First Abu Dhabi Bank has selected IBM Consulting as a partner for digital transformation services.
With total assets of over AED 1 trillion ($272 billion), First Abu Dhabi Bank is the UAE’s largest bank and the third largest player in the Middle East.
As part of its long-term digital roadmap, which aims to cement its position at the forefront of digital banking, First Abu Dhabi Bank is rolling out a series of new digital-backed products and services, and upgrading several elements of its technology backbone and IT infrastructure to realise and host its enlarged digital portfolio.
“As the sector accelerates into the future of banking, we need to leverage the latest innovations to underpin our ongoing digital transformation efforts to meet our customers’ increasing digital needs,” said Srinivasan Sampath, Acting Group Chief Technology Officer at First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Already partnering with IBM for years on multiple technology fronts, First Abu Dhabi Bank has now appointed ‘Big Blue’s (one of IBM’s nicknames) consulting division as a consultancy partner for its digital transformation journey.
“IBM has been essential in our service delivery for the past years, and this agreement maintains our relationship to allow us to continue innovating and transforming the way we interact with our customers,” said Sampath.
As part of its remit, IBM Consulting will provide First Abu Dhabi Bank with deep industry expertise in the areas of banking, hybrid cloud and application modernisation to enhance the bank’s ability to faster develop new products and digital services. IBM’s consultants will also help improve the bank’s customer experience through the development of customer applications and experience-related improvements.
Christian Noll, Managing Partner of IBM Consulting in the Middle East and Africa commented: “IBM is bringing its leading edge capabilities, deep industry experience and leadership in financial services, and understanding of the specific regulatory compliance, security and resiliency needs for the banking industry to help First Abu Dhabi Bank transform and bring innovative experiences to its customers.”
“We are proud to be on this digital transformation journey with First Abu Dhabi Bank, an innovation leader in the UAE’s banking industry.”
First Abu Dhabi Bank is expected to reap the benefits from its digital investments – according to recent research by the IBM Institute for Business Value, 7 out of 10 banks in the UAE have realised “substantial or significant value” from modernising business processes and applications.
The bank meanwhile seems to have placed its faith in good hands. In ConsultancyME’s Top consulting firms in the Middle East 2022 guide, IBM Consulting ranks as one of the region’s leaders for IT strategy and banking services.
