Muscat, November 08, 2017: Highlighting the commitment from Oman Arab Bank (OAB) to deliver the best financial solutions and customer experience, the bank has celebrated the opening of its new flagship branch in Barka. The all-new customer-focused branch is conveniently located at the Barka Souq, and will deliver greater levels of convenience and enhanced banking facilities to the Bank’s customers in Barka.

The official branch opening took place on November 7, and was held under the auspices of His Excellency Abdullah bin Sha’ban Al Farsi, the Director General of Administration and Financial affairs at the Diwan of the Royal Court, and attended by Mr. Hani bin Mohammad Al Zubair, Board Member of Oman Arab Bank, Amin Al Husseini, CEO of Oman Arab Bank; together with dignitaries from the Wilayat of Barka.

Commenting on the launch of the new branch, Amin Al Husseini noted, “The launch of our new Barka location marks the second flagship branch we’ve launched in the sultanate in the last month, and the fourth branch that has been re-positioned and transformed since the beginning of 2017. As with the Qurum branch launched last month, this new branch is generous in its size, with a spacious layout and a significantly large parking area. It also features the very best in technology and products, together with personalised levels of service. As a result, this new branch will elevate the banking experience for our customers in Barka, which is in line with our ongoing nationwide transformation strategy.”

As with the recently opened flagship OAB Qurum branch, the new Barka branch also features an enhanced brand identity with a refreshed look and feel. The sleek, modern, and streamlined look is augmented by a number of features and systems introduced as part of the new transformed branches. This includes the introduction of a new meet and greet facility with a streamlined queuing system, private advisory spaces with moving monitor screens for a more personal interaction, together with digital signature pads and ID Card readers within the advisory station design.

Aesthetically, as with the other ‘new-look’ branches, the Barka branch takes its design inspiration from the ‘Omani Skyline’, wherein the white symbolises Omani architecture, browns denote the sand deserts, grey referencing the mountains, and the blue glass overhangs representing the sky.

The new branch also has a separate ‘Elite’ reception, lounge, and offices, in order to provide premium customers with an elegant and private experience that remains memorable. The branch transformation combines elements of design, form, and function and aims to elevate the customer experience as a whole resulting in better service.

“As yet another one of our flagship branches, the new Barka branch will be amongst the largest OAB branches in the country. Chief amongst its several new facilities and features is the introduction of a new ‘Corporate’ section within the branch, a facility that wasn’t available in the old branch. The opening of this new branch will help us meet and exceed the expectations and banking needs of our customers, both retail and corporate, in the area and take us one more step closer to our strategic goal of being the bank of choice for customers across the country,” added Rashad Al Shaikh, DGM of Retail Banking at Oman Arab Bank.

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 across and 148 ATMs spread across the Sultanate. OAB provides the complete range of financial products and services for personal banking, corporate and investment clients.

Muscat, November 19, 2017: Oman Arab Bank, on the occasion of the Sultanate’s 47th National Day, organised a special staff gathering at its Head Office in Ghubra. The event was held for staff to join in the nation’s celebrations and to honour and thank His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said for his wisdom and leadership in the development and prosperity of the Sultanate over the course of these past 47 years.

The celebration was held on November 19, and was presided over by Amin Al Husseini, the Chief Executive Officer, and Rashad Al Musafir, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer. The event was also attended by members of the senior management and staff from branches across the capital.

Commenting on the event, Amin Al Husseini said, “Over these past 47 years, Oman has proven itself to be a beacon of peace and prosperity in the region; transforming into the progressive nation we live in today. All this has been made possible thanks to the visionary outlook and wise guidance of His Majesty the Sultan. As a local Bank we are glad to gather together with our staff as one family to pay tribute to His Majesty for his wise and benevolent leadership.”

The celebration opened with the National Anthem and a welcome speech by Amin Al Husseini. Shortly thereafter, the staff were treated to a poetry recitation by Aya bint Murad Al Balushi. The event also saw a special raffle draw conducted specifically for the event followed by a cake cutting ceremony by the executive members of the Bank to mark this joyous occasion. The event concluded with some refreshments and traditional music played by a live band.

“On Behalf of everyone here at OAB I would like to express my warmest congratulations to His Majesty the Sultan and wish him the best of health on this joyous occasion. I would also like to congratulate the people and residents of the Sultanate, whose collective contributions have played an integral part in the progress and transformation of the nation over these past four decades. We as a Bank are truly privileged to be a part of the Country’s success story concluded Mr. Rashad Al Musafir.

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 across and 148 ATMs spread across the Sultanate. OAB provides the complete range of financial products and services for personal banking, corporate and investment clients.

• The new system performs daily banking transactions with high efficiency, accuracy and speed
• OAB employees now have more time to devise solutions that are more in line with customer expectations

Muscat, December 18, 2017: In line with its strategy to transform itself into a pioneer in digital banking in Oman, Oman Arab Bank today launched the new Robotic Process Automation System; a first of its kind system in the Sultanate. This advanced system will perform most daily banking transactions, instead of them being manually done by employees, with the same efficiency and high accuracy and speed. This in turn will allow more time for the employees to devise solutions and services that meet customers’ needs.

Commenting on this new strategic approach by the bank, Amin Al Husseini, Chief Executive Officer of OAB said, “Oman Arab Bank has a clear vision for the future, focusing largely on digital platform in line with the rapid technological advancements required for the continued development of market leading banking products and processes. With this system, a majority of these products and processes are being automated, allowing time for our employees to work on innovating and developing products that better meet the expectations of customers, if not exceed them. They can also now divert greater attention towards improving the level of service provided to our customers.”

“This vision was initiated last year as part of a clear strategy to shift from traditional services towards more Internet-based banking services and products, smartphone applications, and social media channels. This also includes the redesigning of the bank’s branches in line with this vision. Today, we are taking a new step in this process through launching an all-new electronic system, the first of its kind in Oman. It performs daily transactions with high efficiency, accuracy and speed without changing the general framework of the existing system. This will no doubt reflect positively on our customers’ overall satisfaction, which is a key priority for Oman Arab Bank,” he added.

Rashad Al Musafir, Deputy Chief Executive Officer also said, “The banking industry in general is currently undergoing a fundamental transition phase that may considerably change the nature and mechanisms with which they operate. We at OAB, in line with our vision to strengthen our position in leading the Omani banking sector and relying on our local experience of more than three decades, look forward to a future where we are the first choice for individuals, companies, and investors alike. It is for this purpose we continue to invest in providing a comprehensive and integrated banking experience that meets their every expectation.”

The Robotic Process Automation System is one of the latest banking systems to be used in several countries around the world. It allows for the transferring of a majority of the Bank’s day-to-day operations and processes to be carried out automatically without human intervention. In doing so, it helps increase productivity and reduces the possibilities of errors; whilst at the same time enhancing efficiency and speed thanks to a certified performance evaluation system. The automation this system provides extends to processes related to account management, approval of loans, and cards’ operations, in addition to issues related to compliance and financial risks management, cyber risks, procurement and supply, finance, accounting, and other daily processes of banks.

In comparison with traditional automation, the robotic process automation system is characterised by its ability to adapt and develop itself through learning and artificial intelligence. This feature makes it capable of resolving repeated issues that previously needed a direct decision from an officer. Therefore, OAB employees will now have more time to develop work and communicate with customers, to better understand their needs and address them in best possible manner.

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.

• Amin Al Husseini will  oversee the transition  during  2018
• New appointment effective 1^st February 2018

Muscat, December 27, 2017 | The Board of Directors of Oman Arab Bank (OAB) has announced  its endorsement of the CEO Amin Al Huesseini’s recommendation to appoint his Deputy Rashad Al Musafir as  acting CEO effective  1^st of February 2018. The appointment is aligned with the Bank’s strategic transformation that started four years ago under the leadership of its CEO, Amin Al Husseini. The Board of Directors has also announced that Amin Al Husseini will be managing the executive transition and succession during 2018.

Commenting on the appointment, Rashad bin Mohammad Al Zubair, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Oman Arab Bank said, “We are fully confident in the experience and competence of Rashad Al Musafir and we wish him every success in his new role. The board also extends their thanks and appreciation to Amin Al Husseini for leading the bank’s transformation journey during these last four years. The decision reflects our goal to enable the next generation of Omani executives to assume leadership positions in the management of the Bank. OAB’s programme to elevate Omani talent has accelerated in recent years thanks to targeted efforts to prepare distinguished individuals to assume leadership responsibilities in the years to come.”

The leadership succession comes as Oman Arab Bank celebrates 33 years of banking excellence in the Omani market, and marks four years since the launch of the bank’s transformational strategy, which was closely overseen by Amin Al Husseini after he was appointed to the role of CEO in February 2014. During his tenure, Amin Al Husseini implemented significant operational and experiential changes across the OAB network, at the branch level and within the Bank’s head office. Today, Oman Arab Bank is a leading financial institution in the Sultanate in terms of enhanced customer experience and smart banking services, evidenced by   the recent launch of  an integrated digital banking platform across all touch points.

Highlighting OAB’s success in achieving the goals of the transformation strategy, Amin Al Husseini noted, “The Bank has achieved good financial results over the past four years, and has successfully implemented the digital transformation strategy. The Bank has also done well to achieve our human capital development goals with the implementation of a comprehensive in-house development programme in line with the Bank’s strategic Omanizationa plan. This has been made possible by investing in professional development for talented Omanies across the board to prepare them for senior management positions.  The Bank has also been able to enhance the governance culture by establishing robust internal controls to manage risks, in line with Central Bank regulations.

Commenting on the new appointment Amin Al Hussaini added “I’m very confident of my colleague Rashad Al Musafir to achieve the long term goals set by the Board of Directors, and I will continue supporting him to ensure smooth and seamless transition.”

Noting the rapid transformation of the Bank in recent years, Rashad Al Musafir, commented, “The Oman Arab Bank of today continues on an impressive trajectory, both in terms of operational efficiency, and professional excellence. I’m confident that the leadership team at OAB are amongst the best within the banking sector, and their contributions will be invaluable in achieving the Bank’s objectives in the coming years.”

“I would like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Amin Al Husseini for his outstanding leadership. Over these past four years, he has led the Bank diligently towards its transformational goals, all the time keeping pace with the best practices in the industry. His efforts to establish an Omani leadership team within the Bank are commendable and we are all committed to following the path of continuous improvement and transformation in the years ahead.” Rashad Al Musafir concluded.

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.

• Reflects on achievements of 2017 and reveals strategic plan for 2018 to staff

Muscat, January 07, 2018: Oman Arab Bank (OAB), last weekend, hosted a special ‘Town Hall Meeting’ for its staff at the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa. The event, which was presided over by the CEO of the Bank, Amin Al Husseini, reflected on the many achievements of the Bank over the course of 2017 while also touching upon the Bank’s strategic plans for the year ahead.

Also in attendance at the event was Rashad Al Musafir, the DCEO of the Bank, together with other members of the executive management as well as staff from across the Bank’s branch network.

Commenting on the event, Amin said, “Each and every member of our staff is a very highly valued member of the OAB family. It is their collective hard work and effort that ensures our success year after year. As such we feel it is of vital importance that the operations of the Bank remain transparent with each and every one of them and that they are made aware of the progress within the bank as well as our future plans.”

The event, which began at 8:00am on Saturday, January 06, included a number of talks and presentations from the heads of various departments within the Bank; each showcasing their respective department’s achievements over the past 12 months and their plans for 2018.

Commenting on the Bank’s achievements in 2017, Rashad said, “We made significant progress on all fronts last year; with particular attention given to our digital banking platforms. In fact, last year saw the launch of our all new ground-breaking digital banking platform alongside our all-new mobile banking app. We also made significant upgrades to our internal systems, automating and streamlining a majority of them. Furthermore, as part of our ongoing branch transformation strategy, we relocated, transformed, and launched six new branches across the country, two of which were state-of-the-art flagship branches.”

“As a result we are entering 2018 with a very strong footing; with the aim of taking our ongoing transformation strategy to the next level. This year we will put even greater emphasis on our digital banking platforms, streamlining and revamping existing systems, whilst at the same time continuing in our quest towards introducing new never before seen systems. We will also step up our branch transformation efforts with the aim of converting eight branches in the months ahead. As a whole I am confident we will end 2018 on an even higher note than we did this year,” added Rashad.

The event also included talks by the CEO and DCEO, together with an interactive session with the CEO where the staff were presented with an opportunity to ask the CEO any queries they might have regarding the Bank as a whole. In addition, OAB had also setup five interactive stations for staff to use on location, each focused on five different aspects of OAB’s internal and external operations – Digital Banking, Hassad Savings Scheme, Quality Assurance, Code of Conduct, and E-Learning. Additionally, the Bank also held a special commemorative prize draw for its staff that attended the event.

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.