Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the region, has won industry recognition for its retail banking leadership at the Retail Banker International (RBI) Asia Trailblazer Awards.

At a ceremony held recently in Singapore, the bank was adjudged the Asian Trailblazer of the Year – Institutional as well as Best Retail Bank – UAE. Emirates NBD was also highly commended in the Best Credit Scoring Innovation category for its digital personal loan application process with instant approvals as well as in the Excellence in Internet Banking category for its state-of-the-art Online Banking platform.

In addition, Suvo Sarkar, Senior Executive Vice President, Head of Retail Banking & Wealth Management, Emirates NBD was recognised as the Asian Trailblazer of the Year – Individual, on account of his leadership and pioneering vision in driving the division’s regional and global accomplishments in retail banking and digital innovation.

A front-runner in retail banking innovation, Emirates NBD continues to undertake numerous initiatives to create a more rewarding and customer-centric banking experience. The bank unveiled several first-to-market product innovations last year such as the Emirates NBD U by Emaar credit card, UAE’s first lifestyle co-brand; enhancement of its contactless payment suite to include Apple, Google, Fitbit and Garmin Pay options; roll out of a retail wealth advisory platform with tablet-based on-boarding, a first in the region; and the Skywards Savings Account & Debit Card offering reward miles on deposits and debit card spends. The bank will soon make available Chat Banking via WhatsApp in the UAE, allowing customers to carry out daily banking activities through the popular messaging platform.

Commenting on the win, Suvo Sarkar, Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Retail Banking & Wealth Management, Emirates NBD, said: “Emirates NBD’s success at the RBI Asia Trailblazer Awards is testament to our market leadership in the region’s retail banking arena. I am grateful for the support and efforts of our wonderful team, and confident that we will continue to leverage our digital expertise to offer customers future-ready banking solutions.”

The RBI Asia Trailblazer Awards, now running for the 10thconsecutive year, recognise best-in-class institutions in retail banking and individuals making their mark in global retail banking and business leadership. The awards aim to set fair and objective benchmarks, identifying institutions and individuals that have done the most to advance and strengthen retail banking as an industry.