•    New card personalization center will enable region’s banks to offer enhanced and highly responsive customer service
•    One-stop solution for EMV card personalization, fulfilment and associated services 
•    Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank is first to benefit from Gemalto’s fully integrated and tailored support

Dubai, May 1st 2017 – Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, has opened a new banking card personalization center in Dubai, bringing the benefits of highly responsive, locally-based support to the region’s fast developing financial services sector. The new center is fully certified by Visa and MasterCard, and offers a one-stop solution for EMV card personalization and associated services such as PIN by SMS, including the option of same day delivery. Banks will therefore be able to offer their end users an enhanced customer experience, and reap the benefits of improved flexibility, business continuity, reliability, and cost efficiency. 

The first customer to take advantage of the new center is Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), a leading Islamic financial services group with 88 branches and a presence that extends across the UAE and six other Middle East and European countries. Gemalto will provide ADIB with personalization services for debit and credit cards, along with an enhanced and fully integrated packaging, fulfillment and PIN mailer service that is tailored precisely to the individual requirements of the bank and its clients. As a global company, Gemalto’s new personalization center also supports the ability to securely deliver replacement banking cards to VIP customers when they are traveling abroad.  

The opening of the Dubai center reflects and supports the rapid migration to EMV banking that is taking place throughout a region where cash has traditionally dominated. By 2021 it is predicted that 902 million EMV bank cards will be in circulation in the Middle East and Africa, up from 303 million in 20151.  
“Customers are increasingly demanding an instant, personalized service from their bank and ADIB is fully committed to a program of innovation and digital transformation to meet such expectations,” said Philip King, Head of Retail Banking at ADIB. “ADIB’s collaboration with Gemalto provides our customers with access to a range of seamless and secure card services to further enhance their banking experience.”   

 “The Middle East is experiencing a dramatic shift in the financial landscape, as citizens recognize the benefits of cashless transactions and banks pioneer a range of innovative digital products and services,” said Eric Claudel, Senior Vice President Banking & Payment CISMEA at Gemalto. “Employing highly innovative technology, our new center offers a 360º solution that will keep banks at the forefront of this rapidly changing market, facilitating broader commercial strategies and providing greater freedom to focus on core activities.”