Mohammed Abdullah: We aim to change perception of Islamic banks as 'out-of-touch' with modern communication needs and methods
Sharjah Islamic Bank (SIB) has stepped in to embrace social media platforms with the go live on Facebook and twitter. SIB, which was the first bank in the world to convert completely to Islamic banking, aims to get closer to its customers and the society as well and change the perception of Islamic banks as being out-of-touch with modern communication needs and methods.
Speaking of the decision to take this important step, SIB CEO, H.E Mohammed Abdulla, said, "At SIB we are committed to giving our customers the highest levels of convenience and service at all times, and embracing creative solutions in order to do so. The decision to embrace social media platforms such as twitter and Facebook stemmed from our desire to move Islamic banking into the 21st century, and to be more in touch with our customer base, particularly our younger customers."
"Over the past few years, the Web experience has become an integral part of people's lives, with more and more aspects of their daily lives going online and being integrated into social media platforms. SIB realises the importance of these platforms in the lives of our customers, and we are responding to this by offering them the chance to incorporate their banking into their online lives. This will not only allow us to get closer to the community we serve, but will also add another channel of communication," Abdullah added.
In 2002 Sharjah Islamic Bank became the first bank in the UAE to convert from conventional to Islamic banking. Since then, it has offered a wide spectrum of Shari'a-compliant services that cater to the needs of individuals, companies and institutions, as well as investment and international banking services. As a result of well-considered strategies and careful planning based on risk management and cost control, SIB has seen unprecedented growth. The bank currently has 25 branches across the UAE, in addition to more than 100 ATMs and deposit machines installed in residential districts and other vital areas such as shopping malls and entertainment centres.
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About SIB
Sharjah Islamic Bank, formerly known as National Bank of Sharjah, was founded by an Amiri decree issued by H.H. Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council, and Ruler of Sharjah, to provide commercial banking services to firms and individuals. Originally a conventional bank, Sharjah Islamic Bank became the first in the world to convert successfully to Islamic banking in 2002. Since then, all operating systems and procedures have been modified to facilitate this conversion and all employees trained in Islamic banking.
© Press Release 2011
