Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) announces successful integration of Noor Bank

By Edil Corneille

Today, Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) announced the completion of the integration of Noor Bank with the successful migration of all banking relationships into DIB. The bank mentioned that the acquisition further enhances DIB’s position as one of the largest Islamic banks in the world with total assets exceeding AED 300 billion.

The key binding principles of the integration project were a robust governance framework focused on the minimal customer as well as market impact. Cross-functional teams across the bank worked to guarantee a smooth and speedy transition with the least amount of system and channel downtime. The entire integration is said to have been achieved in a record time despite the unfavorable circumstances as the majority of the teams involved worked remotely due to the COVID-19 restrictions. The quality of planning and alignment of delivery capabilities helped to close the project in 283 days which was well ahead of the projected deadline.

Speaking about the bank’s successful integration, Group Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Adnan Chilwan enthused, “We are delighted to announce another significant milestone in the bank’s rich history. A key element of the project was the engagement with the market, customers as well as regulators that allowed us to effectively manage any situation that could unfold, and to keep our customers abreast of the same. The transition was smooth and the project concluded successfully and all service restored prior to scheduled resumption with minimal customer impact.

The acquisition of Noor Bank would not have been possible without the support and endorsement of the Government, regulatory authorities, Board of Directors and Sharia Boards of both banks. I would also like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of all those involved, who have worked diligently on integration planning and execution throughout the operational disruption caused by the pandemic.

The UAE is recognized as the epicenter of the Islamic economy and the successful completion of this acquisition clearly evidences the alignment of Dubai Islamic Bank to Dubai’s role as a global hub for Islamic finance, encouraging greater investment and growth in key sectors such as infrastructure, innovation and services. We look forward to supporting the next new and exciting phase of the UAE’s and DIB’s growth story.”