Middle East-based Emirates NBD launches mobile app-based bank

Emirates NBD has launched a digital bank that it hopes will appeal to tech-savvy millennials by focusing on mobile services and social media.

The Liv. app, as it is known, is designed to learn and adopt to customer preferences. It is part of NBD’s planned  investment  of AED500m (£108m) in digital and multichannel transformation.

“With this new launch, the bank further builds on its role as a leader in providing smart banking services in the UAE,” said Suvo Sarkar, group head of retail banking and  wealth  management at Emirates NBD. “Liv. offers customers a unique experience that will allow them to access the finest lifestyle  opportunities  while enabling them to  manage their finances better.”

The app will enable customers to open their bank account instantly from their smartphones by scanning in their Emirates ID card. They can then deposit funds into the account using any bank debit card.

The app will also enable them to perform other banking tasks, including transactions such as fund transfers or paying bills, free of fees.

A feature in the app tells customers what is happening in town and suggests appropriate deals available. It also has a fitness tracker to manage users’ health.

Through another feature, the app offers users real-time analytics insights on their transactional history and spending patterns.

Fund transfer instructions can be issued through social media channels such as Facebook and WhatsApp.

The beta version of the app will be made available to some customers in phases, starting with the Android operating platform, followed by iOS.

Emirates NBD embarked on a fintech journey when it announced its AED500m transformation project. Emirates NBD has been piloting an intelligent virtual assistant with selected customers and plans to launch it soon. It is also testing the use of blockchain for transactions between the UAE and India, as part of a pilot with IT supplier Infosys and India’s ICIC Bank.