The opening ceremony was held in the presence of the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) representative, Khalid Al Hamad, Executive Director of Banking Supervision in addition to the Bank’s Board of Directors and Executive Management.
The opening of the new branch comes as part of Al Salam Bank’s digital transformation strategy to support environmental sustainability. All banking transactions at the Hamala branch will be fully automated and paperless, in line with the latest Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policies being set into motion at a global level. This initiative will also be implemented at other branches of Al Salam Bank in the near future.
Clientele needs
To meet the elevated needs of the bank’s clientele, the new branch boasts an experienced team of professionals dedicated to serving clients, in addition to advanced electronic equipment and automated banking services, a self-service platform, instant deposit machines, and ATMs.
Ultimately, the new branch provides Al Salam Bank’s clients with an enriched, seamless banking experience, facilitating daily transactions with faster service and turnaround time. This also marks the opening of the fourth Al Ruwad Banking Business Centre, which offers services to affluent clients and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs); offering an exclusive banking experience and curated solutions, alongside distinctive benefits to support their long-term financial success.
The opening of the paperless and fully automated branch falls under the bank’s guiding principle ‘Enchant Our Clients’, which tells how the bank’s employees are driven by a shared passion to form deep relationships with clients, going over and above to deliver an enriching experience by simplifying and humanising their journey, curating tailored solutions to help them meet their financial goals efficiently and seamlessly. Moreover, the opening comes in line with the bank’s guiding principle ‘Be Digitally Native’, which reiterates the bank’s ethos of smart, efficient banking, and adopting a digital-first mindset to provide clients with a personalised experience characterised by convenience, simplicity and efficiency.
Seamless experience
On the occasion, Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Al Salam Bank, Rafik Nayed, commented: “The branch provides a seamless experience powered by automated processes, which facilitates and expedites our valued clients’ banking transactions. In line with the latest ESG practices being adopted on a global scale, this step comes as a result of our success in maintaining the strength of our operations, all while consistently expanding and developing the Bank’s existing network of branches across strategic locations across the kingdom. We strive to provide premium Islamic banking services and solutions, and ensuring our services are easily accessible.”
The bank’s Deputy CEO of Banking, Anwar Murad, added: “The branch will provide customers with Shari’a-compliant banking services and products for individuals, affluent clients and SMEs, enabling them to conduct paperless transactions with ease. At Al Salam Bank, we are committed to elevating our network of branches, as part of our digital transformation roadmap, which includes the launch of the virtual branch and banking services through WhatsApp, a chatbot on the website, in addition to the launch of Al Salam Bank’s mobile application. Through these endeavours, we look forward to facilitating clients’ access to our services, either by visiting our branches or by using our digital services.”
Alongside a comprehensive suite of Shari’a-compliant banking products and services provided through its network of 10 branches and 27 ATMs, Al Salam Bank’s Hamala branch will enable the Bank to continue to serve retail banking, affluent banking and SME clients segments alike in a strategic location within a vital and up-and-coming area in Bahrain.
Al Salam Bank’s Hamala branch is open five days a week from Sunday to Thursday. The bank’s clients also have the luxury of accessing the self-service platform, ATMs and instant deposit 24/7, seven days a week.
