Kuwait Times

GCC Banking Sector Needs to Quickly Adopt Digital Practices to Remain Competitive

Modern-day customers expect state-of-the-art digital services from their banks and financial partners.

By Julien Faye

First published on Αυγούστου 10, 2016
min read


This article originally appeared on Kuwait Times. The Gulf Council Countries (GCC) banking sector has witnessed a remarkable transformation in the past few years, thanks to the region’s robust economic growth and development as well as the rising demand by its young and technology-savvy population for a better digital banking experience. Modern-day customers are informed, well educated, and better connected due to widespread Internet penetration and the easy availability of smart devices. They expect state-of-the-art digital services from their banks and financial partners. As a quick indicator, consider that when Bain & Company’s 2015 global survey asked consumers which they’d miss more for a day, their mobile phone or their physical wallet, more than half chose their phones. Mobile clearly has advanced past the tipping point as roughly 70% of respondents under age 25 chose the phone. Traditional photography and books have almost become obsolete due to the proliferation of digital cameras and e-readers-the banking industry should learn from this example. Pushed by the customer demand for digital banking solutions, conventional banks will need to undergo drastic changes similar to those adopted by worlds of photography and books in order to remain relevant. Bain’s latest consumer research and statistical analysis shows that for the average bank, a high priority is to migrate routine activities out of the branch, where they are likely to annoy customers, into self-service digital channels, including mobile. That means improving the mobile experience to the extent that it truly delights customers, making the experience fast, intuitive, convenient, and capable of handling the most common transactions and service requests. Read the full article at Kuwait Times. Julien Faye is a partner and director in Bain & Company’s Middle East region. He leads Bain’s Financial Services practice in the Middle East.

This article originally appeared on Kuwait Times.

The Gulf Council Countries (GCC) banking sector has witnessed a remarkable transformation in the past few years, thanks to the region’s robust economic growth and development as well as the rising demand by its young and technology-savvy population for a better digital banking experience. Modern-day customers are informed, well educated, and better connected due to widespread Internet penetration and the easy availability of smart devices. They expect state-of-the-art digital services from their banks and financial partners.

As a quick indicator, consider that when Bain & Company’s 2015 global survey asked consumers which they’d miss more for a day, their mobile phone or their physical wallet, more than half chose their phones. Mobile clearly has advanced past the tipping point as roughly 70% of respondents under age 25 chose the phone.

Traditional photography and books have almost become obsolete due to the proliferation of digital cameras and e-readers-the banking industry should learn from this example. Pushed by the customer demand for digital banking solutions, conventional banks will need to undergo drastic changes similar to those adopted by worlds of photography and books in order to remain relevant.

Bain’s latest consumer research and statistical analysis shows that for the average bank, a high priority is to migrate routine activities out of the branch, where they are likely to annoy customers, into self-service digital channels, including mobile. That means improving the mobile experience to the extent that it truly delights customers, making the experience fast, intuitive, convenient, and capable of handling the most common transactions and service requests.

Read the full article at Kuwait Times.

Julien Faye is a partner and director in Bain & Company’s Middle East region. He leads Bain’s Financial Services practice in the Middle East.