DOHA: Banks are stashing up crisp currency bills totalling a staggering QR2bn in their ATM networks in anticipation of huge cash withdrawals during Eid Al Adha holidays.
Banks are closed from today and will reopen only on October 12, but nearly every bank will have at least a branch open in the evening during the long Eid break.
All banks also have technical teams ready to provide immediate assistance if there are glitches with any of their ATMs. Bank staff will be on duty to assist customers whose ATM cards are by mistake gobbled up by the ATMs.
ATMs stash up currency bills of only 50, 100 and 500 denominations. Banks have mostly put new, crisp currency bills as people mostly give away cash as gift to children during Eid festivities.
Banking industry sources said that there have been large cash withdrawals by people in the past two days and that is the reason why banks have stashed so much cash in their ATMs as they expect the withdrawals to increase during the holidays.
Banks will also be ready with extra cash supplies in case there are any shortages, sources added.
An increasing number of expatriates have been withdrawing cash from ATMs to route remittances to their near and dear ones back home during Eid.
The Peninsula
