May 29, 2025
Elevate Digital Banking Experience
United Arab Emirates – United Arab Bank (UAB) has entered into a strategic partnership with Emirates Face Recognition (EFR), a UAE-based leader in facial recognition and digital identity verification technologies.
The official signing ceremony was attended by Mr. Shirish Bhide, CEO of United Arab Bank; Mr. Emre Yalcin, Head of Retail Banking at UAB; Mr. Zack Charkas, CEO of Emirates Face Recognition; and Mr. Talha Khan, Head of Product at EFR, alongside senior representatives from both organizations.
This partnership underscores UAB’s ongoing commitment to delivering cutting-edge digital banking solutions that align with the Central Bank of the UAE’s directives on adopting secure, advanced technologies to enhance customer privacy, reduce fraud, and streamline digital banking services. It also reflects UAB’s broader focus on innovation, regulatory compliance, and customer-first strategies.
Shirish Bhide, CEO of United Arab Bank, commented:
“We are proud to collaborate with a pioneering national technology firm like Emirates Face Recognition. This partnership is a significant step forward in our digital transformation roadmap and reflects our ambition to provide secure, fast, and intelligent banking services. Together, we’re supporting the UAE’s vision for a digital-first society while putting customer experience and trust at the core.”
Emre Yalcin, Head of Retail Banking at UAB, added:
“This collaboration is pivotal to realizing our vision of delivering a seamless, secure, and fully integrated digital banking experience through our upcoming Mobile Banking App. By embedding biometric technology into our core operations, we’re not just enhancing customer convenience but also strengthening security and regulatory compliance across every touchpoint of the user journey.”
Zack Charkas, CEO of Emirates Face Recognition, remarked:
“We are delighted to be part of United Arab Bank’s visionary digital journey. This partnership exemplifies how forward-thinking institutions can combine innovation and trust to create long-term value. At EFR, we are committed to delivering next-gen solutions rooted in security, performance, and excellence.”
Talha Khan, Head of Product at EFR, noted:
“Our collaboration with UAB reflects a mutual commitment to impactful innovation. We’ve worked hand-in-hand to build a tailored identity verification solution that aligns with UAB’s customer experience goals. This is more than a technology deployment—it’s a foundation for ongoing innovation and transformation.”
As one of the UAE’s leading providers of biometric and digital identity solutions, Emirates Face Recognition serves both public and private sectors with secure, scalable, and user-friendly technologies that improve operational efficiency and boost customer trust.
This partnership sets the stage for the upcoming launch of UAB’s new Mobile Banking App, which will redefine customer experience through instant digital onboarding, automated KYC updates, and a wide range of digital services—eliminating the need for physical branch visits. The app will deliver a truly secure, end-to-end digital banking experience designed for today’s always-connected consumer.
About United Arab Bank P.J.S.C.
Founded in 1975 in the Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Bank (UAB) is a publicly traded company on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX). It provides a full spectrum of financial services including Wholesale Banking, Retail Banking, Treasury & Financial Markets, and Shari’ah-compliant solutions. UAB is recognized as one of the UAE’s few homegrown banks dedicated to enhancing lives by delivering personalized, human-centered banking services.
UAB holds investment-grade ratings from Moody’s (Baa3/P-3/Positive) and Fitch (BBB+/F2/Stable).
For more information, visit www.uab.ae or contact:
Sirine El Merhebi
Marketing & Communications Department
Email: sirine.elmerhebi@uab.ae
About Emirates Face Recognition (EFR)
Emirates Face Recognition is a UAE-based technology innovator specializing in AI-powered facial recognition and digital identity solutions. EFR supports both public and private sectors by delivering secure and seamless identity verification systems that redefine how services are accessed across industries. With a mission centered on enabling “Secure Value Exchange,” EFR is committed to advancing regional digital transformation by setting new standards for security, user experience, and trust.
