DUBAI, UAE, 19 November 2008: Visa, a leading payment solutions provider has entered a partnership with Al Hilal, the new Abu Dhabi based Islamic bank, to offer a range of Visa products. The Visa cards to currently be offered to Al Hilal customers include the Visa Classic and Visa Gold cards.

"Visa is delighted to be working with Al Hilal bank to deliver Shariah compliant products to customers. Visa is committed to developing tailor made payment solutions which help banks become leaders in their respective marketplaces," said Robin Mukherjee, UAE Area Manager, Visa Inc.

The new Al Hilal Visa cards are structured according to Islamic principles. The suite of Visa products will offer unsurpassed acceptance as well as additional benefits such as 24/7 emergency roadside assistance.  

"This is a new landmark in our bank's history. We have forged this tie with Visa in a limited time frame and we are positive that the services they provide will enable Al Hilal Bank to offer a wider product range to our existing and potential customers. We look at Visa as our business partner, in achieving our target for the development of the private and public sectors, as well as our national economy," said Mohammed Berro, CEO, Al Hilal Bank.

Mohamed Zaqout, EVP and Head of Personal Banking, Al Hilal Bank, added: "Through this partnership we are giving our customers the opportunity to experience all the positive attributes provided by Visa."

'This relationship will help us develop segmented product offerings to our customer base. With our flag ship branch in Al Sahel Tower, Abu Dhabi (The Mall Branch) we have segmented the customer experience across youth, women, children and mass banking and will be delivering innovative credit and debit products which will best suit individual lifestyle and consumer requirements. We are looking at specialised products to cater to the aspirations of each of our segments and we strongly believe our association with Visa will help us achieve our ambitious plan."

To find out more about the range of products available from Al Hilal, visit: www.alhilalbank.ae

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About Visa Inc.: 
Visa Inc. operates the world's largest retail electronic payments network providing processing services and payment product platforms. This includes consumer credit, debit, prepaid and commercial payments, which are offered under the Visa, Visa Electron, Interlink and PLUS brands. Visa enjoys unsurpassed acceptance around the world and Visa/PLUS is one of the world's largest global ATM networks, offering cash access in local currency in more than 170 countries. For more information, visit www.visa.corporate.com.

About Al Hilal Bank:
Al Hilal Bank is wholly owned by the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, which is an investment body of the Government of Abu Dhabi. The Bank has an authorized capital of over AED 4 billion and is licensed to operate as an Islamic commercial bank. Al Hilal Bank is committed to becoming the region's leading financial institution, escalating the development of Islamic Banking with a fresh approach to the industry, new technology and service excellence.

Contact: 
Linsey Worgan,
d'PR
Tel: +971 4 323 3669,
Email: linsey@d-pr.ae

© Press Release 2008