Bank of Sharjah has introduced facial biometric authentication for fund transfers through a partnership with Emirates Face Recognition, with plans to extend the technology to additional banking services as part of its wider Digital Transformation strategy.
Bank of Sharjah has deployed facial biometric authentication technology to strengthen security and simplify customer verification across its digital banking services.
The deployment forms part of a strategic partnership with Emirates Face Recognition (EFR), a UAE-based technology company specialising in facial recognition, biometric verification and digital identity solutions.
The bank has already gone live with EFR-powered facial authentication for fund transfers, with plans to extend the technology to additional services. According to Bank of Sharjah, the capability is experiencing rapid customer adoption.
The agreement was signed during AI Everything Abu Dhabi, attended by Sridhar Karlapudi, COO of Bank of Sharjah, and Zack Charkas, CEO of Emirates Face Recognition, alongside senior executives from both organisations.
The initiative supports Bank of Sharjah’s wider Digital Transformation strategy, which aims to improve customer access to banking services while strengthening security and operational efficiency.
Through the deployment of biometric verification technology, the bank intends to streamline customer identification and authentication processes, reducing the complexity of accessing and completing financial transactions digitally.
The collaboration will also support enhancements to the bank’s forthcoming mobile banking application and web services.
Planned capabilities include instant account opening, expanded digital banking services and automated Know Your Customer (KYC) updates, enabling customers to complete more banking activities remotely without visiting a branch.
By integrating biometric authentication into these services, Bank of Sharjah aims to simplify customer journeys while maintaining secure verification processes.
“We are proud to partner with an innovative national company like Emirates Face Recognition, which shares our ambition to deliver efficient, secure, and seamless banking solutions. This partnership represents an important milestone in our digital transformation journey and reinforces our commitment to innovation, customer-focused security, and delivering a superior digital banking experience,” said Sridhar Karlapudi, COO of Bank of Sharjah.
The partnership also reflects the growing use of biometric technologies within financial services, where institutions are seeking to balance stronger customer authentication with demand for faster and more convenient digital interactions.
EFR’s technology is designed to support identity verification and customer onboarding, helping organisations automate processes that traditionally require manual checks or in-person verification.
For Bank of Sharjah, the implementation provides a foundation for expanding biometric authentication across additional customer-facing services as its digital banking capabilities develop.
“We are delighted to partner with Bank of Sharjah and support its digital transformation journey. Through EFR solutions, we aim to help organisations streamline critical customer journeys, strengthen security, and deliver seamless digital experiences. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to innovation and creating long-term value for customers and businesses in the UAE,” said Zack Charkas, CEO of Emirates Face Recognition.
The bank expects the partnership to support continued development of its digital banking services, with biometric verification playing an increasingly important role in customer authentication, onboarding and account management.
