Muscat, December 27, 2020: In recognition of its valuable service towards society, Oman Arab Bank (OAB) was recently bestowed with the Excellence Award in Social Responsibility during the Fourth Oman Forum for Partnership and Social Responsibility. The forum was held at Grand Millennium Muscat on December 16, under the patronage of Laila Ahmed Al Najjar, Minister of Social Development.

Highlighting the Bank’s achievement on obtaining this award, Feras Al-Farsi, responsible for Sustainability at OAB, said, “We are extremely proud to receive this award as social responsibility is one of the most important focus areas of our strategy. Our sustainability strategy was designed to strengthen OAB’s social impact within its three main strategic pillars: community partnerships, environment and financial inclusion, to ensure we are making valuable contribution to on the societal level, in parallel with business growth. In 2020, as a result of COVID-19, OAB focused its efforts to limit the financial and social impact of the pandemic through several special measures, for which we received commendation at the Fourth Oman Forum for Partnership and Social Responsibility.”

Oman Arab Bank launched a set of digital banking services to keep pace with the onset of the pandemic, and ensuring that their customers can fulfil their needs from the comfort of their home, limiting the spread of the virus and extending support to the health sector. A few of the most prominent achievements of 2020 include allocating an account for the donations to the Ministry of Health and donating OMR 500,000 to support these efforts. This was in addition to a further donation of OMR 500,000 by the Oman International Development and Investment Company (SAOG) (OMINVEST), which is one of the Bank’s main stakeholders. OAB also initiated the postponement of loan installments for all its customers in March 2020, as well as for those affected by the pandemic for the subsequent period. This was in addition to halting transfer fees and providing more facilities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). On the occasion of the 50^th National Day, OAB also wrote off the debts of over 150 defaulting borrowers, in consideration of their especially challenging circumstances. Furthermore, OAB launched an exclusive credit card scheme in Q3, offering a 0% interest rate and other benefits to frontline workers, who place their lives at risk for the greater good.

“Aside from financial support, we have continued to place innovation and education at the forefront of our strategy by launching the first Innovation Lab in the local banking sector. The lab will provide a professional platform for students, employees and companies operating in the field and is aimed at nurturing talents in the sphere of finance technology. In collaboration with a number of specialised companies, we have also launched a digital learning platform that offers a set of innovative and free workshops, targeted at youth and entrepreneurs, to enhance their technical skills. Last but not least, we renewed our partnership with the Environmental Society of Oman (ESO) and supported its virtual fundraiser event that managed to raise over OMR 100,000. During the event, we announced our long-term plan to reduce our carbon footprint, by measuring our environmental impact and finding more sustainable solutions,” he added.

Oman Arab Bank has a rich and proud history as one of the first financial institutions to be established in the Sultanate. Today, the bank operates a nationwide network of 55 branches and representative offices with 160 ATMs spread across Oman. OAB provides a complete range of financial products and services for personal banking, corporate banking and investment clients.

• Dalal Al Rahma: Al Mar’a Magazine Special Award for Marketing & Communications
• Leen Al Atassi: Al Mar’a Magazine Special Award for Innovation

Muscat, December 13, 2020: A number of OAB female employees were recognised at the Al Mar’a Excellence Awards ceremony, organised by United Media Services group and Al Mara’a Magazine. Seven OAB employees are featured in the Al Mara Annual Book, unveiled at the event, including Dalal Al Rahma, Head of Digital Marketing, Communication & Events, who received the Al Mar’a Magazine Special Award for Marketing & Communications and Leen Al Atassi, Head of Innovation, who received the Al Mar’a Magazine Special Award for Innovation.

The awards ceremony was held at Sheraton Oman Hotel, under the patronage of Her Excellency Laila Ahmed Al Najjar, Minister of Social Development, and in the presence of Her Excellency Asila Salim al Samsamiyah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion for Investment Promotion, the honorable Lujaina Mohsen Haidar Darwish, Member of the State Council, alongside several female leaders in the Sultanate. The event was aligned with the Sultanate’s 50^th National Day of the Renaissance celebrations to highlight the achievements of Omani women and shed light on their contributions and effective roles in the comprehensive development of the Sultanate.

Leen Al Atassi holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Strathclyde and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology with a minor in Communications. She has over 14 years of experience, working in various positions within the Sultanate’s banking sector. She joined OAB in 2018 as the Head of Innovation, responsible for introducing new solutions and initiatives to strengthen OAB’s core competencies and grow its business. Additionally, she also supervised the establishment of the first Innovation Lab in the sector, which was officially launched in the first quarter of 2020.

Dalal Al Rahma has extensive experience in Marketing Communication in the banking sector, beginning her career more than 15 years ago, during which she worked with a number of major local banks. She joined OAB in 2014 and is currently responsible for the development of OAB’s annual digital and marketing strategy, including the website. She holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Bedfordshire and is a graduate of LEAD, a leadership enhancement and development programme, organised by the Inspirational Development Group (IDG) and OAB, in affiliation with the Royal Military Academy of Sandhurst.

The Al Mara Annual Book comprises of the success stories of five other female employees from OAB, namely Abeer Al Maqdisi, Human Resources Business Partner, Sima Al Balushi, Head of Compliance Department, Fatima Ba Omar, Head of Payments, Wasfia Al Harthi, Head of Import Department, and Khalisa Al Wahaibi, Manager of Al Qurum Branch.

Oman Arab Bank has a rich and proud history as one of the first financial institutions to be established in the Sultanate. Today, the bank operates a nationwide network of 55 branches and representative offices with 160 ATMs spread across Oman. OAB provides a complete range of financial products and services for personal banking, corporate banking and investment clients.

Muscat, Dec 7, 2020: Oman Arab Bank (OAB) has announced the names of the 131 winners of its monthly Hasaad Savings Scheme for October. This included 94 winners of the monthly branch draws of OMR 1,000 each, ten winners of the Children’s Account draw (OMR 100 each), twenty winners of the Youth Account draw (OMR 100 each), five winners of OMR 500 of the Bank’s Salary Transfer draw and two winners of OMR 10,000 of the Elite draw from the Al Dhahira and Muscat branches.

Commenting on the draw, Rashad Al Shaikh, Acting Head of the Retail Banking Division at OAB, said, “We are delighted to note the continuously increasing number of savings, especially as we enter into the last quarter of the year. We will continue to offer several exciting prizes for all the remaining draws until the end of 2020.”

The Hasaad scheme sees 95 lucky winners, with a minimum of one winner per month per branch, receiving a prize of OMR 500 and OMR 1,000 at the quarterly draws. In addition, ten winners are selected from the Children’s Account holders (aged 18 and below) and receive OMR 100 each. Twenty winners are selected from the Youth Account holders (aged between 18 and 27), each receiving a prize of OMR 100. There are also two Elite winners of OMR 10,000 each per month.

The monthly Elite draw is replaced by a Grand Prize draw of OMR 50,000 for one lucky Elite customer, and occurs twice a year, in June and December. Oman Arab Bank also conducts a special ‘Big Prize’ draw of OMR 25,000 for one winner across its expansive branch network at the end of every quarter.

The Salary Transfer draw was introduced in 2020, which sees 5 winners per month receiving a prize of OMR 500 each, as well as a guaranteed gift to both children and youth (up to 27 years old) once a year. Oman Arab Bank is the only Bank providing a guaranteed gift to its youth customers.

“On behalf of OAB, I warmly congratulate all of the winners of our October draw. I encourage each and every one of our customers to continue in their efforts to save, to further increase their chances of winning in the upcoming draws. I wish everyone the best of luck,” Rashad added.

Oman Arab Bank has a rich and proud history as one of the first financial institutions to be established in the Sultanate. Today, the bank operates a nationwide network of 55 branches and representative offices with 160 ATMs spread across Oman. OAB provides a complete range of financial products and services for personal banking, corporate banking and investment clients.

Muscat, November 18, 2020:

On the occasion of the 50^th National Day, Oman Arab Bank (OAB) has written off over 150 defaulting loans. This initiative is part of the bank’s social responsibility towards society and was prompted by the special circumstances of the account holders which include the elderly, widows and people with disabilities.

Rashad Al Musafir, CEO of the Bank said, “Since our establishment, Oman Arab Bank has been, and continues to be, a financial institution that takes care of its customers and strives to build closer relations with the community. Since the passing of 50 years marks a significant milestone for the country and all its people, we decided to share in the joy and celebration of our customers. For this reason we are launching this debt exemption initiative to help people in need, especially those who are facing difficult circumstances brought about by the current challenges. This way, we can enable them to move forward with their lives without having to worry about their existing loans with the Bank. This initiative stems from our commitment to social responsibility and is our way of giving back to the Omani society.”

Commenting on the criteria to select the beneficiaries for this initiative, Asma Al Zadjali, Head of Banking Operations Group at OAB, said, “The debt exemption initiative includes a wide range of stringent criteria to ensure that it benefits and supports those most in need. Accordingly, more than 150 customers have been provided exemptions, including elderly customers who do not have sufficient pensions to pay off debts, widows, people with disabilities or chronic diseases, and several others. Additionally, debts of deceased customers that were not covered by insurance companies were also given exemptions, in order to prevent creating a financial burden on their families.”

Hilal Al Siyabi, Head of Corporate Communication at OAB, stated, “With the completion of our strategic vision for sustainability earlier this year, we are working towards a number of primary pillars: the environment, community partnerships and financial inclusion. This vision allows us to place Oman Arab Bank on the right path to maximise social impact, alongside our commercial activities. This overall goal is to position OAB as more than a banking partner for all its customers.”

Oman Arab Bank has a rich and proud history as one of the first financial institutions to be established in the Sultanate. Today, the bank operates a nationwide network of 55 branches and representative offices with over 160 ATMs spread across Oman. OAB provides a complete range of financial products and services for personal banking and corporate banking.

Muscat, November 4, 2020: Oman Arab Bank has partnered with Dar Al Atta’a again this year to commemorate World Food Day which took place on October 16, 2020. The World Food Day campaign is an annual food drive that sees individuals and entities such as OAB donate food items to those in need.

Commenting on the importance of this initiative, Hilal Al Siyabi, Head of Corporate Communications at OAB, said, “Now, more than ever, it is crucial to support each other and lend a hand to those in need and that’s what makes World Food Day so important. We are grateful to the team at Dar Al Atta’a for coordinating and partnering with us for this important cause once again. The staff at Oman Arab Bank have been doing their part by donating food to help make a difference.”

Oman Arab Bank has participated in and initiated a number of charity initiatives since the start of the year, all of which underline its dedication to sustainability, which remains a fundamental pillar in the Bank’s operational strategy. Under the umbrella of the #OABistidama, the Bank seeks to give back to society through projects focused on environmental responsibility, community partnerships and financial inclusion.

“Our participation in the World Food Day campaign is something that is close to our hearts. Just as we hope to make a difference in the life of our customers, we aim to create value for the communities we are a part of. By collecting more than 1,017 kgs of food and donating them to Dar Al Atta’a for distribution, we know that we can make a difference and reach those most in need”, Hilal Al Siyabi added.

World Food Day is an initiative launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and is celebrated internationally on October 16 each year, commemorating the founding day of the Organization in 1945. On this day, more than 150 countries around the world organise events that promote worldwide awareness and action for those in need. The initiative is also an opportunity to demonstrate commitment towards sustainable development and the achievement of FAO’s goal of ending world hunger by 2030.

Oman Arab Bank has a rich and proud history as one of the first financial institutions to be established in the Sultanate. Today, the bank operates a nationwide network of 55 branches and representative offices with 152 ATMs spread across Oman. OAB provides a complete range of financial products and services for personal banking and corporate banking.