Experts stress the importance of digital banking transformation
Experts stress the importance of digital banking transformation
2025/12/31
Baghdad: Al-Sabah
Economic experts have urged the need to redouble efforts in digital transformation of banking transactions, stressing that this step is capable of producing a package of positive results, including absorbing cash liquidity and eliminating bureaucracy, as well as enhancing financial inclusion and keeping pace with global competition.
Digital transformation in banking transactions is also a key factor in providing integrated banking services without the need for direct interaction in all banking operations, as well as its role in creating greater value for customers and achieving strategic goals for banks.
Economic expert Dr. Mahmoud Dagher believes that the current stage requires a serious shift from traditional methods to adopting advanced banking applications that encompass all operations and services without exception. He emphasized that it is no longer worthwhile to continue working with the current core banking systems in their old forms; rather, it is necessary to upgrade them and move to newer “Tier One” systems capable of keeping pace with rapid developments.
In the banking sector.
Integrated banking services
Dagher added to Al-Sabah that this transformation requires competent human resources who possess the technical expertise and ability to manage and operate systems and applications with high efficiency, noting that achieving these requirements will open the way for providing integrated banking services without the need for direct contact, in line with the nature of modern banking products, whether Islamic or traditional, which are managed today via mobile phone or computer, and contribute to improving the quality of services and enhancing the confidence of customers in the banking sector.
Key pillars of transformation
For his part, banking expert Dr. Nabil Rahim Al-Abadi questioned whether updating traditional systems was sufficient to create a genuine financial future. He pointed out that banks suddenly found themselves in a race against time and against evolving customer expectations.
Their lives have been completely digitized.
Al-Abadi answers his own question, in an interview with Al-Sabah, by saying that technical upgrades alone will not create a miracle, pointing out that what we need at this critical juncture consists of three basic pillars.
He explained that what banks need is a smart infrastructure, not just an electronic one, noting that the goal is not merely to digitize current transactions, but to build flexible and interoperable systems capable of anticipating customer behavior, providing proactive financial solutions, and seamlessly integrating with the broader digital economy (including e-commerce).
Towards smart cities). Furthermore, investing in secure cloud infrastructure and big data systems and their analysis is the backbone.
This stage.
Staff rehabilitation
The expert added that the second pillar is the existence of a digital mindset before digital applications, explaining that the biggest challenge is the corporate culture and human affairs, as the banking system needs a new generation of leaders who think like tech-first companies, and radical development programs to rehabilitate the current staff, as the transformation is a transformation in organizational thought and behavior, and not in the programming code alone.
The banking expert identified the third pillar as contingent upon the availability of a legislative framework and national coordination, emphasizing that banks cannot operate in isolation. He stressed the need for flexible and rapidly evolving legislation that regulates digital payments, financial data, and cybersecurity, and keeps pace with innovations such as open banking. Furthermore, coordination between the central bank and other government entities (such as tax and trade authorities) is crucial for breaking down barriers and creating a unified experience.
For the citizen.
The option… a big leap
Al-Abadi stated that the path forward is not about upgrading outdated systems, but rather a radical redesign of the value proposition. He emphasized that the banks that will survive and thrive are those that understand they are transforming from places you go to into services available everywhere, at all times, and in a personalized way. This is the essence of the transformation we are waiting for. Time waits for no one, and the only option is a giant leap, not small steps.
Rapid transformations
It is noted that Iraq is witnessing an accelerated digital transformation in the banking sector, led by the Central Bank, with the aim of enhancing financial inclusion and reducing reliance on cash through the launch of projects such as the instant payment system and local cards, the establishment of new digital banks, and the development of infrastructure, with a focus on cybersecurity and raising community awareness to meet the growing challenges of financial technology in order to achieve a more transparent and efficient economy.
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