Banking transformation in action: Emirates NBD

As part of the Qorus-Infosys Finacle Banking Innovation Awards 2026, we selected a few of the banks whose projects impressed us the most. Among them, Emirates NBD in the United Arab Emirates presented the incredible transformation work they have accomplished.

What transformation strategy has your organization led in recent years?

Emirates NBD has led a bold transformation to become an AI-driven bank, redefining how banking is delivered on a scale not only at country level but regionally.

The vision is built around “intelligent, real-time and seamless banking”, powered by advanced analytics, AI and GenAI to embed data-driven decisioning across the enterprise.

Key pillars include:

• Business Model: Shift from product-led to ecosystem-led banking, integrating payments, wealth (44% AUM growth) and digital platforms (94% digital onboarding).

• Operating Model: Implemented “self-serve everything” at scale with 93% services and 98% transac-tions automated, driving efficiency and scalability.

• Technology: Built a unified, platform-led architecture (ENBD X, Liv, EI+) with AI, analytics, and real-time capabilities enabling rapid innovation and 95%+ STP rates.

• Customer Experience: Delivered seamless omnichannel journeys and record NPS of 57 (previously 48), with 94% digital onboarding and reduced friction across journeys.

• Workforce & Culture: Upskilled teams across segments and products, embedding a culture of owner-ship, discipline, and customer obsession, supported by AI tools and frontline empowerment.

This transformation positions Emirates NBD not only for regional excellence but also compete at a global level.

What prompted this strategic transformation?

Emirates NBD’s transformation was driven by rapid shifts in customer behaviour, intensifying competition, and long-term growth ambitions. Digital adoption accelerated significantly, with >90–95% of sales now conducted digitally and 1.7 million monthly active users, signalling a structural move away from branch-led banking.

At the same time, rising competition from fintechs and global banks offering seamless, cross-border experi-ences highlighted capability gaps, particularly in servicing global expatriate population—a segment highly rele-vant to the UAE market.

Internally, the Bank sought to modernise legacy infrastructure and improve speed to market, reducing onboarding times to ~8 minutes while enabling scalable, platform-led delivery.

These factors prompted a strategic shift to reposition Emirates NBD as a customer-centric, digital-first, and globally connected bank, capable of delivering integrated, end-to-end experiences and capturing greater life-time customer value.