PRESS RELEASE

In line with its commitment to provide a range of financial solutions for its customers, Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the region, announced today the launch of a new campaign to spread awareness of the benefits of using debit cards, rather than cash, when travelling abroad. The campaign will run from July 1–August 31, 2010, and aims to make customers aware of the security advantages of carrying a debit card, rather than large amounts of cash when travelling.

During this promotion, customers will be encouraged to use their debit cards instead of cash, with daily cashback rewards of up to AED 4,000. The rewards are applicable on every AED 200 or more in purchases or cash withdrawals from ATM machines. The offer applies to anywhere outside of the UAE during the months of July and August. Additionally, at the end of the promotion there will be a final prize draw of AED 50,000.

The security advantages of using cards in place of cash have long been recognised. In the event of a lost or stolen card, customers can call the 24-hour emergency helpline and the bank will make immediate arrangements to stop misuse of the account. In addition, because debit cards utilise funds from the available balance, there are no interest charges.

“Customers are often unaware of the considerable security and convenience benefits of using debit cards to pay for their purchases. They have traditionally carried cash while travelling or only used their debit cards for withdrawing cash from ATM machines,” said R. Sivaram, Senior Vice President, Cards Business Head, Emirates NBD. “This new initiative is designed to spread awareness that debit cards are accepted internationally and are one of the safest ways to make payments whilst travelling.”

“With the summer season upon us, and these fantastic rewards from Emirates NBD, there is no better time to switch from cash to debit cards. By making this smart choice, customers will be able to fully enjoy their travel experience with added peace of mind,” he concluded.

Senior Emirates NBD officials in informal discussion with customers in Al Ain.

PRESS RELEASE

In line with its commitment to enhance customer service standards across all the markets in which it operates, Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the region, announced today the launch of its first “Customer Day” in Al Ain, which took place in two of its branches in the city. The event provided customers with the opportunity to interact with Emirates NBD senior management and to share opinions and feedback about the bank’s products and services.

The ongoing programme, also held in Abu Dhabi last year and Dubai earlier this year, is integral to the bank’s long-term focus on service quality and designed to improve levels of overall customer satisfaction by increasing dialogue between clients and bank staff. The bank also took this opportunity to introduce suggestions boxes in these branches, enabling customers to provide feedback throughout the year.

“At Emirates NBD, we recognise that our clients are our greatest source of learning and that this ongoing dialogue will provide us with significant opportunities to further improve their experience of banking with us,” said Jamal Bin Ghalaita, Group Deputy CEO, Emirates NBD. “Al Ain is a developing city with a fast-growing population and an important part of Emirates NBD’s UAE-wide presence. We are therefore focused on meeting and exceeding the expectations of our customers in Al Ain.”

“We are very pleased to introduce this initiative in Al Ain as part of our overall goal of enhancing the level of customer satisfaction across our operations,” said Abdulelah Al Kindly, General Manager, Retail Banking, Emirates NBD. “Our ‘Customer Day’ programme has proved a tremendous success so far and is an initiative that is integral to the bank’s long-term focus on service quality. We look forward to hosting further such events in the months to come.”

Dubai Islamic Bank and flydubai launch online booking payment service.

PRESS RELEASE

In line with its commitment to providing technologically advanced services to its customers, Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) announced today the launch of a new booking payment method for flydubai and DIB customers via Al Islami Online Banking.

This new service makes travel bookings even easier for DIB customers, who can now book and pay for flydubai bookings without a card and from the comfort of their homes or offices. The bank is also in the process of enabling flydubai payments through Cash Deposit Machines (CDM) for both DIB and non-DIB customers. The signing ceremony took place at the bank’s head office, and was attended by senior officials from the bank as well as the Dubai-based airline.

Musabbah Al Qaizi, Head of Electronic Banking Services, DIB, said, “DIB is committed to providing value-added services for more than 900,000 customers in the UAE alone. The launch of this new service will allow customers to make their bookings via the flydubai Call Centre or Website, and then make cardless payments through DIB eChannels. Dubai Islamic Bank looks forward to continuing to assess opportunities and adding more electronic services that will further enhance ease of banking for our customers.”

Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer, flydubai, said: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Dubai Islamic Bank. This new payment service, in conjunction with DIB, continues our commitment to making travel a little less complex, a little less stressful and a little less expensive for our passengers. We thank Dubai Islamic Bank for their support and are certain that our new relationship will reap positive rewards for our customers.”

The launch of DIB’s new online ticket payment service is one of many recent technological milestones for the bank, including the launch of Al Islami Mobile Banking, which provides a wide range of secure and convenient banking services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through a customised mobile-based website.

The bank also has an enhanced online banking system that provides over 50 services to its customers. Through Al Islami Online Banking, DIB customers can perform various transactions including local and global fund transfers, making a range of utility bill payments, as well as several account and card related transactions.

Dr. Adnan Chilwan, Chief of Retail and Business Banking, DIB.

PRESS RELEASE

In line with its commitment to offering pioneering Sharia-compliant products and services to its customers, Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) announced today the launch of three new account variants to its product portfolio. Tailored to meet the needs of different customer segments, the new accounts – Al Islami 2-in-1 Account, Al Islami Current Account Plus and Al Islami E-Savings Account – represent the bank’s latest addition to its diverse product range.

“Having a customer base of almost a million customers is a source of pride for DIB but presents its own challenges. It means that we need to cater to extremely varied needs of customers representing over 170 nationalities. The launch of these new retail products indicates our focus on fulfilling these customer needs and providing innovative products and services to them,” said Dr. Adnan Chilwan, Chief of Retail and Business Banking, DIB. “We are committed to broadening our product range and to offer compelling value to our customers combined with a great product experience.”

The Al Islami 2-in-1 Account offers the convenience of chequebook and profits in one account, with attractive profit rates that are credited on a quarterly basis. The account also comes with a free Al Islami Debit Card with daily cash withdrawal limit of AED 7,000, in addition to numerous other value added features.

Al Islami Current Account Plus is offered to salaried customers and provides a Current account with the additional benefits of no minimum balance requirement and Al Islami Salary-in-Advance facility, all for a fixed monthly fee.

The Al Islami E-Savings Account has been launched in response to the increased demand for a savings account that can be managed completely online and comes with a low opening balance requirement of AED 1000 only. Customers can earn higher profit rates with this account.

“Innovation remains a key focus at DIB. As part of our 2010 retail strategy, we will continue offering the best and most innovative Sharia-compliant banking solutions to all our customers,” added Dr. Chilwan.