JEDDAH, 17 February 2005 — In a few months, the often-heard question “Where’s the nearest ATM?” may get a new answer: “Here comes one now.” And you may be able to get your bankroll from a rolling bank.
Citizens and expats, who have been going to automated teller machines (ATMs) to meet their cash needs, will soon have a surprise. ATM machines mounted on trucks will be touring various districts, especially in remote areas where banking and electrical facilities are minimal or non-existent.
A plan to introduce the first-ever mobile ATMs to the Kingdom is being considered by Al-Rajhi Banking & Investment Corp. This is the first time in the Arab world that mobile ATMs will go from place to place to enable people to use them for their immediate banking needs. The mobile ATM has been designed in association with international companies, according to Abdullah Sulaiman Al-Rajhi, executive president of the bank.
The new service is being considered to meet the needs of citizens and expats, especially during the annual Haj and festivals.
The bank has made a request to the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) to approve the plan and grant a license. If the license is granted in time, mobile ATMs will be seen in action during the forthcoming Janadriya Festival.
ATMs will be mounted on trucks and equipped with the most advanced security systems, he added. The mobile ATM will offer all the services of the fixed machines, the bank official said.
“The mobile ATMs will be particularly useful in remote areas, for example, villages along the border and far-flung districts and towns where infrastructure facilities are inadequate,” said Ibrahim Al-Salasri, a Jeddah-based businessman who has business interests in Tabuk and Al-Ahsa.
“The mobile ATM is the need of the hour in remote places,” said a Najran resident. “With this, we won’t have to carry loads of cash while traveling to outlying areas,” he added.
