Bank AL Habib History and Development

Bank AL Habib has a rich history that spans over a century. The bank was founded in 1941 by the Habib family in Karachi, Pakistan.

The bank started as a small trading house and gradually expanded its operations to include banking services.

Today, Bank AL Habib is one of the largest private sector banks in Pakistan, with a strong presence in the country's banking industry.

The bank has undergone significant development over the years, driven by its commitment to innovation and customer service.

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Bank AL Habib has a long history dating back to the 1930s when Habib Group first began providing banking services. The bank has experienced steady growth over the years, with assets exceeding 2.5 trillion rupees.

Bank AL Habib was incorporated as a Public Limited Company in October 1991 and started banking operations in 1992. The bank's founders, the Habib Group, have a rich history in banking, with the original Habib Bank beginning operations in Bombay in 1941.

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Bank AL Habib has a strong presence in Pakistan, with over 1000 branches across the country. The bank's extensive network has positioned it as a preferred banking partner for individuals, businesses, and institutions across Pakistan.

Here are some key milestones in Bank AL Habib's history:

Bank AL Habib's history dates back to the 1930s, when Habib Group first became involved in banking services.

The original Habib Bank began modestly in Bombay in 1941 with a fixed capital of 25,000 rupees.

Impressed by its initial performance, Muhammad Ali Jinnah asked the Habib Bank to move its operations to Karachi after the independence of Pakistan.

Bank AL Habib was incorporated as a Public Limited Company in October 1991, following the privatisation scheme announced by the Pakistani Government.

The Dawood Habib Group was granted permission to set up a commercial bank under the privatisation policy of the Government of Pakistan.

Late Hamid D. Habib, the grandson of the founder of Habib Group, was the first Chairman of Bank AL Habib Limited.

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He was a Director in Habib Bank Limited from 1954 and its chairman from 1971 until nationalisation.

After his death in May 2000, Ali Raza D. Habib took over as Chairman of the Bank.

Rashid D. Habib served as the managing director of Habib Bank Limited from 1953 until its nationalisation.

Abbas D. Habib was appointed as the managing director and Chief Executive of Bank AL Habib Limited after Rashid D. Habib's death in 1994.

In 2016, Abbas D. Habib was appointed as Chairman of the Bank.

Bank AL Habib expanded its operations and opened a representative office in Kenya in 2018.

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At the helm of Bank AL Habib Limited are some experienced and skilled individuals who have played crucial roles in shaping the bank's history.

Abbas D. Habib is the current Chairman of the bank.

Mansoor Ali Khan serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bank AL Habib Limited.

Qumail R. Habib is the bank's Executive Director.

The bank has had its fair share of experienced leaders in the past.

Hamid D. Habib was the Chairman till 2000.

Rashid D. Habib was the CEO & Managing Director till 1994.

Abbas D. Habib took over as CEO & Managing Director in 1994, a position he held till 2016 when he became the Chairman.

Ali Reza D. Habib was the Chairman till 2016.

Bank AL Habib has made several important announcements in 2024 and 2025.

The bank has been transparent about its financial performance, releasing annual reports for the year ended December 31, 2024, on February 6, 2025, and financial results for the same period on January 30, 2025.

BAHL has also released quarterly reports for the periods ended September 30, 2024, and March 31, 2024, on October 29, 2024, and April 29, 2024, respectively.

Here are some key announcements made by BAHL in 2024 and 2025:

The bank has also announced the election of directors on February 19, 2025, and the credit of final cash dividend on February 28, 2025.

The Bank AL Habib app has had its share of issues, particularly with biometric verification. Users have reported being stuck on the biometric verification screen, making it impossible to access their accounts.

One user's experience is a prime example: they successfully logged in but couldn't proceed due to the biometric glitch. This has left them with no choice but to visit the bank in person to withdraw their funds.

The app's inability to support online banking properly has caused frustration among users, who expect to be able to manage their accounts remotely.

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A biometric glitch can lock you out of your bank app. This is exactly what happened to a customer who tried to access their account through the Bank Al Habib app.

The app would not proceed past the biometric verification screen, making it impossible to access their account. This is a frustrating experience, to say the least.

The customer's funds were essentially locked due to the faulty app. This highlights the importance of reliable online banking.

If the app is not working properly, it's essential to inform users so they can make alternative arrangements. This could include visiting the bank in person or using a different banking method.

The customer felt like they had no choice but to visit the bank in person to withdraw their funds. This is a significant inconvenience that could have been avoided with a properly functioning app.

Bank Al Habib's online banking system is notorious for being one of the worst. I've seen firsthand the frustration it causes.

A software engineer who tried to create a new payee on the system wasted an hour due to a faulty validation process. The system kept rejecting the IBAN number despite it being correct.

The engineer was able to add the IBAN number after multiple attempts, but the system then sent an OTP that was declined despite being entered correctly. This led to the account being blocked.

The same engineer spent 6 hours trying to add a new device, with the system calling them 30 times to verify but never validating the account.

Bank Al Habib's online banking system is a perfect example of how poor design and testing can lead to user frustration.

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Bank Al Habib Limited (BAHL) saw its after-tax profits grow by a massive 87 percent year-on-year for the nine-month period ending September 30, 2020.

The bank's asset base expanded by 21 percent over December 2019, reaching Rs1.56 trillion. This significant growth is a testament to the bank's ability to adapt to changing market conditions.

The asset mix remains heavily favored towards investments in securities, as loan demand from the private sector remained subdued due to various factors, including the coronavirus.

Investments grew by a whopping 39 percent over December 2019 and stood at Rs813 billion, driven by strong net markup income growth of 47 percent.

The advances growth was rather muted at 7 percent over December 2019, as economic activity remained dull for most of the 9MCY20 period.

The bank's deposit base increased by Rs185 billion to Rs1.09 trillion, with non-remunerative deposits outpacing fixed deposits, growing by 21 percent over December 2019.

The CASA ratio, which is of paramount importance in times of squeezed spreads and an economy struggling to recover quickly, has been steadily improving over the past few quarters.