As the banking industry continues to undergo a profound digital revolution, banks are increasingly differentiated by their ability to provide a successful – and simple – user experience. With a relentless focus on customer experience and embracing cutting-edge technologies, Mashreq has cemented its position as a digital banking leader in the United Arab Emirates and beyond.
At the heart of Mashreq's digital success is its flagship mobile app, NEO. Fernando Morillo, group head of retail banking, explains, "In the UAE, we have a leading position in terms of market perception of our quality. We are a 4.8 rated app in both the App Store and Google Store, which is the highest in the market."
This exceptional customer rating is a testament to Mashreq's commitment to seamless onboarding and comprehensive digital services. As Morillo notes, "We have been graciously recognized with awards by Euromoney as Middle East’s Best Digital Bank for 5 consecutive years, and won several accolades for our onboarding journey, which is as quick and easy as other global leading digital banks."
A holistic journey
The bank’s digital transformation extends far beyond just the mobile app. Several years ago, Mashreq made the bold decision to reduce its branch network by over 85%, focusing instead on delivering a 100% digital banking experience. "We have moved almost everything to digital," reveals Morillo. "From accounts and cards to personal loans and wealth management products, our clients can now transact with us seamlessly in a 100% digital manner." The bank aims for 100% digital services. “That means the entire catalogue, not just equities or ETFs, but also mutual funds and recently even bonds,” says Morillo. Mashreq also recently launched digital access to thematic investments portfolios that have self-rebalancing with just one click.
Trust matters
But this digital journey is not just about convenience; it's also about security and trust. The bank has introduced innovative features like device binding, which ensures that critical transactions can only be performed on a registered device, providing an additional layer of protection against fraud.
“Everywhere in the world, there is a rising problem with security,” says Morillo. "We are in an eternal race between the bad actors and the licensed institutions. Device binding is a game-changer in providing security, which is a key demand from our clients."
Business first
As well as its retail focus Mashreq is also working hard to develop its business banking franchise, part of which is an investment in staying ahead of the onboarding game with the new NEOBIZ Express launch, targeting the 60-65% of the sole proprietors who apply for a business banking account. “In these cases, all the onboarding has been simplified to the max that the compliance and the regulation allow for. Around 80% of our onboardings are now below three days, and we’ve now reached over 50,000 new clients.”
Once business clients are onboarded, they need servicing too – and the bank has launched a new app-equivalent called Mashreq Biz to assist business clients. It’s rare to utilise this on a mobile device in the UAE, so a web version still exists, but the bank is migrating towards the app this year and the client response has been phenomenal, with a 4.9 rating on the Apple Store.
International ambitions
Mashreq's digital transformation now extends beyond the UAE, with the bank leveraging its digital capabilities to expand into new markets like Egypt and Pakistan, using new channels such as ecosystem partnerships in order to do so. In Egypt, for example, Mashreq has partnered with Etisalat, the country’s largest telco with over 30 million customers, allowing them to open a bank account directly from the Etisalat E app. “We run our lives on our mobiles,” points out Morillo. “It’s all about the digital ecosystem – banks have to be there, front and centre.”
AI is a fundamental part of this ecosystem, and Morillo believes it will “increasingly become the name of the game” with the power to transform the entire banking business. That’s why Mashreq is committed to the technology that underpins its expansion plans and is investing in numerous machine learning and AI applications.
It’s new AI-powered chatbot can handle over 50 digital journeys with a human-like level of intent recognition. "The AI allows the chatbot to understand almost at the level of a human, with a 96% intent recognition rate," Morillo explains. “That’s something we’ve been grooming over the past 18 months and will be rolling out massively in the coming year. Soon we will put it right at the front of the app, like Google.
"We are starting with the chatbot at the front of the app in the new markets like Egypt," Morillo reveals. "In fact, we are launching without a contact center upfront, with the chatbot fronting the digital conversation with the client instead."
Behind this AI focus sits the determination to holistically and fully embrace technology. “AI only gives you whatever you provide it with. So there has to be a genuine and structured intent. It is this ability to embrace tech in such a landing changing landscape is, frankly, what determines the scope of what a digital bank can achieve.”
Operational transformation
It’s not just about the technology, however. To succeed with a true digital transformation requires commitment across the entire breadth of the bank, at the most fundamental operational level. “Client experience is crucial,” explains Morillo. “Digital banking is a very complex service to deliver correctly. Beyond the buzzwords, you need to be able to really deliver what you promise.”
That’s why Mashreq as a business is completely aligned around this objective. “It is what we call being a ‘bank tech’,” explains Morillo. “The entirety of the bank is organized around verticals, each operating like a FinTech, and they are obsessed with delivering the client experience," Morillo explains. "This agile way of working, with the right mix of business, data, and tech people, is what sets us apart."
The key to success is in working (and thinking) like an digital company, rather than like a legacy bank.
“You really need to undergo a very deep internal transformation to become that agile. And that is the most difficult thing. Technology comes and goes. You can buy it. Making people think and work in a certain way is much more difficult. It is cultural, and it is unique.”