Maldives Premier Bank selects Finastra for international payments connectivity

Maldives Premier Bank has selected Finastra’s Financial Messaging API to support a digital-first approach to international banking and strengthen its payments connectivity.

The newly established Maldivian commercial bank will use the platform to access Swift messaging and build a more resilient foundation for cross-border payments. Finastra said the solution will provide MPB with 24/7 Swift connectivity, with the option to integrate with alternative payment rails, market infrastructures and value-added services over time.

The move is significant for smaller and emerging banks because cross-border payments infrastructure is becoming more complex. Financial institutions are under pressure to improve resilience, support always-on connectivity and prepare for future interoperability between Swift, domestic market infrastructures and alternative cross-border providers.

Arah Sadava, chief executive officer at Maldives Premier Bank, said the bank wanted a Swift-accredited provider capable of delivering end-to-end onboarding while ensuring secure and resilient connectivity.

The API-first integration covers Swift onboarding, implementation, testing, certification and go-live support. Finastra said the platform is designed to scale as transaction volumes grow and can support additional services such as fraud protection, sanctions screening and payment traceability.

Barry Rodrigues, EVP payments at Finastra, said the platform supports interoperability with more than 30 market infrastructures and payment rails, including alternative cross-border providers.

The announcement comes shortly after Nordiska selected Finastra for direct payment infrastructure connectivity in Sweden, showing continued demand from banks seeking more control over payments access, operational resilience and future market infrastructure connectivity.

For MPB, the partnership gives the bank a stronger international banking base as it expands services for individuals, businesses and institutions in the Maldives.