ABU DHABI // Banks across the capital say there will be no shortage of crisp new notes to give as presents this Eid.
Traditionally Muslims to give children money, or Eidiya, as a gift to celebrate the end of Ramadan, but this often puts pressure on banks as many children insist on clean, crisp, new notes rather than wrinkly old ones.
But this year, according to the banks, there is plenty of supply.
Branch managers across the city told The National they were adequately prepared.
"Every Eid we see this happen," said Nahed Wajih Khalil, assistant branch manager at Emirates Islamic Bank on Sheikh Rashid Road.
"We have not seen any abnormality this year and have an adequate supply of notes for our customers."
Mr Khalil said that due to Eid falling in summer, demand had been lower than previous years.
"A lot of people are on holiday, so there has not been nearly as many people coming," he said.
Other banks have also coped well with demand.
Several branches of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank said that they had adequate supply.
"Especially at this time, our customers want the notes, everyone does, but we have not had a problem this year," said Tareq Al Bahni, branch manager in Al Wahda Mall.
"We got more new notes in ahead of Eid for this," he said.
The Corniche Branch of the National Bank of Abu Dhabi has noticed more people coming forward for new notes also, but again, this was predicted.
"It is normal, every year there is high demand," its branch manager said.
"It is a tradition which still exists. We could have perhaps needed more Dh5 notes, but in general, there has not been a problem."
The manager said that the Central Bank "does its best always to do what the market needs".
ksinclair@thenational.ae
