Project
National Bank of Oman
National Bank of Oman opened in 1973 as the country’s first local bank and has since grown into a network of more than sixty branches, including Muzn, its dedicated Islamic banking arm. Two of its Muscat branches needed to hold that split identity clearly: one organized around everyday conventional banking, the other shaped by the calligraphy and welcome rituals of Islamic finance.
NBO — Sadara Branch
A faceted glass facade filters Muscat’s daylight across the Sadara banking hall, breaking it into angled panels of blue and white before it reaches the floor. Cognac leather lounge seating and walnut teller pods ground the hall in richer materials, while a ribbed glass screen separates the queue from private transactions without sealing it off. Behind it, a boardroom in dark reddish wood and a private office wrapped in triangular millwork carry that same material confidence into Sadara’s back-of-house.
NBO — Al Khoud Branch (Muzn Islamic Banking)
An Arabic welcome, carried through angled timber and cobalt.
At Al Khoud, a backlit glass wall reads “حياكم — Welcome to Al Khoud” in cursive above a stone reception counter, setting the tone for Muzn, NBO’s Islamic banking arm. An angled, slatted timber ceiling washed in blue light gathers the lounge into a single sculptural gesture, while two-tone cobalt seating replaces Sadara’s cognac leather. Teller counters and a boardroom wall reading “Unlock opportunities, as one” carry the branch’s Arabic identity through to its transaction points.
