Meethaq’s Muscat branches to provide essential banking services on rotation basis

Roundup Sunday 05/April/2020 17:47 PM
By: Times News Service
Meethaq’s Muscat branches to provide essential banking services on rotation basis

Muscat: Meethaq, the Islamic Banking Group of Bank Muscat, has announced that in line with the directives to ensure social distancing, it will be reducing the number of branches in Muscat governorate with effect from April 5.
The branches will work on a rotation basis and will change every week or as required by the situation. This decision comes in line with the implementation of the directives of the Supreme Committee and regulatory guidance to ensure social distancing to deal successfully with COVID-19, while also ensuring continuity of work and provision of critical banking services.
Bank customers can find out the names and locations of the branches, which are open during this period by visiting the COVID-19 help page on Meethaq’s website at https://www.meethaq.om/en/about/Pages/covid19.aspx as well as through Meethaq’s official social media channels. Operational branches will be changed every week and also according to the latest developments related to COVID-19. The changes will be continuously updated on the website as well as on social media channels to inform all customers who may need to access branch services during this period. Customers should also note that in line with regulatory directives, the branches will reduce working hours from 8am to 12 noon (Sunday to Thursday).
Customers are also requested to note that the Muttrah, Ruwi and Wattayah branches will remain closed until further notice. However, ATMs and CDMs located at all branches (including closed ones) will continue to be operational. Apart from Meethaq ATMs/CDMs, customers can also freely use ATMs/CDMs available at 141 Bank Muscat branches across Oman. All the ATMs/CDMs across bank Muscat branches nation-wide are now fully linked to Meethaq operations.
In line with regulatory guidance, the selected Meethaq branches will provide limited critical services including teller transactions that exceed the daily ATM/CDM card limits of account holders; funds transfers that cannot be done through Mobile and Internet banking; cheque deposits/clearing transactions; delivery and replacement (non-personalised) of debit and credit cards; activation of dormant or blocked accounts; credit cards (without exceptions only), home loan stage payments disbursements under approved credit facilities; online banking registration and related services; collection of cards and cheque books, financing and credit card closures with the customer’s funds; and corporate banking services such as clearing of cheques and salary processing.
Meanwhile, the bank has also requested all its customers to make full use of its e-channels as much as possible. Meethaq’s Contact Centre and IVR services (available at 24656666), ATMs and CDMs (including those at closed branches), Mobile and Internet banking are available 24X7 for making transactions such as transfers, bill payments, remittances and general enquiries.