Pedro Sousa Cardoso, chief digital officer at Emirates NBD بنك الإمارات دبي الوطني, discussed the bank’s transformative digital journey. It not only positions Emirates NBD as a leader in the Middle East and North Asia’s (MENA) banking sector but also showcases its commitment to innovation and customer-centric services through its cloud-native core banking system and digital initiatives like Liv, ENBD X, Tablet X and WhatsApp Banking. 

In the ever evolving and dynamic landscape of digital finance, Emirates NBD made the bold and early decision to completely revamp its technology infrastructure. The bank underwent a comprehensive digital overhaul, concluding in 2021, which has solidified its digital capability and prowess. The digital transformation costing over AED 1 billion ($270 million) with its cloud-native core enabled by application programming interfaces (APIs), sets Emirates NBD apart not only in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) but globally, joining a rare group of banks that have successfully undergone a legacy core banking system replacement. 

Now, the bank is embarking on its next phase of digital acceleration. Cardoso shared that the bank’s strategic vision has been central to the transformation, with a clear goal to redefine banking for the digital age. “Our ambition was clear from the start,” Cardoso states, aiming to make banking services more accessible, efficient, and responsive to customer needs.