OMAN ARAB BANK AND OMINVEST SOCIAL INVESTMENTS REACH ROYAL HOSPITAL WITH NEW PLAYGROUND

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Muscat, August 24th 2016 – As part of their shared commitment to giving back to the communities they serve, Oman Arab Bank (OAB) and Oman International Development and Investment Company (Omnivest) have funded the construction of a children’s playground at the Royal Hospital in Muscat. Promoting positivity and hope, the playground will create a lasting legacy for children and provide a safe area for them to exercise and play while their families seek treatment.

Mutassim bin Hamoud Al-Zadjali, Head of Corporate Communication at Oman Arab Bank, said, “From the onset, Oman Arab Bank has been a firm believer in the importance of positively impacting communities across the Sultanate through adopting and launching various corporate social responsibility initiatives and activities.  The new playground will undoubtedly make a great addition to the Royal Hospital and create an environment where children can remain entertained while their families visit the hospital.”

Hamid Al Harthi, Head of Support Services at Ominvest, added, “As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility agenda, Ominvest and its subsidiaries are committed to empowering and nurturing communities by supporting various foundations. We are happy to provide a safe and fun playground for children at Royal Hospital, especially that it’s the first initiative of its kind where children would enjoy their time while their parents are engaged in the hospital visitations. Families visiting the hospital will now enjoy the new experience of fun for children and parents. We are reviewing other fun options to be added to this playground for more enjoyment.”

OMAN ARAB BANK LAUNCHES “LEAD” FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND EMPLOYEE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

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Muscat, September 6th 2016 – As part of its commitment to developing the industry’s future leaders, Oman Arab Bank (OAB) recently launched a talent development program entitled ‘Leadership Enhancement  and Development’ (LEAD).  LEAD is unique and specialized leadership training that aims to cultivate the talents of high potential Omanis with guidance from international experts. The six month program has been designed to utilize best practices in order to empower participants with opportunity, managerial expertise, and high-level workplace solutions.

Amin Al Husseini, Chief Executive Officer, Oman Arab Bank, commented, “Developing the skillsets of Omani talent and enriching their lives with the tools they need to achieve their career aspirations is at the heart of everything we do. Since our inception, Oman Arab Bank has demonstrated its dedication towards aiding the professional growth of the Sultanate’s national workforce by creating environments that enable them to thrive and be all they can be. The LEAD program was inspired by OAB’s vision and will provide our young and highly motivated Oman Arab Bank family members with a first-of-its-kind opportunity to develop their well-rounded skills, learn from the best, and position themselves to be agents of change.”

Adil A. Al Rahbi, Head of Employee & Organizational Development, explained, “LEAD is truly a quantum leap in capacity building. The initiative will tremendously accelerate the training and development of the Bank’s next generation of leaders. The six month program has been divided into four, two-day modules with participants undergoing extensive leadership training to hone their expertise and develop the know-how required to spearhead their growth.”

Al Rahbi added, “20 employees have abeen selected from a large number of our finest mid-level staff after an online 360 degree evaluation. Participants that have been selected will now continue into their first modules, where they will work side by side with some of the best motivational instructors specialized in leadership development.”

“The program is a major breakthrough for OAB and our succession planning objectives and those who were not selected to participate in LEAD need not worry as it is the first of many new opportunities to come,” Al Rahbi concluded.

LEAD has been designed in cooperation with Inspirational Development Group (IDG), and will be facilitated by a team from IDG, a global leadership and management performance consultancy. The company has channeled its long history of experience delivering high-quality and intensive work programs to some of the most prestigious organizations in the world. Closely affiliated with the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, IDG has worked with some of the most important public and private sector companies in the region from its Middle East office based in Muscat. Former and current clients include the King Abdullah II Fund for Development in Jordan, Shell Petroleum in Qatar, and the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority among others.

Gerry Woods, Regional Director Middle East, IDG, said, “IDG is delighted to be working with Oman Arab Bank to deliver a challenging and thought-provoking LEAD program. LEAD represents a strategic investment in OAB staff capabilities and delegates will be equipped with enhanced leadership behaviors that will ensure effective people development in the coming years. The top delegates will attend the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as the culmination of the IDG program before embarking upon ongoing personal development plans. LEAD underpins an exciting continuous improvement agenda for people within OAB and the Bank is commended for such an ambitious and rewarding commitment.”

It is worth noting that at the end of the program, participants will be on track to take on leadership positions within the Ban  and advance their career to contribute in furthering the Bank’s success in creating a pool of talented employees. This falls in line with OAB’s objective of preparing and supporting the Sultanate’s national workforce. Today, OAB is proud to have a 94% Omanization rate.

HASSAD FROM OMAN ARAB BANK REWARDS 11 MORE CUSTOMERS FOR SAVING

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Muscat, September 20th 2016 – Rewarding customers for saving, Oman Arab Bank (OAB) announced the 11 lucky winners of its Hassad Savings Scheme Draw for the month of August. Akbar Ali Hassan from the Samail branch became the latest winner of the monthly Regional Prize, walking away with OMR 40,000 while five lucky female account holders and five young savers each received OMR 1,500 and OMR 1,000 respectively.

Hanaa Al Hinai, Assistant General Manager, Head of Wealth Management, Bancassurance and Liabilities, said, “I would like to offer my congratulations to our 11 monthly winners. Hassad was designed to encourage a culture of saving and help our customers fulfill their aspirations. The response we have received has been massive as Hassad has successfully brought a unique and fun experience to our valued customers, rewarding dozens of lucky savers across Oman with over OMR 500,000 since the beginning of 2016.”

Customers who maintain a minimum balance of OMR 100 at the end of the month are eligible for the draw. OAB still has more than OMR 400,000 in cash up for grabs until the end of the year including the OMR 100,000 that has been earmarked exclusively for Elite customers in December. Additionally, upcoming draws also include special events celebrating Omani Women’s Day and the 46th National Day.

OMAN ARAB BANK CELEBRATES WITH ITS FEMALE WORKFORCE

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Muscat, October 17th 2016 – Oman Arab Bank held its annual Omani Women’s Day celebration at its Ghubra Head Office this week in recognition and appreciation of the extraordinary contribution made by its outstanding female employees to all aspects of its activities and operations. Attended by female employees and other staff members management, the celebratory event welcomed OAB CEO Amin Al Husseini and Deputy CEO Rashad Al Musafir as guests of honor.

Expressing his pride in the women of the OAB Team and thanking them for their exceptional efficiency and achievement, CEO Amin Al Husseini said: “At OAB we believe that our motivated and enthusiastic female talent are at the heart of our continued success and growth, helping us build a heritage of trust over three decades.”

“Following the wise guidance of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, OAB plays a proactive role in creating an environment in which our female employees can flourish and achieve their professional goals and ambitions. We foster their talents across all functions, departments, and branches and ensure that they have access to training programs to enhance their skillsets and develop future leaders,” he added.

OAB Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Rashad AlMusafir commented: “It is a great pleasure once again to gather with colleagues and celebrate Omani Women’s Day. In doing so, we acknowledge and honor the important contribution women are making to the legacy of OAB, to the banking sector in general, and to the development and diversification of Oman’s economy, helping create a prosperous future for generations to come.”

An equal opportunities employer with the strategy of becoming Oman’s ‘employer of choice’, the percentage of the females working in Oman Arab Bank is close to 40% of its entire taskforce. The Bank is committed to creating a positive professional environment based on a culture of teamwork, supporting and rewarding employees as they achieve excellence in their positions and progress in their careers in the 65 OAB branches across the Sultanate.

11 MORE LUCKY SAVERS WIN BIG WITH OMAN ARAB BANK’S HASSAD SAVINGS SCHEME SEPTEMBER DRAW

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Muscat, October 23rd 2016 – Spearheaded by its dedication to help customers achieve financial prosperity, Oman Arab Bank (OAB) announced the 11 lucky winners of its Hassad Savings Scheme Draw for the month of September. M.S.H. Al Hajri from the Al Sharqiyah North Governorate walked away with OMR 40,000 as the latest winner of the monthly Regional Prize, while five lucky female account holders and five young savers each received OMR 1,500 and OMR 1,000 respectively.

Congratulating all of Hassad Savings Scheme winners, Hanaa Al Hinai, Assistant General Manager, Head of Wealth Management, Banassurance and Liabilities, said, “Hassad was expressly designed to help foster a culture of saving and reward our customers with a unique opportunity to win big and fulfill their dreams. The response we have received from customers has been immense and we look forward to rewarding even more through this initiative.”

All OAB customers with a minimum balance of OMR 100 at the end of the month are automatically entered into the draw. Entering the final stretch of the year, the 2016 Hassad Savings Scheme still has plenty to offer savers, with more than OMR 300,000 in cash up for grabs including its super draw at the end of the year, which will offer two customers the opportunity to win OMR 100,000. Additionally, the Bank is organizing an exclusive Elite Draw for OMR 100,000 in December alongside other special draws in celebration of the upcoming Omani Women’s Day and the 46th National Day.

OMAN ARAB BANK PARTNERS WITH TANFEEDH

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Muscat, 31st October 2016 – Underlining its dedication to the continued progress and prosperity of the Sultanate, Oman Arab Bank was the proud partner of the ceremony held to mark the conclusion of the second phase of the National Programme for Enhancing Economic Diversification, Tanfeedh

A core element of Oman’s Ninth Five-Year Development Plan, Tanfeedh is of significant national importance. At this point of the plan, the discussion and consultation stage, domestic and international public and private sector experts were brought together in a six-week long series of intensive discussions to contribute to the country’s strategy of economic diversification and growth.

“It is a privilege to partner with Tanfeedh, a propitious and productive initiative, and an important milestone as the Sultanate moves forward with its strategy of broadening and diversifying the economy,” remarked OAB CEO Amin Al Husseini.

He added: “Committed to supporting Oman’s national development, OAB is working steadfastly with partners in the government and private business community to promote Oman as an attractive and viable investment haven. Furthermore, as the Sultanate’s leader in SME finance, we help entrepreneurs and small businesses across the country achieve their ambitions and fulfill their role as engines of job creation.”

Over the last three decades, OAB has contributed to the Sultanate’s economic strength through the financing of major infrastructure, construction and development projects in areas including hydrocarbons, transport, logistics, energy, and health. The Bank actively engages with the international community to promote Oman as a trade and investment partner and offers a range of proven trade finance solutions. Addressing the needs of Oman’s all-important SMEs and start-ups, it has created a range of innovative financial products headed by the new TOMOUHY portfolio of services which includes working capital finance, term loans for capital expenditure, contracts and equipment finance, import and export finance.

Today, OAB operates more than 65 branches and offices, and more than 135 ATMs in high footfall locations across the Sultanate that are supported by Arab Bank’s 600 branches spanning five continents. As of December 31st 2015, the Bank’s total assets stood at RO 1.98 Billion (USD 5.15 Billion) and net worth of RO 226 Million (USD 587 Million).

OMAN ARAB BANK UNVEILS NEXT GENERATION ATM BANKING EXPERIENCE

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Muscat, November 2nd 2016 – Continuing to lead the Sultanate in the use of banking technology and presenting a new level of convenience for its customers, Oman Arab Bank (OAB) has introduced APTRA™ Activate, the world’s most advanced self-service software, to its nationwide network of ATMs. The first bank in Oman and the third GCC bank to use this cutting-edge solution, OAB Bank takes pride in meeting the needs of its customers in the best and most innovative ways possible.

With attractive easy to use touch screen animation, a variety of hi-speed and highly secure OAB ATM services are now possible thanks to APTRA™ Activate. These include making local and international transfers as well as credit card payments; paying utility, mobile and internet bills; requesting instant e-statements and balances on accounts, loans and credit cards; and updating mobile contact numbers.

“One of the Sultanate’s most popular methods of day-to-day banking, OAB ATMs serves customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week and as such are a pivotal part of how our customers manage their personal financial transactions. Equipped with this state-of-the-art programme, our ATMs now not only accommodate the broadest possible range of services but also reflect the exemplary standards the bank endeavors to deliver in its comprehensive branch network spread across the country,” noted Fahd Amjad, GM of Retail Banking.

Jamil Abdulqader Al Zadjali, OAB AGM – Head of Digital Banking added, “With a focus at all times on providing the most convenient, safe, and reliable services, OAB has always fully embraced the use of technology. As a result, we offer straightforward and consistent interactions across online, mobile, ATMs, and branches in a seamless multi-channel approach, responsive to our customers’ changing needs, expectations, and preferences. And by implementing this game changing software we are proud to have placed our valued customers once again at the forefront of banking innovation.”

A pioneer of technology in Oman’s burgeoning banking sector, OAB has harnessed its rich possibilities to implement financial solutions that complement today’s modern lifestyle, and create the best possible experience for customers as they connect, interact and transact.

OMAN ARAB BANK’S CEO INSPIRES HIGH-POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES TO SUCCEED DURING LEAD PROGRAM

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Muscat, 2nd November 2016 – 20 participants undergoing the second module of Oman Arab Bank’s (OAB) ‘Leadership Enhancement and Development’ (LEAD) program welcomed a visit from Amin Al Husseini, CEO of OAB. The second part of the unique six-month multi-modular training initiative, which was launched to cultivate the skillsets of the bank’s high-potential Omani employees, aims to enhance the situational leadership, decision-making, and motivational skills of its participants to prepare them for future management roles at OAB.

Since its launch, the program has delivered multiple capacity-building trainings, giving young and talented Omanis working with OAB the chance to enrich their leadership and management skills and position themselves as catalysts in the market. The first part of the program focused on building self-awareness and challenged participants to develop different leadership styles, roles, self-management, and practical coaching techniques.

Al Husseini, who spoke with the trainees during his visit said, “LEAD was inspired by our goal to nurture our Omani workforce and provide them with a fantastic opportunity to grow within the Bank. This is a strategic investment that represents the epitome of our talent acquisition and development strategy to accelerate the professional growth of our future leaders. By granting our team members the tools, instructors and training they require to reach their full potential, we are securing our talent pool and ensuring that they can manage whatever opportunities and challenges come their way.”

LEAD was designed and is being facilitated by Inspirational Development Group (IDG), a global leadership and management performance consultancy. The program consists of four modules organized over a six-month period, with each module covering important skills related to leadership ability. Future modules will include a workshop dedicated to socialization, performance management skills training, advice from senior leaders, and personal development strategic mapping among other topics and themes. The highest performing delegates will then be taken to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as the culmination of the IDG program.

16 LUCKY CUSTOMERS WIN BIG WITH OMAN ARAB BANK’S HASSAD SAVINGS SCHEME

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Muscat, 16 November 2016 – As part of its continued efforts to reward customers for saving, Oman Arab Bank (OAB) distributed OMR 60,000 to the 16 lucky winners of its Monthly and Omani Women’s Day Hassad Savings Scheme Draws. Launched in January 2016 to encourage a culture of saving, the Bank has since rewarded 121 people with more than OMR 600,000 in cash prizes.

For October’s Monthly Draw, K.M.A. Al Mashani from the Governorate of Dhofar scooped the OMR 40,000 Regional prize. Five female account holders and five young savers also received OMR 1,500 and OMR 1,000 respectively.

Hanaa Al Hinai, Assistant General Manager, Head of Wealth Management, Bancassurance and Liabilities at OAB, said, “Hassad was developed based on the desire to reward our customers and provide them with an incentive to save so that they can enjoy more financially secure lifestyles. As a result, more than 100 people across the Sultanate have had their dreams fulfilled. The feedback we have received from customers has been exceptional and we look forward to rewarding many other lucky winners in the near future.”

“Every year, as a token of our appreciation, OAB holds draws to commemorate occasions such as Omani Women’s Day. This year, in celebration of the growing role of women in the Sultanate, Rahma Marzouq, Ahlam Zayid, Khazina Ali, Haouria Bilal, and Walaa Khair were awarded OMR 1,500 each through our lucky draw.”

With Hassad’s Savings Scheme, all OAB customers with a minimum balance of OMR 100 at the end of the month are automatically entered into the draw. With the year coming to a close, OAB has lined up a number of exciting opportunities for customers to win big, with more than OMR 300,000 in cash prizes still up for grabs. Alongside two more monthly draws, the Bank will celebrate the 46th National Day with a special draw, in addition to its second Elite Draw in December, and a super draw at the end of the year where two customers will be chosen to win OMR 100,000.

OMAN ARAB BANK CELEBRATES 46 YEARS OF NATIONAL PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY

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Muscat, 19th November 2016: Joining the nation in celebrating Oman’s 46th National Day, Oman Arab Bank held a special event at its Ghubrah Head Office to honor His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said for his remarkable vision for the country. The event was steered by the Deputy CEO of Oman Arab Bank, Rashad Al Musafir and was attended by members of the senior management and staff members.

Speaking at the event, Rashad Al Musafir said, “We at OAB congratulate His Majesty and the people of Oman on this momentous milestone. The exemplary leadership showcased by His Majesty has always reflected in Oman’s strong economic position, both regionally and globally. A leader well known for his love and commitment towards the well-being of his people, His Majesty has always encouraged growth and development amongst national talent and worked towards strengthening Oman’s core sectors.”

He added, “Oman boasts a strong and expanding banking and finance sector and with a robust legacy of trust built over three decades, OAB is proud to contribute to the national development and progress of the country. Keeping in line with His Majesty’s dedication to the people of Oman, we are always encouraging and fostering national talent by providing our employees with all the tools and skills they need to become leaders in the field of banking and finance.”

Brightly decorated in the national colors of red, green and white, the office festivities included students performing poetry about their love for the Nation and its achievements.

Established in 1984 following the acquisition of Arab Bank’s branches in the Sultanate, OAB today operates more than 65 branches and offices, and over 135 ATMs in high footfall locations across the Sultanate that are supported by Arab Bank’s 600 branches spanning five continents. With its growing portfolio of services and banking solutions, OAB has strongly engaged with the local, regional and international community to promote the Sultanate as an economic trade and investment powerhouse.