Active.Ai powers ‘Zaki’, Qatar Islamic Bank AI virtual assistant

By Leandra Monteiro

Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) has introduced new features to its AI virtual assistant, ‘Zaki’, offering customers, as well as non-customers, more convenience when interacting with the bank.

QIB is the first bank in Qatar to launch a conversational virtual assistant using AI and machine learning algorithms as part of QIB’s ongoing efforts to provide digital solutions to empower its customers and meet their ever-changing banking needs.

QIB customers can now make several requests via ‘Zaki’, including requesting for cheque books, activating/blocking or replacing a card, as well as increasing their credit card limit. They can update their personal detail, enquire about their accounts balances and transactions, and perform transfers within their own QIB accounts to other QIB accounts and local transfers to other banks inside Qatar. To be able to make requests and perform transactions, customers use the same login credentials they use to access their QIB mobile app.

Customers and non-customers can ask any question about QIB’s products, services and branches. They can receive information on Forex rates and locate QIB branches and ATMs. QIB website visitors can find answers to most of their daily enquiries and can select from a list of tailored products and submit a request for a call back from QIB’s customer service team. ‘Zaki’ can now address over 500 unique frequently asked questions, which will dynamically keep increasing based on customers’ most frequent enquiries, the statement said.

Powered by Active.Ai’s conversational AI platform enables institutions to communicate digitally with their consumers, understand their intent, be contextually aware, handle variety of instructions in multiple languages, and even handle acronyms or slang in a delightful manner.

D Anand, QIB general manager – Personal Banking Group said, “We are proud to introduce new features to our first to market virtual assistant, ‘Zaki’, taking conversational banking to the next level in Doha. We are committed to continuously digitalise the banking experience for our existing and prospective customers and this is yet another testament to QIB’s leadership in digital banking in Qatar and beyond. Keeping customers’ daily banking requirements in mind, we are deploying new and innovative digital solutions and technologies. We are continuously investing in digital technology across our different services and platforms as digital banking is becoming the new norm.”

“It’s an honor and privilege for Active.Ai to be chosen as a partner to Qatar Islamic Bank. A bank known for its excellence in Retail Banking and Digital Banking. Deploying our cutting-edge Conversational banking platform in Arabic and English we aim to delight the discerning digital customers of Qatar Islamic Bank,” said Ravishankar, CEO of Active.Ai.