- What
- Regulatory permission to test fintech products live; no funding provided.
- Who
- FinTech products under CBK's purview — cybersecurity, compliance, sustainable finance, open banking, AI.
- From abroad
- Not stated on the programme’s site (checked September 2026) All programmes open to founders from abroad →
Checked · October 2026 · cbk.gov.kw/en/legislation-and-regulation/innova… · How we check ↗
In detail
CBK Wolooj Regulatory Sandbox is a regulatory sandbox in Kuwait. Central Bank of Kuwait's FinTech sandbox within the Wolooj innovation hub: pre-application, application, guidance, pilot and graduation stages.
- Amount
- Regulatory permission to test
- Eligibility
- FinTech products under CBK's purview — current themes: cybersecurity & data privacy, regulatory compliance, sustainable finance, open banking, AI in finance
- Sectors
- FinTech, InsurTech, RegTech, Payments
- Status
- Active
Is this for you?
Where is your company?
Are you open to giving equity?
We match them against what CBK Wolooj Regulatory Sandbox publishes.
A guide to the published criteria, not a decision — the programme selects.
What the source says
“Wolooj Regulatory Sandbox framework within the Innovation Hub”
“Pre-Application Stage / Application Stage / Guidance Stage / Pilot Stage / Graduation Stage”
“"Wolooj" also accepts requests for testing products and services that have already been developed and are ready for implementation in the banking sector.”
“Access to the Innovation Hub "Wolooj" is limited to products and services that fall under the purview of CBK, i.e. products and services that are not subject to CBK regulation shall be discarded.”
“"Wolooj" Sandbox currently accepts the products/services of the following themes: Cybersecurity and Data Privacy / Regulatory Compliance / Sustainable Finance / Open Banking / Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Finance”
“This stage consists of two phases, the testing phase and the soft launch”
Closing soon on the map
No published deadline in the next 30 days · All published deadlines →
Compare government programmes in Kuwait
| Cost | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| CBK Wolooj Regulatory SandboxRegulatory permission to test fintech products live; no funding provided. | not published | No equity | Active |
| CBK Wolooj Innovation HubR&D programme support for fintech innovation projects. | not published | No equity | Active |
| KDIPAUp to 100% foreign ownership and up to a 10-year tax holiday for investors. | not published | No equity | Active |
| CBK Digital Banking GuidelinesLicensing guidelines for digital banks (since 2022). | not published | Not published | Closed |
| CMA FinTech Unit (Module 19)Regulatory permission to operate as a securities crowdfunding platform or fintech. | not published | No equity | Active |
| Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA)Manages sovereign capital; not a direct-application funder. | not published | Not published | Active |
| Ministry of Commerce & IndustryCompany setup fees. | not published | No equity | Active |
| NTECKWD 100M (~$350M) capital deployed via government-backed VC and projects. | not published | Not published | Active |
No programmes match these filters.
Highest amount in each programme’s own “What” line. Other currencies converted for sorting only (Gulf pegs; KWD, EUR, GBP approximate).
More programmes that take no equity →
Questions founders ask
What does CBK Wolooj Regulatory Sandbox offer?
Regulatory permission to test fintech products live; no funding provided.
Does CBK Wolooj Regulatory Sandbox take equity?
No equity — service or permission.
Can founders from abroad apply?
Not stated on the programme’s site (checked September 2026).
How do I apply?
Through its own application form — the Apply button on this page goes straight there.
Sources
Primary source · cbk.gov.kw/en/legislation-and-regulation/innovation-hub/overview · LinkedIn · linkedin.com/company/cbkkw · Checked October 2026