Abu Dhabi-based Al Hilal Bank has launched a groundbreaking thumb verification system, becoming the first bank in the UAE to adopt the technology that helps streamline and speed up daily banking transactions.

The thumb verification system, which has been implemented following rigorous testing, reduces customer waiting time and significantly improves customer security, said the bank in a statement.

This reaffirms Al Hilal's commitment to adopt innovative and customer-friendly banking practices, it added.

CEO Mohamed Jamil Berro said the thumb verification technology is inspired by Al Hilal Bank’s vision to constantly redefine the standards of Islamic banking and to introduce state-of-the art technologies that simplify the banking processes for customers.

"The thumb verification technology uses bio-metric information that is stored in a centralized, maximum-security database," Berro explained.
 
The scanned and captured thumb prints of customers will be used to verify customer identity for various teller transactions," he added.

Al Hilal Bank, he said, has introduced several firsts in the UAE banking industry and "this new service certainly reaffirms our continuing thrust to explore and introduce technologies and best practices that will ultimately benefit our customers."

With the system in place, customers no longer need to show any ID when processing any transaction, reducing waiting time for manual identity and photocopying, said the top official.

The thumb verification facility is not mandatory and customers may still conduct bank transactions using the conventional procedures, Berro added.

Al Hilal, one of the fastest growing Islamic bank, is fully owned by the Abu Dhabi Investment Council.-TradeArabia News Service