Kuwait’s Al Ahli bank (AHB) has established itself as the leading retail and corporate banking provider services in not only Kuwait but also in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. It belief in delivering transformative power of technology to its customers is what enables the bank to be more efficient and thus the bank is able to perform continuously on various other platform too. By leveraging the focus on digital technology and streamlining its offering helped introduce many number of innovative solutions and made banking become accessible to its customers. The solutions transformed from the traditional banking approach. Made life simpler and created a greater value.
As ABK was quick in adapting to the crisis of the pandemic, the bank could have a digital makeover over the past two years. This helped the bank stand in the way of the pandemic and yet flourish. Establishment of a special task force to ensure that the interaction between the staff and the customers were well communicated all the time was one such initiative.
AKB having the experience of working with the Central bank of Kuwait and Kuwait banking association, the necessary and required changes were made well in order during the primary stages of the outbreak itself. Implementations like facilitating a full 24 hour cash replenishment and enabling the access of customers to funds at the times were the first priority according to Stewart Lockie, Head of Retail banking at AHB.
Health guidance and an up to date banking advice, day to day announcements were all communicated to the customers around the clock by enabling all communication channels to run effectively. The time of crisis became a great opportunity for all the banks including AHB to inculcate the digital banking systems and to promote it to its customers and there was a 61 percent increase up front.
It was also one among the few first banks to launch a tokenised solution system which supported Samsung , Fitbit and Garmin Pay applications. As a way of providing its customers a platform for digital banking with contactless payments which helped to make transactions from a distance. AHB also launched voice biometrics which offered highest levels of security at the same time a convenient pre-authentication when calling the customer support. It has announced to releasing Chatbot solutions shortly aiming at quick delivery of secure and effective solutions without having to visit the bank.
Partnering with Kuwait’s National Aviation Service in order to provide a complementary fast track meet and assist for the passengers is another initiative by AHB. Assistance like hoe baggage delivery, booking of specific seats in VIP lounges etc. Provision of ‘At home solutions’ through their local partner concierge Qiblah , they offer more than 20 such services without the need to leave their homes.
The digital journey of AKB has been smooth sailing and has ben its fore front in its current strategy and acted as a core of success even in its future. It ensures to meet the demands of tech savvy generations for the bank’s sustained growth which should encourage an approach toward more remote banking solutions.
