Two more gold ATMs coming to Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI // Two more gold-bar dispensing ATMs will be installed in the capital next week, bringing the total to eight nationwide.

The "Gold to Go" machines, which issue 24-carat keepsakes starting at around Dh500, will be placed in Abu Dhabi's Marina Mall and the "mall branch" of Al Hilal Bank along the Abu Dhabi Corniche.

A ninth and tenth machine are planned for later this year in locations not yet disclosed, said Christian Gueit, the area manager for Ex Oriente Lux, the firm that produces the machines.

The first gold ATM in the UAE opened at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi last summer. This year, others have opened in Dubai on the 124th-storey observation deck of the Burj Khalifa and its ground-floor gift shop, in the Dubai Mall, at the Ski Dubai indoor slope in the Mall of the Emirates, and at the Atlantis Hotel on the Palm Jumeirah.

The top-selling machine is at the Emirates Palace, followed by the two at the Burj Khalifa, Mr Gueit said.

The most popular items are the Dh500, 2.5-gram bars and the "branded bars" bearing a representation of their location, such as an image of the Burj Khalifa.

chuang@thenational.ae