Vision Bank, Saudi Arabia’s first Islamic bank built around artificial intelligence and regulated by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), has entered into a strategic partnership with Publicis Sapient, a technology company specialising in enterprise AI platforms and services. The agreement was announced at Money20/20 Middle East in Riyadh and is aimed at accelerating product innovation and enhancing the bank’s customer experience.
Under the agreement, Publicis Sapient will support Vision Bank in developing, launching and putting into operation its Innovation Strategy and Innovation Hub. The initiative will be tailored to the bank’s growth plans, customer groups, regulatory environment and evolving technology strategy. The partnership is also expected to strengthen Vision Bank’s digital and product capabilities while supporting the creation of distinctive financial offerings for individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
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Vision Bank’s strategy centres on providing secure, innovative and customer-focused banking services. The bank aims to combine modern technology with data-driven insights to deliver flexible financial solutions that respond to the changing needs of individuals, families and businesses across Saudi Arabia, while maintaining a strong focus on trust and transparency.
As part of its broader innovation strategy, Vision Bank has introduced a programme aimed at making innovation a core capability across the organisation. The initiative seeks to generate measurable business value by consistently introducing differentiated products and services while contributing to higher industry standards. The bank also plans to work with fintech companies and technology providers to accelerate innovation and increase value for its customers.
“We built Vision Bank around intelligence rather than adding it afterwards, because we believe that establishes the foundation for a future-ready banking experience. Our partnership with Publicis Sapient strengthens our ability to turn innovation into a repeatable business capability, helping us continue to raise the standard of what our customers experience and bring new services to market at the speed they expect.”
Abdul Shakeel Aidaroos, CEO, Vision Bank
Publicis Sapient will contribute expertise spanning artificial intelligence, strategy, product development, technology and financial services. Its role will include helping Vision Bank establish the structures, processes and capabilities required to make innovation a consistent part of the bank’s operations. The companies will work together to identify areas with strong growth potential and turn them into differentiated products and customer propositions with measurable business value.
“The real opportunity with AI is not simply to apply new technology to the way a business operates today, but to use it to reimagine what the business and its customer experiences can become. Vision Bank has put intelligence and innovation at the heart of its ambition from the outset. Through this partnership, we will bring together AI, product, technology and deep financial services expertise to help turn that ambition into differentiated propositions and measurable outcomes for experiences for customers and the business.”
-Rohit Mathew, Head of Financial Services MENA, Publicis Sapient
The collaboration is expected to help Vision Bank embed innovation more deeply into its operations while enabling it to continually adapt its products and services to changing customer expectations, emerging technologies and developments within the financial services sector. The partnership also aligns with the objectives of Saudi Arabia’s Financial Sector Development Program under Vision 2030.
