Mashreq is piloting IBM Bob, an AI tool that helps engineers design, build and maintain software.

IBM said early results show up to a 60 to 70% cut in the time spent on integration design and troubleshooting.

For example, some tasks that once took two to three hours were completed in minutes.

The UAE bank aims to learn how AI agents can support its teams at each stage of a project.

This includes planning, design, code reviews and fixing issues in live systems.

Much of this work centres on the bank’s integration platform. The platform links its digital banking, instant payments and cross-border services.

On average, it handles 650 transactions per second. IBM and GBM are helping the bank upgrade it.

In addition, Mashreq uses IBM Context Forge to coordinate its AI agents. The tool is based on the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

It gives the agents secure access to API specifications, design standards and operating data.

Each month, about 4,000 of their requests pass through a secure gateway. From there, they reach the bank’s payments, banking and business systems.

“As we continue our AI journey, we’re also evaluating how these capabilities can transform software engineering and operations across the enterprise,”

said Mohamed Abdel Razek, Group Head of Technology, Transformation and Information at Mashreq.

“Together, we’re helping build an intelligent digital foundation that accelerates innovation, improves operational efficiency and prepares the bank for the future of AI-driven banking,”

said Shukri Eid, VP & General Manager, IBM Gulf Levant and Pakistan, IBM.

Meanwhile, the bank is considering running IBM Bob on its own servers for critical systems.

In that case, it may need AI models hosted locally to keep data within the country and meet regulatory needs.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News UAE, based on image by Who is Danny via Magnific.