Oman's Bank Muscat, the largest financial services provider in the sultanate, launched Bank Muscat Souq, a new e-commerce initiative offering exclusive deals to its cardholders through tie-ups with leading merchants, at its headquarters on Monday. Initially, under a tie-up with Travel Point, Bank Muscat Souq will offer exclusive travel deals for the bank's debit and credit cardholders. The bank has plans to expand the services offered to other areas like food, beauty, fashion and healthcare shortly. The deals include competitive rates on flight tickets, holiday packages, hotels and accommodation, car rentals, airport transfers and sightseeing in several countries across the globe as well as special fares on Haj and Umrah, overseas healthcare packages, spa and wellness treatments. Tariq Atiq, AGM of cards and e-banking at Bank Muscat , said that the new initiative is an attempt to encourage and promote e-payment culture in the sultanate, thereby lending support to the government's e-governance initiative. He said, "Soon we will expand our merchant category to include food, beauty, fashion, healthcare and many other services to make Bank Muscat Souq a comprehensive online shop that offers cardholders the best deals available in the market." Sunil Prabhakar, group general manager, Travel Point, said that Bank Muscat cardholders can purchase airline tickets and packages, book hotel rooms in Omani rials and save on conversion rates. "The customers' buying behavior indicates a very high trend towards online shopping, especially for travel and related products," according to Muscat Daily reported.
