Best bank 2025: BIBD
BIBD has increased its footprint across Brunei while accelerating investments in technology, ethical finance and sustainability. Its recent milestones highlight a bank intent on staying ahead of shifting customer expectations.
The lender remains the country’s largest financial institution, reaching a significant share of the population through an extensive branch and digital network, an advantage built on decades of customer trust. Building on that scale, its refined Nexgen platform now processes millions of transactions each year, highlighting the bank’s commitment to seamless, always-on banking.
Demand for ethical finance is also shaping BIBD’s product pipeline. The Lion-BIBD Islamic Enhanced Liquidity Fund and the Manulife Global Shariah Reit Fund have broadened its Shariah-compliant range, opening new channels for investors seeking faith-aligned strategies.
In sustainability, the bank’s key differentiator was arguably its partnership efforts. BIBD collaborated with national climate programmes and backed local conservation projects, illustrating that environmental stewardship is integral to its long-term strategy.
Targeted social programmes extended the bank’s impact beyond the balance sheet. Scholarships for under-resourced students and training for women entrepreneurs helped unlock talent and promote wider economic participation across Brunei.
Best digital bank 2025: Baiduri Bank
Baiduri Bank is accelerating Brunei’s shift toward fully digital finance. Its recent projects span core-system modernisation, payments innovation, process automation and stronger defences against cybercrime.
A significant development saw the bank successfully integrate Temenos’ cloud-native core banking platform, the first cloud-based SaaS integration in Brunei. During the move the team rewrote functional specifications and introduced microservices-based middleware, laying the groundwork for faster product rollouts.
To improve customer experience, Baiduri introduced Tap2Pay, Brunei’s first NFC-enabled mobile POS. The service lets merchants, especially MSMEs, accept contactless payments on a phone, widening access to digital commerce.
Internally, efficiency has improved through 37 automated workflows. Investments in robotic process automation have cut credit administration from 2,400 minutes to 40 minutes a day, freeing staff for higher-value work.
For corporate clients, a new loan-origination system was developed with FIS Global, leveraging AI and machine-learning models to speed approvals while sharpening risk metrics.
Security advances were not neglected. A cooling-period control in the bank’s retail app – the first of its kind in Brunei – added a buffer against scams, while a dedicated business continuity and disaster recovery site helped protect critical operations.
Best bank for corporate responsibility 2025: BIBD
BIBD’s social responsibility agenda, spanning education, entrepreneurship, health and environmental protection, weaved community priorities into its core business. The bank’s recent initiatives underline how it translates strategy into measurable action.
Environmental stewardship was evident in the bank’s Projek Alam Mampan programme, which combines reforestation with marine-biodiversity restoration. The installation of rooftop solar panels further reduces operational energy use and signals a stronger commitment to decarbonisation.
BIBD has embedded social responsibility at the heart of its operations. Its ALAF programme has awarded full scholarships to 344 underprivileged students from 76 institutions, pairing financial support with mentoring in subjects such as financial literacy, coding and career planning. Additionally, the lender’s Youth Sustainability Leadership Awards encouraged students to design community-focused sustainability projects, deepening the bank’s educational reach.
On the social-development front, BIBD’s SEED Programme has equipped more than 50 underprivileged women with training, mentoring and seed capital to launch small businesses. Projek Tunas extends this work to micro-entrepreneurs in Temburong, improving local market access and stimulating regional growth.
Health and well-being receive similar attention. Through its Wellness Ambassadors initiative, the bank has delivered over 1,000 health screenings and offered psychological support, advancing national wellness targets and aligning with its sustainable development goals on health and employment.
Finally, the bank’s Mega Karnival 2024 boosted digital inclusion and financial literacy, drawing large crowds and nurturing a more tech-savvy customer base.
