Ithmaar
Bank, which is committed to following Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) and
Ministry of Health (MOH) directives and to doing its part to helping contain
the virus, said that, from Tuesday 24 March, all branches will operate from 8
to 1pm and the Head Office from 8:30 to 2:30pm only. The Bank also said that,
from Saturday 28 March, the Galali and Salmabad branches will be closed until
further notice. Earlier last week, Ithmaar Bank closed its Budaiya and Manama
Souq branches. All 42 ATMS will continue to operate as normal.
As
part of its own public awareness campaign, the Bank had earlier urged customers
to bank online to help contain the global outbreak, and stressed that almost
all Ithmaar Bank transactions can be completed online, without ever having to
visit a branch.
The
Bank, which was already following all MOH recommended sanitation protocols, has
also started limiting the number of customers present in a branch at any given
time and providing appropriate waiting arrangements to ensure customers are
seated at least a meter from one another.
“These
are challenging times for all of us,” said Ithmaar Bank Chief Executive
Officer, Ahmed Abdul Rahim. “However, if we all do our part, we can
collectively overcome even the greatest of challenges,” he said.
“As a
pioneering Islamic retail bank, Ithmaar Bank recognises the important role we
must play in the community,” said Abdul Rahim. “This is a responsibility we
have always taken very seriously and we remain as committed as ever to playing
a real and meaningful role in the community,” he said.
Ithmaar
Bank has, from the beginning of the outbreak, followed closely all relevant
directives, from both the MOH and the CBB. The Bank continues to monitor the
situation closely and follow all applicable recommendations.
Ithmaar
Bank also initiated its own public awareness campaign, including sending out
SMS messages to its customers and reposting MOH public awareness messages on
the Bank’s own social media platforms. The Bank continues to encourage
customers to bank online, rather than visiting the branches, to help contain
the COVID-19 virus.
Over
the years, Ithmaar Bank invested tremendous time, money and effort on
developing the Bank’s digital infrastructure and on implementing far-reaching,
bank-wide digital initiatives. As a result, almost all Ithmaar Bank
transactions can now be completed online, without ever having to visit a branch.
In
2019, Ithmaar Bank launched a customer-centric chat service on the WhatsApp
Business social media platform to help further improve its customers’ banking
experience. As a result, customers can message
the Ithmaar Bank Call Centre number 13303030 to request information through
WhatsApp about Ithmaar Bank products and services, as well as make general
inquiries like Thimaar draw dates and winners list, as well as ongoing
promotions and campaigns.
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