OAB Names another 119 Winners in February Hasaad Draw

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Muscat, March 24, 2019: Continuing in its endeavour to encourage a habit of saving amongst its customers, Oman Arab Bank (OAB) recently announced the names of the 119 winners for its second Hasaad draw of the year 2019. These winners included 87 winners of the monthly branch draws of OMR 500 each, ten winners from the Bank’s Children’s account and 20 from the Bank’s Youth Holders of OMR 100 each, and two winners of the monthly Elite Draw of OMR 10,000 each.

Commenting on the new program and the children and youth-focused draws, Rashad Al Shaikh, DGM of Retail Banking at OAB said, “This draw marks the second of the year and already takes our total winner for the year 2019 to 238. There are still, however, well over 1,000 prizes yet to be won this year. Better still, next month marks the first of our quarterly draws which will see us conduct a special ‘Big Prize’ draw of OMR 25,000 for one winner across its branch network.”

Hasaad Savings Scheme in its current edition offers the Bank’s clients across all regions and branches a chance to win one of several valuable prizes on a monthly basis. These prizes come as part of the Bank’s monthly draws which will see 87 lucky winners, a minimum of one winner in each branch, of OMR 500 monthly and OMR 1,000 each every quarter; ten winners of OMR 100 each for Children’s account holders aged 18 and below; 20 winners of OMR 100 each for Youth account holders aged between 18 and 25; and two winners of OMR 10,000 each as part of the monthly Elite Draw. The latter Elite draw, however, will see its monthly draw replaced by a Grand Prize draw of OMR 100,000 for one lucky Elite customer in December. In addition to these monthly draws, the Bank will also be conducting a special ‘Big Prize’ draw of OMR 25,000 for one winner across its branch network at the end of every quarter.

Fahd Amjad added, “On behalf of the management, I would like to congratulate all the winners of our February draw. I would also like to encourage all our customers to continue saving to maximise their chances of winning as well as wish them the best of luck in the upcoming draws, especially for next month’s ‘Big Prize’ draw.”

OAB customers can easily open a ‘Hasaad’ account with a minimum balance of OMR 100, in order to be eligible for most of the prize draws.

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

Oman Arab Bank Celebrates Graduation of New LEAD Batch

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Muscat, March 17, 2019: In its latest step towards the development of its Omani staff, Oman Arab Bank (OAB) recently organised a special ceremony to celebrate the graduation of the second batch of employees who have now successfully completed the Leadership Enhancement and Development program (LEAD). The ceremony was held under the patronage of H E Hamad bin Khamis al Amri, Undersecretary for Labour Affairs in the Ministry of Manpower, and was overseen by Rashad Al Musafir, the CEO of the Bank, together with several members of the executive management and senior staff of the Bank. The ceremony, organised at Bait Al Zubair, witnessed the handing over of graduation certificates to each of the 20 ‘LEAD 2’ candidates.

Commenting on the graduation of the second batch of LEAD, Rashad Al Musafir noted, “We are proud to see our second batch of employees completing LEAD, a program which has been designed specifically to develop young talent and reinforce the executive management of the Bank with highly competent staff at all levels. This will ensure our ability to keep up with rapid changes in the banking world and grow to become the leading bank in the sector.”

Adil Al Rahbi, Head of Human Resources Division at OAB further added, “The six-month training program, designed in cooperation with the globally renowned leadership and management consultant firm, Inspirational Development Group, combines the best international practices in order to empower the participants with the required managerial skills and knowledge to assume leadership positions within the Bank in the future. The graduation of the second batch of LEAD candidates today is a reflection of our commitment towards empowering our future leaders. The majority of LEAD graduates will take upnew managerial and leadership roles within their respective divisions across various branches of the Bank. This focus on developing our Omani staff is further reflected in our position as a sector leader with regards to Omanisation.”

The ceremony included a short presentation showcasing the participants’ journey during LEAD 2 over the past few months. Gerry Woods from Inspirational Development Group then delivered a speech in which he said, “The excellent relationship between OAB and IDG continues to exemplify our joint effort and dedication towards delivering leadership excellence through the LEAD programme. A great degree of credit for the success of LEAD has to go to the CEO’s personal leadership and vision for the programme and as well as the close involvement and stewardship demonstrated consistently by Mr Adil Al Rahbi as the Head of the Bank’s HR division.”

Ayman Al Shihi, a LEAD graduate from the Human Resources Division gave the graduates speech, in which he said, “The LEAD programme has challenged us in terms of financial and organisational management. This has notably improved our ability to analyse obstacles, understand them, and then come up with the appropriate decisions and steps required to overcome them. In doing so, we have gained greater insight into the key elements and qualities required to ensure success within the banking sector. On behalf of all my colleagues, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Board of Directors, the Executive Management, and the Human Resources Division of the Bank for providing us with such a valuable opportunity.”

The chief guest handed over the certificates to the graduates together with the CEO, who congratulating the participants said, “On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Executive Management of OAB, I would like to congratulate each one of the LEAD 2 graduates, and hope their achievement will serve as inspiration for their colleagues to work hard and put in greater efforts in order to get an opportunity of their own to apply for the upcoming batches of the program.”

The LEAD 2 graduation ceremony also witnessed the introduction of its new LEAD 3 candidates. The 20 candidates included staff from across various departments of the Bank and had already begun training on the first workshops of the program in February.  In the coming months, they will be provided with opportunities to interact with some of the best and most experienced leadership development experts in the industry, ensuring career development and growth for years to come.

The Human Resources Division conducts an annual online 360-degree evaluation of the leadership capabilities of its employees across all departments of the Bank in order to select potential candidates for the program. This program aims to build a team of highly qualified staff as part of the Bank’s management and at the same time contribute towards the development of human capital within the Sultanate as a whole.

The ‘LEAD’ programme has been designed in cooperation with Inspirational Development Group (IDG) and is facilitated by a team from IDG, a globally renowned leadership and management performance consultancy. The company has channelled its long history of experience delivering high-quality and intensive work programmes to some of the most prestigious organisations 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.

Oman Arab Bank is proud to have achieved the highest Omanisation percentage within the banking sector, nearing 96%. It is also 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 152 ATMs spread across the Sultanate. OAB also provides a complete range of financial products and services for personal banking, corporate, and investment clients.

OAB Organises Clean-up of Al Ghubrah Beach in Collaboration with ESO

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Muscat, March 21, 2019: As part of its continued commitment to the community, Oman Arab Bank (OAB), in collaboration with the Environment Society of Oman (ESO), recently organised a clean-up initiative at the Al Ghubrah Beach. The event saw the participation of over 40 participants consisting of ESO and OAB employees, together with their families.

Commenting on the beach clean-up, Hilal Omar al Siyabi, Head of the Corporate Social Responsibility Department at OAB noted, “There is much more to Corporate Social Responsibility than just providing financial support to NGOs and related social activities. For us here at OAB, we strongly believe that it should include opportunities for direct engagement of our employees with the community, which in turn will reflect positively on both parties. This is why we have always put increased focus on promoting a culture of volunteer work among our staff.”

The Bank also believes that serving the community is a national obligation and one that all members of society should be a part of. This event comes as part of OAB’s CSR initiatives, with OAB employees and their families showing great enthusiasm in joining hands with staff from the ESO to clean the Beach and reveal its true beauty and its prominence as one of the key tourism destinations in Muscat.

“We are also proud to have collaborated with ESO on this initiative. It is a wonderful organisation filled with like-minded people seeking to preserve the beauty of Oman for future generations. It was a genuine pleasure to see this initiative achieve success with such a good turnout from both parties and we look forward to working with them again in the future for other similar initiatives,” added Hilal al Siyabi.

ESO was founded in March 2004 by Omanis representing different regions and many different professional backgrounds. Membership is open to anyone above the age of 18 who has an interest in conserving the environment and ensuring that Oman’s natural heritage remains intact for future generations to enjoy.

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

OAB Participates in SQU Career Fair 2019

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Oman Arab Bank excites SQU students about a potential career in banking by offering guidance, advice and a variety of internship and graduate trainee opportunities

Muscat, March 6, 2019: Oman Arab Bank (OAB) recently participated in the Career and Training Opportunities Fair at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) this week. The fair opened under the auspices of Sayyid Saud bin Hilal al Busaidi, Minister of State and Governor of Muscat, at the SQU cultural centre. Hosted by the Centre for Career Guidance at SQU, 55 institutions took part in this year’s fair.

In an effort to nurture Omani talent with workplace skills and experience before they graduate, OAB set up a booth at the fair, which was held from March 4 to 6. Human Resources representatives from OAB shared insight on career development opportunities and training programmes at OAB that are aimed at students.

Adil Al Rahbi, Head of the Human Resources Division at OAB, remarked, “Developing young Omanis – the future leaders of tomorrow – is one of the core mandates at OAB. Our participation at SQU Career Fair 2019 aims to showcase the variety of career paths available to the youth, as well as our commitment to shaping the careers of our potential employees from their very first interaction with OAB. Our intention is to enable students to garner enough practical skills before they graduate, and to assist in their transition into employment, while appealing to their  curiosity and desire to be active members of the workforce.”

“Our booth at the careers fair was aimed at encouraging students to ask questions and learn about the banking sector and the stepping stones required to develop their careers beyond job applications. OAB has developed a number of key initiatives catered towards enhancing practical skills and talent development, such as The Innovation Hub by OAB, Leadership Enhancement and Development Programme (LEAD), and the graduate training programme,” Al Rahbi said.

OAB recently held the first edition of the Innovation Hub, which saw a team of students create a prototype showcasing an innovative banking solution within 24-hours. This year’s Innovation Hub included more than 150 students taking part in the Students Challenge, where prototypes were developed under the themes of ‘banking for millennials’, ‘superior customer experience’, ‘digital economy and payments’, as well as an additional open category.

OAB continues to host several other training initiatives to assist students preparing for numerous career trajectories in banking; such as the graduate training programme at the OAB training centre every 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 150 ATMs spread across the Sultanate. OAB provides the complete range of financial products and services for personal banking, corporate and investment clients.