BY SACHIN KUMAR
DOHA: Barwa Bank is planning to expand its presence in the country in an attempt to reach out to more customers. The newest Islamic bank in Qatar is planning to open one branch and six new ATMs (Automated Teller Machine) this year. With these new additions, the bank will have a total of six branches and 65 ATMs.
“These ATMs and branches are open to better serve our clients and reach new customers. Our customer base is increasing rapidly every day because of a sharp rise in Qatar’s population,” Hussain Al Abdullah (pictured), General Manager, Personal Banking and Wealth Management at Barwa Bank told The Peninsula. “The new branch, which will be located in City Centre, is likely to see the light of day soon. “We are planning to open this branch very soon,” Al Abdullah added.
The bank, which started its operations in 2009, has been at the forefront of competition when it comes to electronic banking channels and customer service.
“We are actively encouraging our customers to migrate from conventional branch banking to mobile and electronic banking,” said Hussain Al Abdullah.
Last year, the bank saw the launch of new and upgraded Internet and Mobile Banking channels, which were also awarded “Best Internet Banking Brand in the Middle East” for 2014, and “Best Mobile Banking Brand in the Middle East” for 2014 from Global Brands Publication.
“We have also made significant progress on the ATM front with over 59 ATMs spread across the country, and are targeting to reach 65 by the year’s end. These include a variety of CDMs (Cash Deposit Machines), drive through and walk-up ATMs,” said Hussain Al Abdullah.
The bank recently upgraded its ATM switch to provide additional services to our customers including utility bill payments, card-less cash deposits and credit card payments.
“We believe in moving beyond branch banking to smart banking, hence our direction going forward is clearly to empower our customers to do their everyday banking from the comfort of their home or any location, irrespective of banking hours, without the need to visit a branch,” Hussain Al Abdullah added.
Barwa Bank is expecting a healthy growth in 2015, unaffected by the fall in oil prices. “Until now we have not faced any negative impact on our business due to the drop in crude oil prices. I do not think our growth will be impacted by this downturn because Qatar’s economy is stronger and more diversified than before,” said Hussain Al Abdullah.
The Peninsula
