Transformation Project - HIGHLY COMMENDED
Al Dahra
Managing cash, funding, and risk across multiple countries is challenging enough, and doing it with manual processes and fragmented data makes it even harder. Al Dahra, one of the world’s largest agribusiness logistics companies, worked with First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) to introduce a white label treasury management system (TMS), replacing inefficiencies with automation, real-time visibility, and stronger financial control.
Growth inevitably brings complexity. As Al Dahra expanded its operations across 13 countries, its treasury function struggled to keep up. Cash was spread across multiple bank accounts, making it challenging to get a clear picture of liquidity.
Payments were handled manually, slowing down operations and increasing the risk of errors. Treasury had become a daily firefight, and with expansion plans continuing, it was clear that a better system was needed. Partnering with First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), Al Dahra became the first company in the region to implement a white label TMS.
Seeing the light
The top priority was visibility. Without a clear, real-time view of its cash position, treasury spent hours each morning pulling reports from different banks, cross-checking figures, and manually updating spreadsheets. To address this, Al Dahra integrated its banking network with FAB’s Swift BIC (bank identifier code) for cash reporting. This means that bank statements are now automatically transmitted to the TMS every morning, covering 99% of group balances across more than 200 accounts. Instead of waiting for reports, treasury can instantly access accurate cash positions.
Managing loans and risk more effectively
With cash under control, the next challenge was managing loans and financial risk. Al Dahra’s multi-currency debt portfolio needed careful oversight – not just for tracking interest payments but also for hedging exposures and ensuring accurate mark-to-market (MTM) calculations. Previously, these calculations were carried out manually, increasing the risk of inconsistencies and errors.
Bringing loans into the TMS changed everything. Now, treasury can track repayments, monitor hedging positions, and verify bank calculations in real time. In addition, scenario analysis tools enable treasury to test the impact of currency and interest rate movements before they happen, improving decision-making and reducing financial risk.
Speeding up payments
Payments were a separate challenge. Treasury transactions, intercompany transfers, and supplier payments were all handled manually, often requiring multiple email approvals across different teams. The company had to find a way to process payments faster without compromising oversight.
The solution was securing its own Swift BIC for payments, sponsored by FAB. This has enabled Al Dahra to centralise all outgoing payments through a single, secure banking channel rather than relying on multiple interfaces with different banks.
With this dedicated BIC for payments, treasury can route transactions more efficiently across banks, reduce dependency on multiple banking platforms, ensure a consistent and structured payment process, and improve security and governance with a six-eye approval framework. At the same time, payments are automated within the TMS. This significantly reduced processing times and errors while ensuring all payments are properly recorded and auditable.
A new era
With a modern TMS, Al Dahra’s treasury function now operates at a completely different level. The company no longer spends half a day reconciling bank statements and cash balances are visible in real time. Payments flow seamlessly through a structured approval process, reducing delays and improving control. The shift has saved time and made treasury a more strategic function, helping the business plan with confidence and move faster.
