
The bank will initially explore use cases across cross-border payments, liquidity management and operational efficiency, with Kinexys Digital Payments enabling transactions outside traditional market hours and cut-off constraints.
More significantly, the partnership highlights a shift in how blockchain is being deployed in banking: not just as a disruptive alternative to existing systems, but as an infrastructure layer embedded within them. Arab Bank is effectively using a global systemically important bank’s blockchain rails to modernise payments without stepping outside the regulated banking framework.
Our relationship with J.P. Morgan Payments goes back a long way and cuts across several products and services. Our collaboration with Kinexys is the latest milestone that aligns with our ongoing focus to bring best-in-class offerings to our customer base while optimizing our services and enhancing our customer journey.
Maram Al-Jazireh, Global Head of FI & Sustainability, Arab Bank
Kinexys continues to expand across the Middle East, with clients including Qatar National Bank, Saudi National Bank and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
As these deployments scale, the real test will be whether blockchain-based payment rails move beyond controlled use cases into meaningful transaction volumes. For banks operating across frontier markets, the opportunity is clear: faster settlement, improved liquidity visibility and reduced reliance on legacy correspondent banking infrastructure.
The Kinexys collaboration also sits within a broader technology push across Arab Bank’s regional franchise. The bank has been expanding digital services for SMEs, upgrading payments infrastructure in markets including the UAE, Jordan and Palestine, and strengthening cross-border account access through Arabi Access. It is also deploying AI in customer service through its Frontline Assistant, a GenAI tool designed to support client-facing teams with bank policies, product information and regulatory guidance.
Together with its Acabes technology lab and AB Xelerate fintech platform, Arab Bank is positioning innovation as a practical operating model rather than a standalone branding exercise. The Kinexys deployment therefore looks less like an isolated blockchain pilot and more like part of a wider effort to modernise transaction banking, payments and customer service across a complex regional network.
