Video interview: Mashreq on the shift from digital to intelligent banking
Digital banking changed where customers bank; intelligent banking is changing who carries out the effort. For Nerhal, this marks a fundamental shift from reactive service towards an experience that is anticipatory and intuitive.
“Intelligent banking should go beyond digital platforms,” she says. “It should understand context, interpret intent, recommend the next-best action and remove friction before the customer even feels it.” At Mashreq, that ambition translates into lower customer effort, more proactive support and deeper integration into clients’ everyday lives.
Expectations are also being set increasingly outside financial services. Customers accustomed to instant commerce, digital government services and super-app convenience judge banks against the best experiences available anywhere – not simply against other banks. Nerhal argues that this requires institutions to move from offering standalone products to orchestrating complete personal and business journeys.
AI is central to that transition. Nerhal discusses how predictive analytics can provide an “invisible layer of protection”, identifying suspicious behaviour before fraud occurs. She also explains how tools such as Mashreq’s Money Insights can give customers greater clarity and control over their spending.
Yet automation cannot address every need. AI can help detect frustration and determine when a customer should move seamlessly from a digital platform to a human adviser. Human expertise remains particularly important during decisions carrying significant emotional or financial weight, such as buying a home, growing a business or planning for retirement.
Ultimately, Nerhal believes leadership will be defined by the confidence a bank creates through clarity, control and protection. “As banking services become more invisible,” she says, “the winning bank will be the one that customers trust to represent their financial interests – not merely process their transactions.”
