QNB Group provides all banking facilities and services to the elderly and people with special needs in Qatar and across its international footprint in more than 28 countries across three continents.
Doha: Within its efforts to promote financial inclusion, QNB Group continues to attach importance to the elderly and people with special needs by developing facilities and products designed to improve their access to banking services and enable them to perform their financial transactions with the highest levels of ease and security.
QNB also launched initiatives to enable them unleash their potential as partners in development.
The Group provides all banking facilities and services to the elderly and people with special needs in Qatar and across its international footprint in more than 28 countries across three continents.
Yousef Mahmoud Al-Neama, Group Chief Business Officer, said: “At QNB, we are committed to facilitating easy and convenient access to our banking services and products for the elderly and people with special needs.
We are constantly developing the services we provide and training our employees on how to interact and communicate effectively with this segment of customers, adhering to the highest quality standards.
We have also provided all necessary facilities and services through our branches and e- channels to offer them an exceptional banking experience.
QNB Group is proud of its leading role in supporting this customer segment, integrating them into society, and developing an enabling work environment for Qataris with special needs.”
Heba Al-Tamimi, Senior Executive Vice President –QNB Group Communications, said: “QNB Group relentlessly supports the integration of the elderly and people with special needs into society, believing in their role as partners in development and reflecting our commitment to Qatar National Vision 2030.
Through the continued improvement of our products and branches, we are committed to providing a leading banking experience that reflects the values of innovation and financial inclusion and enhances their digital financial skills.”
QNB Group has taken several leading steps to support the elderly, the most recent of which was the launch of special pensioner loan at the beginning of this year with a 0% interest rate and a value of up to QR300,000 for Qatari retirees, in cooperation with the General Retirement and Social Insurance Authority(GRSIA).
At the level of international branches and subsidiaries, the group offers its elderly customers a range of insurance products that meet the specific needs of this segment.
These include the Al Rafiq Retirement programmed from QNB Egypt Life Insurance, a savings and investment package designed to help customers achieve financial stability during retirement.
The bank also has successful partnerships with several institutions and centers specializing in elderly care, such as the Center for Empowerment and Elderly Care (Ehsan), which QNB has been supporting since 2015.
Since 2009, QNB Group has developed a range of advanced services and products, most notably equipping several ATMs with Braille keyboards and hearing aids to help blind customers withdraw and deposit funds easily and securely.
The bank has a fully trained team in the use of sign language to communicate effectively with hearing-impaired customers.
All bank branches have a dedicated entrance to facilitate wheelchair access, designated parking spaces for people with special needs, and signposts for people with visual impairments to guide them to specific paths upon contact.
Emergency and evacuation exit commensurate to their needs are also provided, along with priority queuing at branches.
These special facilities will be extended to all new and renovated branches.
QNB has equipped a number of its ATMs (5% of the total number of ATMs) with audio guidance system which provides a convenient and easy means for the visually and/or hearing impaired to interactively use and guide them through the transaction.
Buttons on these machines are also labeled with Braille to guide users in completing transactions for visually impaired customers.
In implementation of its strategy to enhance the role of disabled people and integrate them into society across various sectors, QNB continues to support several programmes, including the “Empowering People with Special Needs Through Small Projects Programme” launched by the Department of the Elderly and People with Special Needs at the Ministry of Social Affairs.
A part of its strategic partnerships this field, QNB recently launched an early intervention therapeutic programme within its strategic partnership with the Qatar Autism Society, to support children with autism spectrum disorder and their families, enabling them to begin their learning and integration journey from an early age.
