Emirates NBD wins double recognition at Smart Cards & Payments Middle East Awards

Press release

Published June 4th, 2014 - 10:34 GMT

Al Bawaba

Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the region, announced today that it won two prestigious awards at the Smart Cards & Payments Middle East, which was organised as part of Cards and Payments Middle East, the region’s premium event for payment cards. The awards recognise outstanding product innovation by banks, telecom companies and other financial institutions across the Middle East.

At the awards ceremony, Emirates NBD won the ‘Best New Card’ accolade in recognition of the success of the Emirates NBD Manchester United Credit Card, which is one of the fastest growing new card products in the region today. The bank also walked away with the ‘Best Customer Engagement Programme’ award for Bon Appétit, a flagship dining programme for Emirates NBD cardholders.

R. Sivaram, Head of Retail Assets and Cards Business, Emirates NBD, who received the award on behalf of the bank, said: “Barely a month since the last award for the Manchester United Card programme, we are pleased to pick up yet another recognition for this product. The Emirates NBD Manchester United Credit Card provides customers with the chance to win once in a lifetime experiences, and this award is a reflection of the huge success witnessed by the product.”

“Similarly, our Bon Appétit programme provides customers with attractive dining discounts and other benefits through innovative tie ups with our growing list of restaurant partners. We are delighted to be recognised as the best programme for customer engagement across banks and financial institutions in the Middle East.”

The Emirates NBD Manchester United Credit Card, with over 25,000 customers, has been the most successful and fastest growing new product in the region. Interestingly, this is the fourth award won by the Manchester United Card programme since the launch in September 2013. The card comes with a host of money-can’t-buy experiences, including a chance to win VIP trips to Old Trafford to watch Manchester United play. Customers also earn ‘Red Points’ as rewards for their retail spend on the card, which can be redeemed for exclusive Manchester United merchandise.

The flagship dining programme, Bon Appétit, was introduced in 2011. From just 150 locations in the UAE, today Bon Appétit has developed into the most compelling programme which offers cardholders discounts at over 1,800 restaurants across the UAE, Middle East and Europe.

Background Information

Emirates NBD

Emirates NBD, the leading banking group in the region, was formed on 19 June 1963, when H.H. Late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum signed the Charter of Incorporation of the National Bank of Dubai (NBD) which became the first National Bank established in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). With the blessings of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, NBD merged with Emirates Bank International (EBI) on 06 March 2007, to form Emirates NBD, the largest banking group in the region by assets. On 16 October 2007, the shares of Emirates NBD were officially listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM). The merger between EBI and NBD to create Emirates NBD, became a regional consolidation blueprint for the banking and finance sector as it combined the second and fourth largest banks in the UAE to form a banking champion capable of delivering enhanced value across corporate, retail, private, Islamic and investment banking throughout the region.