The past 12 months saw the introduction of 50 new automatic teller machines (ATM) across the country, reported state news agency Wam, citing Central Bank of UAE statistics.

The continual rise in ATMs reflects the UAE banking sector's commitment to forging ahead with its plans to automate services in a way that optimises costs and streamlines business.

Over the past nine months, the number of ATM picked up to 5293, up 1 per cent from 5,243 during the same period last year. The CBUAE figures indicate that 32 units were established in Q3, bringing to 5,293 the number of ATMs by the end of September from 5261 in June.

The first half of 2017 saw a decline in the number of ATM following the merger of NBAD and FGB into FAB.

In the meantime, the CBUAE is painstakingly seeking to secure and safeguard ATMs against all types of penetration attempts, launching a series of obligatory protective measures all banks operating in the country have to abide by, including the PIN Shield which ensures ATM users' protection across the country.

By the end of 2017, banks' compliance to these measures reached 99.77 per cent.