Technical Audit & Digital Marketing strategies for financial institutions and Banks in Bahrain

As you all know, Bahrain is one of the financial hubs in the Middle East and as the Central Bank of Bahrain regulates the banking and insurance sectors in the country. The legal, regulatory, and accounting systems in Bahrain’s financial sector are transparent and consistent with international standards.

But still compared to “European Nations” the technology demands a major uplift, and renovation to keep up with the changing “Digital Trends”

Banking system consists of both conventional and Islamic banks and is the largest component of the financial system, accounting for over 85% of total financial assets. The conventional segment includes mainly 29 retail banks, 73 wholesale banks, and 8 representative offices of overseas banks.

So, keeping in mind that the nation holds the strength of 1.6 million (population, majorly dominated by expats), 29 banks have fierce competition among them.

Today, the outlook for the global economy is worsening, and there are several risks that could drive growth even lower in 2019-2020 and hence continual innovation is needed.

The Purpose of this article is to:

1. First give you an overview of “strength and weaknesses” of Bahrain Financial Institutions i.e. Banks, exposing their “TECHNICAL SIDE” i.e. HOW ADVANCED they are when it comes to Digital Banking.
2. Secondly, we will delve in depth as of how they can improve and what is the framework needed to create, optimize and maintain a healthy “Digital Eco System” which keeps both Banks and Consumers happy.
3. As a start-up friendly country, the Banking sector has played a pivotal role in the emergence of Bahrain as a leading financial center in the region. The financial sector is now the most important sector of the economy, accounting for more than 27% of the Gross Domestic Product.
4. And hence “Digital Automation” “Digital User Experience” and “Digital Marketing plays an important role… Did I mention “DIGITAL”? 

First, let’s have a look at the list of all the banks which are heading the economy

LIST OF BANKS:

1. National Bank of Bahrain
2. Bahrain Islamic Bank (Bisb)
3. AlBaraka Bank (Pakistan) Limited
4. Bank ABC/Arab Banking Corporation
5. Gulf International Bank
6. Al-Salam Bank, Bahrain
7. BMB Bahrain Middle East Bank B.S.C.
8. Ahli United Bank BSC, Manama
9. Seera Investment Bank
10. Khaleeji Commercial Bank BSC
11. Central Bank of Bahrain
12. Future Bank
13. Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait
14. Eskaan Bank
15. Venture Capital Bank
16. Alubaf Bank

Now let us see the audit reports of Each bank websites which shows their vulnerabilities and issues which can hurt both the “Organization & the Consumer”

Arab Banking Corporation:

Established in 1980, Bank ABC is licensed as a conventional wholesale bank where the network provided services across five continents, covering countries in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, the Americas and Asia. Bank ABC (incorporated as Arab Banking Corporation B.S.C) is an international bank headquartered in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.

In 2018, the bank reported a total income of US$202 Million, 5% higher compared to US$193 million reported for the previous year.

Source “https://www.bank-abc.com”

Website Audit Report:

The page analysis score is 47.0%.

There are numerous problems in the website. In particular, there should be improvisation in SEO, Content, and Accessibility.

National Bank of Bahrain:

Bahrain’s first locally owned bank, established in 1957.

National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) today announced strong financial results for the full year ended 31 December 2018 marked by a 14.8% rise in net profit, which reached a record BHD 70.0 million (USD 186.1 million) compared to BHD 61.0 million (USD 162.3 million) in 2017.

Source “https://www.nbbonline.com/en/”

Website Audit Report:

The page analysis score is 73.9%.

There are some problems on the website. In particular, you should work on the Content Aspects.

Gulf International Bank:

Gulf International Bank is established in 1976, the bank offers wholesale, commercial, asset management, and investment banking services worldwide.

As of 2016, the total income of the bank was US$300 million and total assets were US$22.91 billion.

Source “https://www.gib.com/”

Website Audit Report:

The page analysis score is 50.6%.

There are some problems on the website. In particular, you should work on the SEO Aspects.

AlBaraka Islamic Bank:

Al Baraka Islamic Bank (“AIB” or “the Bank”) is one of the leading financial institutions in the Islamic banking sector. Throughout its history of more than three decades (since its establishment in 1984), the Bank has played a prominent role in building the infrastructure of the Islamic finance industry.

The authorized capital of ABG is 1.5 billion US Dollars, while total equity amounts to around 2.5 billion Dollars.

Source: “https://www.albaraka.bh/”

Website Audit Report:

The page analysis score is 40.5%.

There are numerous problems on your website. In particular, you should work on SEO, Content, and Accessibility.

Al-Salam Bank:

ASBB was established on 19 January 2006 in the Kingdom of Bahrain with paid-up capital of BD 120 million (US$ 318 million) and was the largest Initial Public Offering (IPO) in the Kingdom’s history with subscriptions reaching over BD 2.7 billion (US$ 7 billion). The Bank commenced commercial operations on 17 April 2006.

Source “https://www.alsalambahrain.com/en”

Website Audit Report:

The page analysis score is 61.8%.

There are some problems on the website. The aspect of Design is rather well optimized. In particular, you should work on the Content Aspects.

BMB Bahrain:

Licensed by the Central Bank of Bahrain as a Conventional Wholesale Bank since 1982, Bahrain Middle East Bank B.S.C. has been a pioneer in providing innovative banking services for over four decades operating from the Kingdom of Bahrain. At BMB, we combine international quality expertise with a detailed and practical understanding of the local and regional markets.

The Share capital of the Bank is US$ 100 million. The Total Assets of the Bank stood at US$ 245.64 million as of 31 December 2017. Loans and Advances at year end 2017, totaled US$ 138.71 million. Return on Assets for 2017 was 2.7%. Return on Average Ordinary Shareholders Equity for 2017 was 10.1%.

Source “https://bmb.com.bh/”

Website Audit Report:

The page analysis score is 55.0%.

There are some problems with your website. In particular, you should work on Performance and Content.

Ahli United Bank:

Ahli United Bank B.S.C. (“AUB” or the “Bank”) was established as a bank in Bahrain on 31 May 2000 following a merger between The United Bank of Kuwait PLC (“UBK”) and Al-Ahli Commercial Bank B.S.C. (“ACB”) pursuant to which UBK and ACB each became wholly owned subsidiaries of AUB. Operating income increased from US$ 1,119.4 million to US$ 1,210.6 million in 2018 (+ 8.1%).

Ahli United Bank B.S.C. (AUB) reported a net profit attributable to its equity shareholders of US$ 697.5 million for the year 2018, representing a rise of 12.7% as compared to the net profit of US$ 618.7 million in 2017. The net profit in Q4/2018 was US$ 169.3 million as compared to US$ 150.0 million in Q4/2017.

Source “https://www.ahliunited.com/”

Website Audit Report:

The page analysis score is 54.7%.

There are some problems on the website. In particular, you should work on Performance and Content.

Central Bank of Bahrain:

The Central Bank of Bahrain (‘CBB’) is a public corporate entity established by the Central Bank of Bahrain and Financial Institutions Law 2006. It was created on 6th September 2006.

Total aggregate balance sheet for the banking system (retail and wholesale banks) increased to USD 187.4 billion by the end of 2017, compared to USD 186.1 billion at the end of 2016, an increase of 0.8%. Wholesale banks represented 55.5% of total assets, whilst retail banks accounted for 44.5%.

Source “https://www.cbb.gov.bh/”

Website Audit Report:

The page analysis score is 60.5%.

Future Bank:

Established with the support of the Central Bank authorities in both Bahrain and Iran, Future Bank has continued to build upon its core strength of aligning the vast multi-market potential of the national economies which it inherently represents, providing its clients with rapid access to these markets, along with world-class financial services.

Source “http://www.futurebank.com.bh/”

Website Audit Report:

The page analysis score is 37.9%.

There are numerous problems in the website. In particular, you should work on the SEO, Design, Content and Accessibility.

Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait:

In the world of finance, we have emerged as a truly world-class bank incorporating next generation technology, with an international presence, a wide local network and ground breaking Financial Malls.

BBK announces its annual financial results for year 2018 showing a growth of 14.4% in comparison to the previous year. The bank achieved a net profit attributable to the owners of the bank of BD 67.1 million, compared to BD 58.7 million in the previous year, while the operating profit (excluding net provisions and tax) during the year rose to BD 103.5 million, compared to BD 89.1 million last year, with an increase of 16.2%.

Source “https://www.bbkonline.com/Pages/default.aspx”

Website Audit Report:

The page analysis score is 51.7%.

There are some problems in the website. The aspect Design is rather well optimized. In particular, you should work on the SEO, Content and Accessibility.

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