Popularity of the Mobile Banking Services

Introduction: Mobile banking services

This is a kind of banking service that is done through the mobile phone. The mobile phone here is used in performing the services that would have otherwise been performed by a bank. These services are such as; payments transactions of the account and as well as performing the balances enquiries from the bank. We can also say that mobile banking is where the financial services and banking services are made available with the help of devices such as mobile telecommunications. The service of mobile banking has been doing very well in the world as it is very convenient to those that use it. The mobile banking services are mostly preferred given that they are very private as the users use their own mobile phones. It is convenient enough because one can carry out the banking transactions everywhere and anywhere as it is user friendly and does not require the actual movement to the bank to perform the transactions. The mobile banking service can also be known as M-banking and in other cases as SMS banking (Siauliu banks).

In the development of the banking sector it happens that the invention of mobile banking services is one of the latest and has seemed to be much better in offering the banking services. Today mobile phones are not only used for communications purposes but they also have other uses such as carrying out business operations. These business operations that can be carried out through the use of the mobile phone are such as; checking on the balance transferring of funds and also other transactions such as making payments. This is mostly done via SMS or use of internet in the mobile. The mobile banking has enabled banks to offer services to their customers even as the customers are carrying out their day to day activities without necessarily them having to go to the bank in order to get these services (Oxford Business 90).

We shall look at banks in Saudi Arabia and the kinds of mobile banking services that these banks offer. These banks are such as; SABB RIYAD DIB HDFC Ahli United Bank Saudi Investment Bank and the Ajman Bank. We shall look at the kinds of services their mobile banking service offers to their customers some of which are; checking on the balance transferring of funds and also other transactions such as making payments (Buzzle.com ).

The Asian countries have been leading in the past few years in the mobile markets. This is because their mobile structures are much better as compared to the fixed-line infrastructure. When internet was introduced in Saudi Arabia it only took them one year for the people to feel the presence of internet and even want and know how to use it. It happens that a total of 73% of the banks in Saudi Arabia do have websites whereas 25% of the websites that have been opened are already offering the services of the respective banks. The Saudi Arabian banks are viewing the use of internet as a key and fast channel in delivering their services to their customers as well as making the bank known to other people who use the internet. The Saudi banks started the use of internet for banking through publishing their information on the website. This led to making the information more accessible to the account holders of those banks as they could browse for the information via internet and thus be able to know about the bank through the bank’s website (Oxford Business 90).

The account holders of such banks could therefore be able to access information regarding their accounts and even carry out business transactions at home with the use of their personal computers. With the introduction of online banking services banks started competing through this service as they could see that the majority of the population is appreciating it and are able to use it. With this development of mobile phones that are connected to the internet through the use of WAP or GPRS was the major thing that led to the introduction of mobile banking services through the phone. This would take the process of individuals registering for mobile banking with their banks through net banking. When this began a concern was raised about those customers of the bank whose phones are neither WAP OR GPRS enabled. This is what led to other banks coming up with a service for the mobile phones that only access SMS. These banks could enable the customer access information through the SMS alerts. Therefore as much as internet banking in Saudi Arabia is widely used by banks it is only restricted to some services. Also for the mobile banking services in the country to be successful the customers of the bank should be assured of the safety of their banking information as security should be well enhanced. In this paper therefore we shall look at some of these mobile banking services that are being offered by different banks in Saudi Arabia (Oxford Business 92).

Literature review

The banking industry provides services to its customers. These are services that enhance the running of banking transactions by the bank for their customers. This means that banks are very important in our day to day lives in that they perform banking services on behalf of their customers who have opened bank accounts with them. The mobile banking service being one of the latest that the banks have developed happens to be one that many have come to appreciate. This mobile banking enhances the provision of the bank’s services even when the customer is far away from them. The introduction of internet brought with it the closeness and accessibility of services by individuals. This has made banks to even be able to provide services online to their customers. Mobile banking has proved to be a very convenient service especially to the customers who are allowed and are able to operate their bank accounts even without necessarily having to get to the bank to carry out their banking transactions. This paper examines banks in Saudi Arabia and how they have made banking easy with the use of mobile banking services. Saudi Arabia happens to be one country that has really learnt the art of embracing technology in terms of the use of internet. With the introduction of internet in the country majority of the banks have started providing online services to their customers.

This has prompted so many banks to embrace the service of internet and online banking services so as to be able to compete with other banks in the market. With the use of the internet banks have therefore reduced this by implementing mobile banking services via their customer’s mobile phones. This has been made possible given that the phones that are internet enabled can be able to browse for a lot of data about their banking transactions and accounts from the bank. The service is also available to the mobile users that have phones that can only access SMS. This is so as to enable them also to access some information about the status of their transaction with the use of the SMS facility. this is made through using the alerts facility in which the customers request for the services by writing a text message to the bank which is then received by the banks SMS centre and its from this point that the bank is able to get in touch with the customer and be able to address their problem through replying the message via the customer’s mobile phone (Oxford Business 90).

The services of mobile banking are therefore very efficient and convenient especially for those people who are much involved in traveling or are busy and thus cannot get time to make visits to the bank to inquire on the status of their banking transactions. These people are thus able to carry out their banking transactions whenever they are much more easily using their mobile phones. Therefore the paper examines the different mobile services offered by Saudi Arabia banks and the kind of services that these mobile banking service offer to their customers (Oxford Business 96).

Methodology

The mobile banking services that are offered by the different banks in Saudi Arabia are mainly aimed at improving the kinds of services that these banks do give to their customers. The point of quality in competition is what leads banks into utilizing the current technology in their services. In examining why the banks would go for this mobile banking service we shall look at the perception of the customer in the acceptance of the services that are being offered through their mobile phones. A number of questionnaires are to be presented to individuals at the streets of Saudi Arabia and these questionnaires will be questioning on the acceptance of the mobile banking service and its efficient as well as the security of information that is being sent. Given that the kind of information that is always accessed by customers via their mobile is very crucial it should be treated with as much confidentiality as possible. An analysis of the data got from the individuals will then be done. A discussion about the respective banks will be made as we examine different banks in Saudi Arabia and the different types of mobile banking services that they offer (Siauliu banks).

Questionnaires

• What is Mobile Banking?
• What are some of the services that are offered as part of Mobile banking?
• How much does Mobile banking cost when it is enabled to your phone?
• What should a customer do if he/she loses their phone or mobile device?
• What should a customer do if he/she receives a text message that they do not know where it’s from?
• What is Mobile?
• What kind of mobile device is required for this service?
• What mobile carriers are supported by this service?

Analysis and Discussion

Some of the Saudi Arabia banks that do offer mobile banking services are such as:

Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB)

This bank came up with the mobile banking service which could enable their customers get banking services in a more convenient mode. This mobile banking service was known as the all-new Islamic mobile service. This new service enables their customer’s access their banking transaction’s information through the alerts that are made to their phones. The kind of information that they access through this alerts are such as; balances on their accounts the payments to be made to other people and any money that has been received in their accounts such as salary. This new service that has been introduced is also enabling the customers to get the information about their accounts all day and in a convenience manner. This is because the service is being offered on a 24 hour clock time. It therefore means that even at the dark of the night their customers can still be able to get information regarding their banks accounts and as well be able to carry out transactions such as payment of bills.

This service is done through the use of mobile phone SMS. With regard to this mobile phone banking services the leader of the services of electronics Musabbah Mohammed Al Qaizi said that “Services flexibility is the focus at DIB. As the leader in Islamic banking we are committed to bringing world class services to our customers. As our customers lead busy lifestyles they require secured and flexible services in their banking services. We are confident that our enhanced banking services will offer great convenience to them.” Although this service was recently introduced into the market it has really received a warm welcome by the people who are enjoying the service as it is very convenient to the lives of customers given that it can be done anywhere and at anytime. This has led to many people appreciating it and thus wanting to part of it. They are therefore registering for the service in masses (Buzzle.com).

Therefore we can say that the All Islamic phone banking though being a service that is not old in the market it has really picked up in terms of the kind of responses it is receiving from the people who want to be associated with it and be part of it. This proves to us that the people of Saudi Arabia know how to embrace changes that come with advancement in technology (Oxford Business 94).

SABB (Saudi British Bank) Business Direct- Business Telephone Banking

The SABB Business Direct is one of the banking services that are offered by SABB. This is made to ensure that convenient banking services are offered to the customers. This service is made available on the phone and it enables people to be able to manage their bank accounts whenever they are in the seven days of the week. There are various services that are offered by this service in which one is able to access their banking services only through the use of their mobile phone. This services that are offered by SABB are such as; blocking an ATM once it is lost providing answers to any enquiries that are placed regarding the BIB one can request for a check book the enquiries of transactions of the account and the balances on the account can be made the subscriptions of mobile text alerts inquiring for funds for investment and also requesting for the account statement.

Apart from this it also helps in making payments services such as; making transfers to other banks that are local or even the international banks through what they call the “Direct pay” for the international banks and the “SARIE” for the local banks. The payment of credit cards and SADAD bills can be made for free. As well one can use this service for transfers that are to be made to other accounts which are within the SABB. It therefore shows that the SABB telephone service only requires an individual to have a phone and through this phone the customers can be able to carry out their banking transactions without having to go to the bank to make long cues in order for them to do their business transactions (Buzzle.com).

RIYAD bank – Riyad Mobile

This is a mobile banking service that was introduced by the bank of Riyad. This mobile banking service is meant to act as a solution to the difficulties that were faced mainly by the customers of Riyad bank in terms of the long cues they had to cue in order to access information about their account and as well carry out their banking transactions in the bank. The Riyad’s mobile banking was introduced to act as a solution for the following:

• The customers of the bank who have got mobile phones that have the capability of browsing internet which means that they have to be enabled to the internet through the GPRS technology.
• The people who like traveling a lot or whose jobs make them to be always on the move and as such never find time to walk to the bank and make the long cues for them to get the services of the bank. This are the major people that are targeted by the Riyad mobile as it will enable such kind of people to always have updates of their accounts irrespective of where they are and as such will also be able to carry out their business transactions successfully whenever they are(Riyad bank webpage).
• For the ever busy people whose jobs do not allow them free time or always have tight schedules for their day to day work and as a result cannot find time to go to the bank and access their banking transactions. This service is therefore very convenient for them as they will be able to still access their daily transactions from their banking accounts whenever they are at any particular time as the service is offered on a 24/7 basis (Riyad bank ).

Advantages of the mobile banking service to the bank

• This bank i.e. the Riyad bank happens to be the beginner in the mobile banking services in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Riyad mobile is only used by those customers whose mobile phones have been enabled to the internet through GPRS. Therefore it gives it a lead as compared to other banks and as such becomes the most preferred when compared to its competitors such as the SAMBA bank.
• Riyad bank has the advantage that it is very keen in providing security for the customer’s information in that that information will not be accessible to any other individual apart from the owner of such information. Therefore it works towards providing confidentiality and as a result their mobile banking service becomes a very reliable service to its customers.
• The Riyad mobile service is one that is very easy to use as it is simple and thus anyone can be able to use the service therefore it allows people to access their account’s and banking transactions information in an easy and convenient manner.

How it works

The Riyad mobile service works for anyone who is traveling abroad those who have gone out to carry out their own businesses or to do shopping those who are in the office and even those who have relaxed in the house. The service allows an individual to take advantage and make maximum use of the available technology today and as such be able to see how much one can do with just the use of the mobile phone in his hands. This is because it can help one in accessing the following; paying of government services such as the traffic fines viewing of one’s bank statement as well as checking on the account details it enables one to place remittances on their accounts to other people who are in other banks in the world or even in Saudi Arabia. One is also able to make payments to their credit cards or the loans that they have payments of visa are as well made possible through the use of the Riyad mobile service (Riyad bank webpage).

Therefore we can see that from the use of Riyad mobile customers do need to worry about traveling for long journeys without the access of their banking transactions. This is because customers can be able to as well carry out all the transactions of the bank when they are away. This acts as a very easy convenient and comfortable way of running banking transactions by the customer. It is also clear that all is needed with the Riyad mobile is just a mobile phone that has been connected to the GPRS internet access (Riyad bank webpage).

National Commercial Bank

The National Commercial Bank in Saudi Arabia happens to be the largest Islamic bank. It has worked so much in achieving customer growth in the banking industry. It has thus come up with different ways of managing their services in the banking operation. The different services that are offered by this bank are such as; Al- Ahli online Al-Ahli trade with the latest being the AL-Ahli telephone banking and Al-Ahli mobile banking. The Al-Ahli mobile banking is one of its kinds that ensure that customers of the bank are in a position to access their banking operations in a much more easy and comfortable manner. The NCB has therefore made banking very easy to its customers as all they require is to have their mobile phones internet enabled. This makes the customers access a variety of information as they are able to browse this information via their mobile phones. Also this banking service enables those customers who cannot afford an internet enabled phone to as well enjoy the service but in a more limited manner. This is through the use of SMS. In this case a customer writes a text message to the bank enquiring on the status of their banking transactions the bank then automatically replies this text message through another message that is sent direct to the phone from the bank’s SMS centre.

Ahli United Bank (AUB) and SMS banking

The AUB introduced the SMS banking service for its customers so as to enable their customers get access to the information regarding their accounts. This service by the AUB has been availed by the bank in both the English and Arabic languages. This service is made in such a way that it is able to process various kinds of requests made by the customers. The services that can be accessed by the customer with the use of the mobile banking are such as; the payment of utilities carrying out of transfers from one account to another and also enquiring on the balance of their accounts. The bank has come up with this technology which has been advanced to the “push and pull” kind of technology of messaging which enhances the processing of bulk bank transactions so many notifications and also a lot of messages very fast without any delay. The service of “push” offers automatic information to the customer on enquiries of payments from their personal accounts and the credits that may be required to be done to their accounts. As for the “pull” it offers services that allow the customers of the bank to perform any kind of transaction and even to enquire about their bank balances. The introduction of this service by the bank to its customers can be considered to be a very big step towards ensuring that its customers can access the information of the bank and about their own accounts at any particular period of time.

The Saudi investment bank

The Saudi investment bank is one of the banks in the Saudi Arabia that has also introduced the SMS banking service which is carried out through the mobile phone. This kind of mobile service allows its customers get the information of the bank very fast without having to make physical travels to the bank itself. It works through the use of alerts that notify the customer of any activity that is taking place in the customer’s account. An example is that whenever the customer’s account is credited with his/her salary an alert is automatically sent to the customer to inform them of that. Again this happens whenever the customers use their Saudi Express cards to make purchases in the shopping malls. The withdrawals they will have made using that card will be recorded automatically and an alert will be immediately sent to their mobile phones to inform them that there has been a deduction in their account. This service however is not available to any other kind of phone but only restricted to the Saudi mobile phone which can either be STC Zain or Mobily. This Saudi mobile SMS alerting service works by either sending an email to the inbox of the customer or even sending an SMS message through the mobile phone of the customer or even it can use both services to alert the customer.

The Ajman Bank

The bank being one of the beginning commercial banks that belongs to Islam has also decided to make the access of information by its customers to be easy and hassle free. This ensures that their customers are in a position to access the latest information when they have subscribed the alerts through their mobile phones any time they want at any place that they are in from anywhere in the world. This kind of service was introduced by the bank mostly so as to ensure that there is customer satisfaction.

The SMS banking being a kind of electronic banking is one that is very efficient to its customers who can be able to access it in a better way at home and in their most comfortable position without the hassle of making long extended cues at the banking hall. The Ajman bank therefore in its way of promoting customer growth and enhancing customer satisfaction has made it possible for the use of a mobile service that customers can enjoy accessing at any particular time and in any place that they are in (Buzzle.com).

HDFC Bank InstaQuery

The instaquery is a kind of service that has been introduced by the HDFC bank. This is a mobile banking kind of service which the bank has introduced in order to reach their customers easily and in an efficient manner. The instaquery service allows the customer to be able to carry out their transactions with the use of their mobile phones. This service mostly relies on the use of SMS and as a result the person using does not necessarily have to make a telephone call to the bank. This service of instaquery is much different from phone banking and even from the use of phone in making calls for enquiry in your bank. This is because you are only supposed to send text messages to a certain given number of which the bank does not make any deductions from your account and as well neither does your airtime get reduced as the service is freely offered. In this case once the customer has sent a text message to the bank the bank automatically displays the information regarding the customers banking transactions on the screen of their phone. This enables the customer to clearly see what is taking place in their account without necessarily having to walk to the bank to view the banking transactions that they have been making (Buzzle.com).

How it works

The instaquery works through the customer sending a text message by the use of their phone to a number that is always given by the bank. After the customer has sent this SMS it is received by the bank’s SMS centre which provides services and as a result goes to the systems of the bank. This process of the SMS traveling takes a very short time and in a matter of seconds the information that was requested via the message is got and then sent to the customer through the same channel of SMS. Therefore the customer does not have to wait for long as this is a very fast service that works in second’s time. It thus means that it’s very reliable and much more convenient to the customer as the user of the service.

Requirements for use

Unlike other services the instaquery of HDFC bank just requires one to have a mobile phone for one to be eligible in using the service. Again also one needs to be a holder of an account with the bank. This account can either be affixed deposit a current or savings account. This is because only the holders of such account can get information from the bank regarding their banking transactions.

How the service can be made available to customers

The instaquery is available for different kind of people as follows:

• If one already holds an account with the bank one can therefore access the instaquery service by making an application for it through the use of the channels of direct banking that are there in the bank. This means that one has to download a form that requires to be filled which can either be done for you by the sales representatives in the bank or even you as the individual can fill it then submit it to the closest branch of the bank.
• If an individual is already a registered member of the bank’s net banking services which means that this individual already has got an account with the bank then for this individual to access the instaquery service he/she needs to do registration of the instaquery online as it is an available option in the net banking services offered by the bank.
• For the new members of the bank that is those who do not have already existing accounts with the bank and do require the instaquery services will apply for the services as they fill the forms for opening an a account.
• This service of instaquery by the HDFC bank is one that is freely offered by the bank. Therefore the customer’s need not worry of any kind of deductions to be made in future incase they register for the service. The only charge that is made by the bank is just a small amount for Value Added Services (VAS) which is deducted by the cellular service provider in the bank.

Transactions that can be made

There are different forms of transactions that a customer can carry out with the use of the instaquery service. These are such as:

• A customer can enquire on the status of their accounts in terms of the balance present and this is for all the accounts that this customer may be holding with the bank. Although this service is limited to a maximum of any five accounts that the customer holds.
• Transactions taking place in the customer’s account can be checked and more so the last three transactions that have taken place.
• With the instaquery one can make a request for their bank statement for a check book or even order for a stop in payment of any check presented to the bank that belongs to the customer.

These are just a few of the transactions that a customer can carry out with the help of the instaquery kind of service. The operation of the mobile phone in order to request for the service is always given by the bank and this involves the use of a menu that guides the customers through the use of codes which are represent the various kinds of transactions as to be requested by the customer. The instaquery service caters for unforeseen times such as lose of the mobile phone by the customer. In such a situation the customer only needs to make a report to any of the closest branch which will help the customer in disconnecting the instaquery service from their mobile phones. As a result then this service will not be available to those it is not intended for but only for the owners of the mobile phone.

Sharjah Islamic Bank

This is an Islamic bank which was one of the leading banks of Islam to introduce the mobile ATM services. These mobile ATM services are known as the “Al Hurr.” Their kind of mobile ATM service is unique in the sense that it does not use the mobile phone like the others. It is a kind of service in which the services of banking are brought close to the customer. In this case there are vehicles that are on transit offering the services of ATM to individual customers at their door steps. This service proves to be a much better service especially when compared to the ATM booths that are located in the country’s bank branches. The mobile ATMs are found in all corners of the United Arabs Emirates. These services like other mobile services that are offered by banks through the use of internet also do offer the mobile ATMs service via the internet connection. Following the remarks of e-channels head at Sharjah Islamic bank who noted that “The service utilizes the latest GPRS wireless communication technologies that enables mobility and smooth communication with the SIB’s service network (Buzzle.com).

We anticipate that our efforts will ensure convenience by delivering service to our customers’ locations whether it be near work or home.” in terms of its uniqueness in the banking industry as it was the first bank to come up with such an activity the head of the retail banking group Mr. Ossama Salah exclaimed that “SIB aims to serve as a leader in providing new and unique personal banking services to its customers. The service ‘Al Hurr’ will offer full nationwide coverage to all of SIB’s customers regardless of their proximity to an ATM or SIB branch.” therefore we can say that for those customers that do not have mobile phones for them to access the services of the bank via them mobile ATMs works well for them since they can easily get such services at their door steps (Buzzle.com).

Mobile banking and ineffective marketing

Although most banks have introduced the services of mobile banking they are rarely marketing this service to their customers to make it known to them and for the customers to know what is entailed in the mobile banking industry. Therefore this is making less and more less people to use the service of mobile banking. Mobile banking like we have seen from the above banks in Saudi Arabia can be provided to different kinds of phones whether they are connected to the internet or not. Therefore it would not be an excuse to a customer of a bank that provides mobile banking service not to register with the bank for them to enjoy the services of mobile banking which are much more convenient.

Mobile banking services in all banks share the same advantages or even disadvantages.

Benefits of mobile banking

The mobile banking services not only benefit the customer alone through convenience but as well the banking institutions do benefit. The kind of benefits got by the banking institutions are such as:

• They lower the operating costs for the banks; this is because they help in reducing the costs and expenses that are incurred through depending on the call centers.
• When one is beginning a new business mobile banking helps in reducing the financial risks that are associated with it this is because of the fact that the mobile banking is cost effective.
• It helps in reducing the number of errors that mostly occur in paper work banking in the bank.
• Since it is a fast service this is advantageous especially to the customers as they are able to get their business transactions processed in a very fast way. Through this and given that any kind of financial transaction that takes place is reported to them as it occurs this helps the customers in detecting any kind of error that may have occurred in their business transactions as they are able to make follow ups of their transactions.
• With the mobile banking you do not need to be physically available at the bank for you to check on your credit and debit transactions to have a look at your bank statements to transfer funds from your account to another checking on the balance of funds of your accounts and as well as depositing your money in the account.
• As compared to the computer we find that the mobile banking is much more accessible given that for the internet banking one needs to have a personal computer for them to be able to access the services of banking. This means therefore that the mobile banking eases one the burden or the need of having a computer which is much more expensive to purchase or to own and as such with the use of mobile phone which most people today can afford is able to play a similar role and in a much better way.
• Incase of emergencies the mobile banking becomes important as it helps one to carry out the banking transactions without having to cue at the bank for long (Siauliu banks webpage).

Challenges of mobile banking

Although the mobile banking service presents these advantages it is however faced with some challenges such as lack of awareness of customers on the availability of this service and lack of trust on it. Again issues of security on the banking transactions given that they are being executed from a far distance are a major problem for the customers or the users. Security is also problematic to the bank itself as there may come up issues such as hacking of information by some intelligent individuals who may take advantage of the software used in transmitting this information via air. This can lead to a big loss to the bank if such things arise. If the banking industry could tackle the issues of security in mobile banking and as such protects its service from being hacked by the computer software hackers this service of mobile banking can thus become more familiar and as a result be used by more and more people which would mean the bank getting more and more customers in their business hence more profit for the bank (Siauliu banks).

Although the mobile banking has proved to be a solution to most of the banking difficulties that are faced by consumers today it as well goes through various challenges that may make the use of the service a difficult process. This is especially given that technology application via the mobile phone is not something that many do.understand therefore we find that majority of the people go through this challenges which are as follows:

• Mobile phone –there are different kinds of phones some of which can be enabled to the internet whereas others cannot. This becomes a big challenge to the banks that do offer the mobile banking to their.customers in that they can only offer this service to the kinds of mobile phones that can be connected to the internet. The mobile phones are made differently; there are those that only support SMS others J2ME whereas others support WAP. Therefore then whole idea lies with the bank. For those that do posses the java and have got securities are only available to the mobile phones that have got internet. These are the only phones that can be able to receive and even access diverse information on the banking transactions. Those that have only the access of SMS are just able to access the basic information regarding their banking transactions and their accounts.
• The security of financial transactions – It raises a lot of concern when crucial information is being transmitted over the air. This poses a challenge to the banks that provide the mobile banking as to how secure is the information that one access through their phone given it is passed over the air. Security becomes a great concern especially with the high rise of computer hackers and data encryptions. The banking industry therefore has to ensure its customers that their information is safe and confidential and only accessible to them. This can be done through the application of passwords or ID to ensure that there is no unauthorized access to the data.
• Distribution of the application – Since the customers and the bank are only connected through the mobile banking then it means that there is need for once in a while to upgrade this application of the mobile banking in that the customers may be required to visit the bank or may be get connected through the website for this service to be offered. Therefore this is a great challenge to the banks in that this may mean that the mobile banking application that they are using is able to check for the upgrades or updates required and thus able to download them for the users. This kind of system could come up with problems especially regarding the upgrading part of it.
• The mobile banking application is also expected by the users of it to provide services such as; alerts the preferred language by the user time and date format and also to show the transactions that are defaulted (Nidal 67).

Conclusion

From what we have seen about the mobile banking services that are offered in Saudi Arabia it is evident that this is one kinds of banking service that majority of the people prefer. It is also evident that the banks are competing highly in retaining their customers by bringing services of the bank very close to them and in a much more convenient and comfortable manner. The banks are much more concerned about the welfare of the customer and in providing the customer the best of the services. These mobile banking services offered by different banks are almost the same but we find that different banks tend to differ in their services provision in that they only want to make a difference in the customer attraction (Nidal 68).

Though majority of the banks are using the internet service via the mobile phone it is also clear that there are some banks that do not necessarily require the use of internet. This therefore shows that some banks are considering the fact that not all customers can afford internet enabled phones and as such the poor people with only phones that only have the service of the SMS they are still not let out in this service that is provided as they are also offered an opportunity to access the banking services via the mobile phones. Therefore these individuals do not feel left out because of their mobile phones. The mobile banking services have been well embraced in Saudi Arabia offers the people of Saudi Arabia an opportunity of utilizing technology and embracing change. It is from these mobile banking services that the people are in a position to continue carrying out their own activities as well as running their bank transactions. This is because even as they are traveling or at home they are able to carry out their banking transactions in the same way those who travel to the bank and waste their time in long cues do. In this case therefore if the world could embrace the art of the Saudi Arabians then the world is in much better placed position given that people would stop wasting time in making cues at the bank and as a result could use the same time in doing other more productive activities in their lives (Siauliu banks).

Works Cited

ABI research. Mobile Banking and Funds Transfer. 2010. Web.

Buzzle.com. Mobile Banking Services. 2010. Web.

Nidal Richard. Financial Markets & Institutions. Nova publishers 2008.

Oxford Business. The Report: Saudi Arabia. Oxford Business.

Riyad bank. Riyad mobile. 2010. Web.

Siauliu banks. Mobile Banking Services. 2010. Web.