Riyad Bank was established in 1957 and is one of the largest financial institutions in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. The banking sector in Saudi Arabia is going through a period of transition as a result of a changing economic landscape, political reform, and global digitalisation. Recognising the need to become more customer-focused, Riyad Bank initiated a comprehensive UX training programme. A UX facilitator, appointed to oversee the programme, carried out extensive customer experience analysis testing across different internal teams to ascertain their understanding of the subject. The results confirmed that a bespoke coaching and mentoring team was needed to ensure that future product and service development projects were in line with customer and market requirements.

Akendi quickly recognised the merits of having a fully equipped training lab, complete with a working ATM and a mini bank branch at their disposal, and was able to incorporate it into the programme. Akendi delivered UX training over five days, including providing an interactive workshop in the lab, giving different teams hands-on experience with completing usability and service design exercises in a controlled environment and with guidance. Upon completion, the majority of participants sat and passed Akendi's Certified Experience Researcher exam.