Temenos (SIX: TEMN) (www.Temenos.com), the banking software company, today announced that Al Rajhi Bank, Saudi Arabia’s second largest bank and the world’s largest Islamic bank with total assets of over $97bn, has chosen Temenos to power its digital transformation journey and enhance its Islamic lending and financing product capabilities. The bank has opted for a complete renovation using Temenos T24 Transact as well as a host of additional digital solutions including Temenos Infinity and Temenos Loan Origination product.

The signing ceremony, which took place in Riyadh on February 26^th, was attended by Mr. Waleed Al Mogbel, Deputy CEO at Al Rajhi, Colin Jarrett, Head of Global Development at Temenos, and Jean-Paul Mergeai, Managing Director Middle East & Africa at Temenons.

Headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and with a network over more than 570 branches, Al Rajhi Bank chose Temenos to replace its lending systems after a rigorous competitive evaluation. Implementing Temenos software will enable the bank to introduce new lending products to the market and servicing its growing number of customers more quickly and efficiently.  The new solution will also support Al Rajhi Bank’s growth ambitions and its vision to bridge the gap between modern financial demands and intrinsic Islamic values, whilst spearheading numerous industry standards and development. The bank, one of the most progressive banks in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with a strong focus on customer-centricity, will also be able to offer market-leading products and services to its customers through enhanced digital channels.

The award winning Temenos’ Islamic Banking Suite coupled with its Saudi Model Bank application which includes global best practices and pre-configured local functions, will enable Al Rajhi Bank to cater for the specific Saudi regulatory requirements with a very short time and less efforts.

The bank operates in more than 570 branches across Saudi Arabia as well as in Kuwait, Jordan and Malaysia. The bank will leverage Temenos' global expertise and 25 years of experience in providing integrated, scalable packaged software, as well as Temenos' continuous investment in R&D, which is 20% of revenues – the highest in the industry.

Mr. Waleed Al Mogbel, DCEO, Al Rajhi Bank, commented: “We are delighted to appoint Temenos as our strategic technology partner for our digital transformation. Temenos digital banking platform will enable us to transform faster, drive out complexity and lower our overall total cost of ownership. Temenos has a worldwide reputation for robust, innovative banking software and an extensive presence and commitment in the Saudi Arabia. With Temenos we will be able to introduce new and innovative products more quickly and help reduce operational costs, as well as offer a cutting-edge digital experiences to our customers."

Jean-Paul Mergeai, Managing Director Middle East & Africa at Temenos, stated: "We are proud to announce Al Rajhi Bank as our latest signing in Saudi Arabia. Temenos has a strong footprint in Saudi Arabia with 19 clients and this new signing further cements our presence in the country where we have been operating since the late nineties.  Our agreement with Al Rajhi Bank demonstrates our commitment to working with the region’s leading banks to power innovation, growth and success through our market leading technology. Our business partnership with the world’s leading Islamic bank also demonstrates the excellence of our leading and multi award winning Islamic Banking Suite solution and our focus on delivering operational value and efficiency through digital technology to Islamic Finance. We look forward to working with Al Rajhi Bank as it continues to excel by caring for its customers through the delivery of quality products and services."