HNB partners with Emirates NBD for 60-second remittances

 From left: Emirates NBD Product Head, FX & NR Banking Faisal Saeed, Emirates NBD Head Liabilities and Wealth Management, Retail Banking Shekhar Krishnamurthy, Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Arjuna Mahendran, Emirates NBD Sr. Executive Vice President and Group Head Retail Banking and Wealth Management Suvo Sarkar, HNB DGM – Retail and SME  Banking Thimal Perera, HNB Managing Director/CEO Jonathan Alles, HNB AGM – Deposits and Remittances Kalum Wijesooriya and HNB  Senior Manager Inward Remittances and Exchange House Operations Jayamini Fernando

Hatton National Bank announced that it has entered into a tie up with Emirates NBD in the UAE for the DirectRemit 60 seconds remittance platform. With this partnership, HNB’s non-resident customers who also bank with Emirates NBD can now avail of the fastest remittance service in the UAE more easily. 

The service was formally launched in Colombo by Hatton National Bank MD/CEO Jonathan Alles and Emirates NBD Retail Banking and Wealth Management Senior EVP and Group Head Suvo Sarkar, in the presence of Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Arjuna Mahendran.

Emirates NBD is a leading banking group in the region with a strong retail banking franchise in the UAE. The Group has operations in the UAE, Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and representative offices in India, China and Indonesia. The tie up with HNB of Emirates NBD’s DirectRemit platform is set to benefit the sizeable Sri Lankan customer base in the UAE. 

The partnership is in keeping with HNB and Emirates NBD’s strategy to provide a complete suite of financial solutions to its customers whilst ensuring enhanced customer convenience. This partnership will allow fund transfers from Emirates NBD accounts to HNB bank accounts across Sri Lanka in 60 seconds at zero fees. 

Commenting on the partnership, Jonathan Alles said, “We are pleased to partner with Emirates NBD to launch this service. HNB has a large customer base in the UAE and this partnership will help all our customers to carry out remittances instantly and conveniently.”

Suvo Sarkar said, “We are delighted to join hands with Hatton National Bank to be able to facilitate fast and easy remittances for our Sri Lankan customers. The DirectRemit platform is amongst our most popular services as it provides customers with an on-the-go, quick and free mechanism to transfer funds instantly to their home country. We are confident that our customers will take advantage of this new tie up to carry out remittances to meet all their ongoing requirements.” 

On the occasion of launch of the service, Arjuna Mahendran commented, “The UAE is home to over 300,000 Sri Lankan nationals and the launch of this service through the partnership of Hatton National Bank and Emirates NBD will be welcomed by all non-resident Sri Lankans to send money home easily and instantly.”

With DirectRemit, customers will not only be able to transfer funds to their family back home instantly, but also make home loan payments, pay bills, remit insurance premiums or carry out investments more easily and conveniently. Customers can avail of the 60 seconds money transfer service via online and mobile banking.