Ithmaar Bank, a Bahrain-based Islamic retail bank, has joined hands with Batelco, the kingdom’s leading telecom provider, and Arab Financial Services (AFS), one of the region’s leading electronic payments outsourcing service providers, to launch the first-of-its-kind mobile payment service in Bahrain.

The official launch of the newly-introduced service will be held on January 12 at Seef Mall, Manama.

The new service uses secure near field communication (NFC) tags to eliminate the need for cash or cards by allowing customers to shop simply by tapping their mobile phones at the checkout counters of participating merchants.

The launch marks a key milestone for the Bahrain retail market, potentially revolutionising customer shopping experiences with secure, real-time payments now possible directly from their mobile phone.

To use the new service, customers need to subscribe for an Ithmaar Bank prepaid eCard at their nearest Batelco shop or Ithmaar Bank branches and receive their NFC tags, which can then be used at participating merchants.

Batelco Bahrain CEO Muna Al Hashemi stressed on the new service translating the telco company's drive to introduce the best-in-class digital solutions using cutting-edge technology.

“Batelco has continuously embedded innovation as a central to its strategy with the aim of delivering first class customer experience. This new service is a step forward towards this aim, opening exciting opportunities in the future as technology, digital banking and customers’ needs continue to evolve,” stated Al Hashemi.

"Mobile customers can now enjoy a hassle-free transaction at the partnered retail outlets through this convenient and reliable service," she added.

Ithmaar Bank CEO Ahmed Abdul Rahim, said the new service builds on the bank’s history of innovation and its commitment to offering customers a premium Islamic banking experience.  

"Ithmaar played a pioneering role in the establishment and subsequent development of Islamic banking in the region,” noted Rahim.

“We developed this new service with AFS, the technology provider, in line with our long-standing commitment to continuously improving our products and services, and are pleased to be partnering with Batelco to help make this innovative service available to as many people as possible,” he said.

On the new service, AFS chief executive B Chandrasekhar said the company has been a leader in providing innovative payment services in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region for over three decades.

"We are proud to launch the first-of-its-kind NFC-enabled mobile payments solution in Bahrain and are delighted to partner with Batelco and Ithmaar Bank for this service. We have plans to introduce more innovative products to create an enhanced customer experience," he added.-TradeArabia News Service