OAB Commemorates Earth Hour with Staff Gathering

Muscat, April 01, 2019: As part of its continued commitment towards promoting and raising awareness on environment and energy conservation, Oman Arab Bank (OAB) hosted a special candle-lit staff gathering in commemoration of Earth Hour. As is tradition for the annual global celebration, OAB switched off all lights at its head office once again this year for one hour on Saturday, March 30.

Commenting on the Bank’s participation in Earth Hour, Hilal O. Al Siyabi, Head of Corporate Communication said, “As one of the more prominent banks in the country and in line with our Corporate Sustainability objectives, we believe that it is our responsibility to serve as an example for the wider society to adopt a sustainable and responsible attitude towards preserving the environment. Supporting the Earth Hour is one such way we can do so, while at the same time help spread awareness on the impact wasteful energy consumption has on our environment.”

This two-part event comes as part of OAB’s ongoing CSR initiatives and continued commitment towards environment conservation. Starting from 8:30pm on March 30, the Bank switched off all lights at its Head Office for one hour. During this time, a live band food corner, and board games keep people entertained. Children also enjoyed a spot of colouring on a large prominently displayed wall commemorating the Earth Hour.

“The more people that we have supporting such initiatives, the easier it becomes to encourage the wider public to adopt habits that aid conservation of our precious resources in their day-to-day lives. As such, it was pleasing to see such a good turnout from our staff and their families at the event. On behalf of the management, I would like to thank each and every one of them for their attendance and for their support in making this event a success,” added Hilal Al-Siyabi.

Outside of the earth hour, OAB, as part of its day-to-day operations, actively continues to introduce a number of technology driven initiatives that aim to protect the environment. One such example is the Bank’s policy of interacting with its customers using primarily only e-statements and SMS notifications, in order to save on paper. It also follows a similar principal for all internal communications amongst staff, keeping paper usage to an absolute minimum. The Bank’s focus on environment and energy conservation is also evident in the environmentally friendly technology installed at its Head Office. These include auto sensors throughout all offices and corridors, which means that lights are automatically switched off when no one is present and as a result, a considerable amount of power is saved on a regular basis.

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.