Noor Islamic Bank changes name, brand identity

Aimed to broaden the appeal of Islamic finance products and services, Dubai-based Noor Islamic Bank has been renamed as Noor Bank.
The announcement was made at a press conference in Dubai. “We want to grow and our new branding gives us the freedom and inspiration to flourish,” Hussain Al-Qemzi, CEO of Noor Bank, said.
“Adherence to Shariah values and principles is in our DNA and they will continue to be the bedrock of our business decisions,” added Al-Qemzi.
Noor Bank, which is 95.2 percent owned by Noor Investment Group and 4.7 percent owned by the Emirates Investment Authority, was established in 2008. The remaining 0.1 percent of the bank is held by high net worth individuals and corporations in the UAE.
Set up at the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008, Noor Bank was subjected to a trial by fire due to the global economic crisis.
Says Al-Qemzi : The Noor way meant that where others saw difficulty, we saw opportunity. In the face of the economic crisis, we chose to look at what we could do to deliver financial solutions that would help people make the most of what they had.
Noor Bank was the first UAE bank to open a 24/7 bank branch. It was also the first Islamic bank to allow customers to open bank accounts on line. Noor Takaful was the first Takaful company to offer e-Takaful services, providing instant quotes and online payment facilities.
“In this post-crisis era, we see an opportunity to create a new type of financial services provider for a new kind of generation. Always-on, data driven, skeptical of authority, and willing to experiment, Gen-Y has emerged as the connected generation. Having grown up with creation tools that were once thought impossible, this generation now wants to put its mark on the world, and on the products and services it uses.
The new brand expression is reflected across Noor Bank’s sister companies, with new visual identities being introduced for Noor Takaful, Noor Trade and Noor Awqaf.
Alongside the visual changes, "Noor Gets It Done" will serve as Noor Bank’s business purpose, becoming central to the Noor customer experience.
Al-Qemzi, who is also CEO of Noor Investment Group, explained the thinking behind the new business purpose. “Noor Gets It Done is more than a promise; it is a commitment to change the face of customer service in the UAE financial sector. It will be front and center of everything we do as an organization,” he said.
“Noor Gets It Done means that we will have a different outlook. Where others see difficulty, we will see opportunity. Where others look for excuses, we will simply look harder. And where others confuse through process, we will simplify with outcome,” he elaborated.
As part of the next phase of Noor’s growth, the look and feel of Noor Bank and Noor Takaful retail outlets will be re-imagined to enable more effective, more efficient and more rewarding customer service experiences. Credit and debit cards have been renamed to better reflect the benefits offered and all bank forms and documents have been redesigned and simplified with the customer in mind.
The new brand focus is also clearly aligned with Dubai’s intention to be at the center of the global Islamic economy. “Our ambition is boundless. We want to play a pivotal role in helping the UAE achieve its vision for the future,” Al-Qemzi said.