Mashreq Bank: Serving the Wealthy

MASHREQ BANK/SUPPLIED

What led to the launch of Mashreq Gold? And why is it important for a bank to have such an offering?

IK: In today’s environment, an innovative bank must have a superior value proposition which is relationship driven to compete in a dynamic world. The affluent segment in the GCC has been the fastest growing market and requires a focused approach.

Moreover, our affluent clients in the region expect and deserve world class service and solutions for their banking needs. A proposition such as Mashreq Gold, which prioritises client centricity, does exactly that; it creates a brand association and loyalty while promoting client longevity.

In our experience, clients, over time, treat us as their primary bank for both their transactional banking and holistic financial planning needs. We are of the view that Mashreq Gold’s proposition is a key driving force to the bank’s overall strategy.

How is Mashreq Gold different from other similar offerings in the market?

IK: We at Mashreq believe that culture is the most important intangible of all, hence in Mashreq Gold we continuously drive a culture of ‘client first’. We have created a tailor-made proposition to suit our client’s everchanging needs.

Each Mashreq Gold client is assisted by a qualified relationship manager who promises to deliver a superior service. We follow a simple yet rigorous set of steps in identifying our client’s needs and goals. We go through their life goals and their financial priorities, as each client is unique and requires a bespoke solution. We pride ourselves on our wide array of wealth management offerings, preferential pricing on retail products, and our ever-evolving online and mobile banking capabilities.

How relevant are offerings like Mashreq Gold to the MENA market?

IK: Mashreq has been an instrumental player in the region and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017. Given our historical footprint in the region, we understand our clients better. We appreciate that our clients demand world-class service along with enhanced life style experiences.

At Mashreq Gold, we offer our clients a wide range of lifestyle privileges including our best in class Salaam reward programme, complimentary access to golf courses, discounts on dining at exclusive restaurants, preferential treatment at airport lounges and valet services.

Our competitive mortgage solutions are also available to MENA clients even if they do not reside in the UAE. Moreover, Mashreq Gold clients can access MENA based securities via our trading and asset management arm.

What is the development/growth potential of Mashreq Gold?

IK: Our aim is to provide seamless and consistent interaction between us and our clients across multiple channels. We are focusing more on meaningful interactions as opposed to transactions. Therefore, we have invested heavily into our digital platforms to reach out to our clients and provide them an omnichannel experience.

Trust is a thread that binds us to our clients. In certain cases, we have served our clients through generations. We are there for our clients at every stage of their life cycle and especially when they need us the most. Mashreq Gold has been a key driver towards the bank achieving its revenue and profitability aspirations.