The National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD), a leading bank in the UAE, has launched a mobile application, the first mobile banking service to avail full banking services including international remittances.

The NBAD Mobile Application allows consumers to execute a full range of banking services with their smart mobile phones. With this service, NBAD account holders and prepaid cardholders have 24/7 access to their accounts through their mobile phones from any GPRS / 3G / wireless (Wi-Fi) network.

NBAD Mobile Application, available on all smart phones, offers account balance inquiry, money transfers domestically and internationally, bill payments, and donations to charities, the bank said in a statement.

“The National Bank of Abu Dhabi’s mobile app is the first to allow international remittances, which makes NBAD’s mobile App unique in the market,” said Ahmed Al Naqbi, head of Direct Banking &E Development at NBAD.

“Because the UAE population has the highest mobile and smart phone penetration and in general it is very tech-savvy, NBAD strategised that its mobile app must offer full capabilities to allow account and prepaid card holders the opportunity to do all their banking with a few clicks on their mobile banking anytime, anywhere.”

“Because expatriates comprise a large part of the UAE population, NBAD assured that international remittance is built into the capabilities of the mobile app,” he added.

The launch of NBAD Mobile Application meets great demands in the country as the UAE has one of the highest mobile penetrations standing at nearly 200 per cent.

Smartphone penetration is about 15 per cent and expected to rise to nearly 30 per cent by 2015.

NBAD Mobile Application is a secure service that allows consumers to access their account with a secure password.

It has a special and unique feature allowing consumers to send money to themselves, which allows withdrawal of cash at an ATM without a card but by using a PIN that is sent to the accountholder by SMS.

It also allows remittances through NBAD’s partner MoneyGram. The remittance feature allows consumers to remit internationally to anyone worldwide where receivers can cash out the money from any of the 277,000 MoneyGram agents located in 190 countries within 10 minutes, the statement said.

NBAD mobile app also allows bill payments to Etisalat, utility companies and American Community School; and donations to Red Crescent Society and others. – TradeArabia News Service