Prudent policies, coupled with a major investment in technology and professional management, have made the National Bank of Dubai (NBD) one of the soundest and most successful financial institutions in the Middle East. Founded in 1963, NBD is the oldest locally incorporated bank in the southern Gulf. From its imposing new Headquarters, depicting a ship in full sail, it operates 33 branches and pay offices in the UAE plus a fully automated branch in Grand Cineplex, one branch in London and a representative office in Teheran.

One sign of NBD’s success is its consistent profitability. In 2002, net profits totalled AED569m (US$155m) with total assets of AED35.16bn (US$9.57bn). NBD has earned top ratings from prestigious international business publications and is described as among the best capitalised banks in the Gulf. NBD was awarded Best Bank in the UAE – 2002 by The Banker magazine.

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Business activities

Corporate banking – The National Bank of Dubai is at the forefront of corporate banking in the Emirates. Its portfolio covers a wide range, including transport, real estate, construction, manufacturing, tourism, government and service industries. A full range of trade finance, treasury, lending and deposit taking services are offered to UAE-based corporate customers.

Treasury products and services – National Bank of Dubai enjoys a pre-eminent position in the dirham money market being an active market maker. The bank is also active on the foreign exchange markets. Its dealers actively track the global markets and provide advice to customers on exchange markets and interest rate outlook.

The private office – The primary objective of NBD’s private banking services is to provide clients with world class solutions for three of their most important requirements: wealth preservation and growth, investment management and succession and estate planning.

Retail banking and card services – The bank has a long history of banking excellence. Its retail service philosophy combines the Arab tradition of hospitality and care with the efficiency and precision of modern technology. The bank’s mission is to establish itself as the preferred neighbourhood bank, the first choice ‘high street’ bank providing easily accessible and dependable banking support to people across the Emirates.

Complementing its branch network throughout the Emirates are its off-site ATMs. The bank pioneered the first stand-alone ATM in the UAE in 1986, and today customers can withdraw cash and pay utility bills through a network of more than 100 ATMs as well as utilise the point of sale terminals installed at a large number of hotels and stores.

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Its business portfolio includes exclusive service-based products for special customer segments. The Ajial Savings account, launched in October 1999, is aimed at young people from 18 to 25 years old.

With regard to asset-based products, the National Bank of Dubai offers a suite of choices, including secured facilities, personal loans and auto loans. The bank’s card portfolio includes Visa Premier and Classic, Gold and Standard MasterCard cards. Card benefits include a Webshopper card, a Saver’s card offering discounts at various retail outlets, a Roadside Auto Assistance card, two free supplementary cards, telebanking and online banking services and an utility bill payment facility.

Investing in technology

The National Bank of Dubai has been at the forefront of identifying and investing in new banking technology to support its operations and to respond to the needs of the community services. The bank, together with other UAE banking institutions, played a leading role in introducing Swift, the international telecommunications system for sending and receiving financial data, to the Emirates. It was among the first banks to join the UAE Switch, linking the ATMs of major UAE banks. The bank launched it’s website in June 1998.

The bank also introduced a highly developed, PC-based service called NBD Online. Personal and corporate customers can access the bank from their PC and undertake various transactions such as transfer of funds between own accounts, payment of utility bills, checking foreign exchange rates, ordering outward remittances, paying staff salaries, checking account balances and other transactions.

The bank also offers NBD Mobile, its SMS-based service. The bank constantly seeks to optimise information technology to provide quality service and ensure speed of operation for the domestic markets comparable to the very best on the global scene.

Investing in people

The National Bank of Dubai’s prominence in the business community means it has a special role to play in helping to develop the country. While the bank employs more than 1,100 people drawn from 29 countries, the bank is proud that nearly 30% of its workforce are UAE nationals. NBD received the Dubai Human Development Award for 2002 in the financial sector in recognition of its efforts in the field of Emiratisation.

Abdullah Mohamed Saleh

Abdullah Mohamed Saleh is Managing Director of National Bank of Dubai PJSC. He was born in Sharjah on 25 May, 1942.

His previous business activities have given him a broad understanding of the industry and include Chairman of International Insurance Services, an insurance broker and consultant; Co-Chairman of the Dubai United Kingdom Trade and Economic Committee (DUKTEC); Director of Dubai Transport Co where he had responsibility for large construction projects; director of Qatar Fuel Additives Co, a manufacturer of mthyl-tertiary-butyl-ether (MTBE) and methanol; chairman of International Octane Limited.

He is also an influential member of various industry committees including the founding committee of the International Federation of United Arab Emirates Chamber of Commerce and Industry (banking sector); the Board of Directors of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry; the Board of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce; and the National US-Arab Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC.

R Douglas Dowie

Douglas Dowie is General Manager of National Bank of Dubai with global responsibility for the bank’s affairs and reporting to the Managing Director and the Board. He is also a Director of National Bank of Dubai Trust Company (Jersey) and Marsh Insco, an insurance brokerage company, incorporated in the UAE. Dowie took up his appointment as General Manager on 31 May 1999.

A career international banker with what is now Standard Chartered Bank, Dowie’s first assignment overseas took him to Aden in 1963 followed by assignments in the Middle East which included Lebanon, where he studied Arabic and graduated from the Middle East Centre for Arabic Studies. He subsequently served in Libya, Iran and most of the lower Gulf states. Apart from assignments in the Middle East, Dowie has served in the Far East with assignments in Hong Kong and Indonesia.

After retiring from Standard Chartered Bank as Chief Executive Indonesia, and before joining National Bank of Dubai, Dowie was for three years Financial Advisor to the chairman of Bukaka, an Indonesian publicly-listed engineering conglomerate.

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