OAB Commences Instant Issuance of NFC-Equipped Cards

Muscat, November 12, 2018: Oman Arab Bank (OAB), in its constant endeavour to leverage technology to improve customer service, recently launched a new Instant Issuance service for debit cards in ten of its branches across the Sultanate. The new Instant Issuance service is capable of personalising and issuing EMV/NFC chip-equipped cards and is the first of its kind in Oman. OAB will launch the service in the remainder of its branches before the end of the year.

Prior to the launch of this new service, OAB debit Cards were printed and personalised at the Head Office and then mailed to branches; a production cycle that used to take between two to five days. However, with the newly implemented Instant Issuance system, several OAB branches across the country are now fully capable of personalising and issuing debit cards, complete with EMV/NFC chip data preparation. This makes OAB the first bank capable of instant issuance of cards with NFC technology at its branches in the Sultanate of Oman.

Commenting on the new instant issuance service, Rashad Al Shaikh, the Deputy Head of Retail Group said, “Each and every technological advancement we pursue at the Bank is aimed at improving efficiency and providing our customers with the best possible customer service or other value-added benefits. This new service we offer is no different. With it, we are able to provide our customers with completely personalised, fully functional, NFC-equipped debit card at the very moment the new account is opened. Furthermore, with the instant issuance solution, we can ensure our customers absolute security and speed, providing them with a positive customer experience that exceeds their every expectation.”

The service has so far been launched at ten branches across the country. The service will be launched at the remainder of the branches before the end of the year.

Oman Arab Bank is one of the first banks to be established in Oman, with a rich and proud history. Today, the bank operates a nationwide network of 65 branches and representative offices and 148 ATMs spread across the Sultanate. OAB provides the complete range of financial products and services for personal banking, corporate and investment clients.