Mohamed Abou El Seoud, CEO of the Agricultural Bank of Egypt (ABE), said investing in people is the cornerstone of the bank's development, adding that selecting the best talent for executive management has been his top priority over the past 15 months.

Speaking at a press meeting, Abou El Seoud stressed that people are what build and develop institutions, even as the use of technology and artificial intelligence expands, since choosing the right solutions at the best cost requires competent, experienced staff able to identify the bank's needs.

He said the bank now has an executive team with strong banking-sector talent, with each executive given the authority and resources needed within their remit, and backed by decisions that help them carry out their duties and meet development targets.

ABE's CEO said improving the work environment is not limited to upgrading buildings and equipment but depends on the efforts of executive management and its belief in the institution's goals. He said he is keen to support talent and meet its needs through decisions that make work easier and improve performance.

On the branch network, Abou El Seoud praised the considerable efforts of the previous management in modernising ABE, noting that about 80% of branches have now been upgraded. The remaining branches face challenges related to their locations, including some on upper floors or in places that require security considerations to be addressed.

He added that completing the upgrade of these branches depends on finding suitable alternative sites and resolving existing problems, which would bring the share of upgraded branches to 100%.

On digital transformation, Abou El Seoud revealed that the bank plans to launch its mobile banking app before the end of the year, stressing that work on developing its technology services is moving at a fast pace.

He said the app aims to offer an advanced banking experience built on the "super app" concept, focusing on fast access to services and fewer steps per transaction, enabling the bank to compete with the largest banks in the market.