UBL
Timing is everything when it comes to investing. So United Bank’s decision to bet big on building digital platforms in the two years before the pandemic hit was apposite.
All new mobile apps have glitches to be worked out. When UBL’s flagship app was rolled out in 2018, the bank’s programmers eliminated any bugs and spent 2019 fine-tuning features and adding new ones to increase engagement.
By 2020, when Covid-19 forced peers to scramble to accelerate their digital journeys, UBL was already well ahead. The bank, led by chief executive Shazad Dada, has not looked back since, thanks to the commanding lead it has taken in the Pakistan market, making it Asiamoney’s best bank for digital solutions in 2022.
UBL is among Pakistan’s largest private-sector banks, with an asset base of PRs2 trillion ($10 billion) and about nine million customers. Its network of 1,400 branches and ATMs is spread across Pakistan and overseas, including in China, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, Switzerland and the UK.
By virtually every metric, UBL is either at the top or very close when it comes to growth in digital transactions, number of registered customers, mobile app ratings, surveys on customer experience, innovation and social media presence.
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