SC partners up with Commercial Bank to aid staff remittances

The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), the organisation responsible for delivering the stadiums for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, has partnered with Commercial Bank to help workers send money back their home countries through the latter’s digital platforms, providing secure international money transfers at a low cost.The agreement with Commercial Bank – Qatar’s first private bank – offers workers on SC projects the chance to transfer wages home using the bank’s mobile app in a simple, fast and safe way without having to travel to traditional currency exchange houses.With 8,000 SC workers currently registered as Commercial Bank customers, as much as QR16mn – more than $4mn – is being transferred to India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines every month from workers on projects directly related to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a statement from the bank said.Between travel time and queuing, workers lose an average of two hours every time they choose to wire money to their families – invariably on rest days.Over the past few weeks, Commercial Bank officials have worked with the SC to determine the workers’ accommodations that do not have easy access to ATMs or exchange houses, and conducted training sessions for workers that will see those practices become a thing of the past.A dedicated call centre has also been set up to handle any queries related to registration or usage of the remittance solution.“We are proud to partner with Commercial Bank on this initiative and have been impressed with the work carried out so far. The training that has been carried out has allowed our workers to learn about the benefits of this service and put them into practice immediately,” said Khalid al-Kubaisi, the chief of the SC Advisory Unit and Special Projects. “Time and money is precious for everyone and we hope this service gives our workers more of both.”Commercial Bank executive general manager of Consumer Banking Amit Sah said: “We are continuously investing in technologies that will improve the way we work for the benefit of our customers and Qatar. We want to be the leading bank for innovation, and initiatives like this one are key to achieving our goal.”He said that the way consumers fulfill their banking needs is changing, as customers want to bank and transact on the go.Offering this feature, Sah said, utilises the latest technology to respond to this ever increasing demand.“Our strategic partnership with SC means we can extend our services and reach more people. We hope that the relationships built between the Supreme Committee and the Bank will support the people of Qatar for many years to come,” said Commercial Bank AGM Roya Khajeh, the head of Cards and Payments at the bank.After downloading the app and adding their selected beneficiaries, Commercial Bank offers customers the chance to transfer money safely and securely to 150 countries worldwide, thanks to an agreement with one of the leading global remittance solution providers.The new service offers competitive exchange rates and low transaction fees, providing significant savings to the customers.The app also lets the customer view balances, check statements, change their PIN (personal identification number), block lost or stolen cards, check daily exchange rates, and send money instantly.The sender and the beneficiary will both receive an instant SMS as soon as the money is delivered to ensure peace of mind for both the sender and the receiver.