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The Kuwaiti athlete set a new person best time at the games in the women’s single sculls final rowing competition on Friday
Regional female athletes are giving us plenty to cheer about at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Team Bahrain’s Amani Al-Obaidly set a new national and personal best record in the women’s 100m backstroke heats earlier this week, while Team Saudi proudly celebrated its first female Olympic swimmer, 17-year-old Mashael Al Ayed. Emirati sprinter Maryam Al Farsi beat out her best time, setting a new personal record during the women’s 100-metre sprint today.
Now Kuwait’s Soaad Al-Faqaan is celebrating her own great accomplishment: setting a new national record in the the women’s single sculls final rowing competition. Soaad is Kuwait’s first female Olympic rower. Today, at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, she beat out her best time by 11 seconds in the women’s single sculls final E race, finishing with a time of 8:05.18 in fifth place.
Earlier this week she came fourth in the qualifying rounds, clocking a time of 8:28.89.
While she won’t be moving forward, Soaad has done a huge service to her country and the sport of rowing — and is clearly an inspiration for aspiring athletes from the region.
Kuwaiti businesswomen have once again earned recognition on Forbes Middle East’s prestigious list of the 100 most powerful female business leaders in the Middle East for 2025.
Forbes Middle East emphasized the significant and ongoing impact these women have across diverse sectors. Their leadership within prominent local and international companies demonstrates their influence in the region’s business landscape.
Shaikha Khaled Al Bahar
Company: National Bank of Kuwait Group (NBK Group)
Title: Deputy Group CEO
Sector: Banking & Financial Services
Ranking 2nd on the list is Shaikha Khaled Al Bahar who assumed her current role in 2014, where she leads the NBK Group in 13 countries. In the first nine months of 2024, the group reported profits of $1.6 billion and had $128.5 billion in assets. In November 2024, it launched the second edition of NBK RISE, to help empower women in leadership. Al Bahar’s board memberships include the board of trustees of the Al-Ojeiri Scientific Center and the Egyptian Kuwaiti Cooperation Council. She is also the vice chairperson of the Turkish Bank in Türkiye.
Wadha Ahmad Al-Khateeb
Company: Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC)
Title: CEO
Sector: Oil & Gas
Ranking 4th on the list is Wadha Ahmad Al-Khateeb who joined KNPC in 1994 and assumed her role as CEO in 2022. KNPC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, owns subsidiaries like the Kuwait Aviation Fueling Company and the Kuwait Aromatics Company. It recorded $41.2 billion in revenues for the fiscal year 2023/24 ending March 2024. Wadha Al-Khateeb is also the acting CEO of the Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company, and vice chairperson of the Gulf Downstream Association. Before her current position, she was the deputy CEO of Mina Abdullah Refinery.
Dana Nasser Al Sabah
Company: Kuwait Projects Company (Holding) – KIPCO
Title: Group CEO
Sector: Diversified
Ranking 5th on the list is Dana Nasser Al Sabah who joined KIPCO in 2004 and has been a board member since 2020. She was appointed group CEO in January 2022. The company generated profits of $205.7 million in the first nine months of 2024 and had $41.6 billion in assets. In April 2024, KIPCO’s subsidiary, the OSN Group, closed a deal to combine OSN+, OSN’s content streaming platform, with Anghami, after acquiring 55.45% of Anghami. Dana Al Sabah is also the founder and chair of the board of trustees of the American University of Kuwait, and the chairperson of the United Education Company, Jordan Kuwait Bank, and the OSN Group.
Nadia Bader Al-Hajji
Company: Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC)
Title: CEO
Sector: Petrochemicals
Ranking 17th on the list is Nadia Bader Al-Hajji who joined PIC, a subsidiary of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, in 2019 and assumed her current role in 2022. PIC recorded a net profit of $127 million in the financial year ending March 2024. Al-Hajji is also the chairman of the EQUATE Group and the Kuwait Olefins Company. She is a board member at the Canada Kuwait Petrochemicals Company, and a board member and treasurer at the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association. She is also head of the Diversity and Inclusion Council at the Kuwait Petroleum Company and its subsidiaries, among other roles.
Henadi Al-Saleh
Company: Agility
Title: Chairperson
Sector: Logistics
Ranking 22nd on the list is Henadi Al-Saleh who joined Agility in 2007 to lead investor relations, financial planning, and analysis. She was appointed to her current role in 2014. Agility employs over 65,000 people, with a footprint across six continents. In the first nine months of 2024, it generated $3.7 billion in revenues and had $13.3 billion in assets. In January 2024, its subsidiary Menzies Aviation acquired a 50% stake in Jardine Aviation Services Group in Hong Kong. In May 2024, Agility Global was listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. Al-Saleh is also a board member at GWC and part of the Global Board of Advisors of the U.S.-based Council on Foreign Relations.
Elham Mahfouz
Company: Commercial Bank of Kuwait (Al-Tijari)
Designation: CEO
Nationality: Egyptian
Sector: Banking & Financial Services
Ranking 54th on the list is Elham Mahfouz who assumed her current role in 2014. In February 2024, Al-Tijari announced a partnership with Network International to aid its ongoing digital transformation, including fraud detection and prevention, tokenization, and cardholder self-serve application. In the first nine months of 2024, the bank had $15.2 billion in assets and recorded net profits of $290.6 million. Mahfouz has held multiple senior executive positions at Al-Tijari since joining the bank in 2000, including general manager in its New York branch.
Donna Sultan
Company: KEO International Consultants
Designation: President & CEO
Sector: Architecture
Ranking 58th on the list is Donna Sultan who has been at KEO since 1985, becoming CEO in 1991, then eventually president and CEO in 2016. The company launched OPTIMA, a facility management consultancy, in October 2024, and inaugurated its Jordan office in September 2024. In June 2024, the Kuwait Center for Nephrology and Kidney Transplant, which KEO International Consultants designed, became operational.
The EU Ambassador to the State of Kuwait H.E. Anne Koistinen presented the 2023 Chaillot Prize for the Promotion of Human Rights in the GCC region to the Kuwaiti Society for Human Rights.
The EU Ambassador to the State of Kuwait H.E. Anne Koistinen presented the 2023 Chaillot Prize for the Promotion of Human Rights in the GCC region to the Kuwaiti Society for Human Rights. The European Union awards the Chaillot Prize every year for actions, campaigns, projects and lifetime achievements that favour Human Rights promotion and awareness in the GCC region. The Prize is named after the Palais de Chaillot in Paris where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948.
In her speech during the ceremony held at the EU Residence in Kuwait, Ambassador Koistinen said: “I am honoured to present the Chaillot Prize for the Promotion of Human Rights in the GCC Region to the Kuwait Society for Human Rights for their unwavering dedication over the years to promoting and advancing human rights in Kuwait. I would like to highlight in particular their work in supporting and advocating for migrant workers’ rights in Kuwait and raising awareness about their labour rights. Engagement with the civil society in Kuwait is a very important part of EU Delegation’s work, therefore I am looking forward to continuing our long-standing cooperation with the Kuwait Society for Human Rights.
Mr. Khaled Al-Humaidi, President of the Board of Directors of the Kuwaiti Society for Human Rights, said in his speech during the ceremony that ‘To be honoured today by awarding us the Challiot Prize for Human Rights is a great moral support for the Kuwaiti Society for Human Rights. This Society has taken upon itself the responsibility of defending human rights and promoting them in the Kuwaiti society through concerted efforts at the government and community levels. We are delighted that the Chaillot Prize was granted to us for our tireless efforts in protecting the rights of migrant workers in Kuwait through the ‘Together Project’, which aims at raising awareness and protecting the rights of migrant workers in Kuwait. This project was implemented by the Kuwaiti Society for Human Rights in cooperation with the European Union Delegation in Kuwait, the Netherlands Embassy, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, in addition to the US-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI).’
For the EU, promoting and protecting human rights is at the heart of EU external policy as they are among the EU’s founding values of human dignity, freedom and respect of human rights. Cooperation on human rights and engagement with the civil society are an integral part of the relations between the European Union and all countries, including Kuwait. The European Union and Kuwait held their fourth Human Rights Dialogue in Brussels on 5 December 2023, where the two sides exchanged about the latest developments on both sides and reiterated their commitment to an open and constructive dialogue to jointly address human rights challenges and share best practices.
Far from being a forgotten tradition, Al Sadu is a centuries-old practice that is perpetuated and reinvented in Arabia.
Historically, Al Sadu met the needs of nomadic life. Women used available resources – sheep’s wool, goat’s and camel’s hair – to create robust textiles, essential for survival in arid environments. Their method, based on rudimentary floor looms, produced tight, durable fabrics characterized by geometric patterns that reflected the environment and culture of their creators.
Al Sadu production begins with shearing the wool and collecting the hair, followed by thorough cleaning to remove impurities. The yarns are then dyed with bright colors derived from local plants and spices, such as henna, turmeric, saffron, aloe and indigo. Weaving is done on traditional looms made from palm or jujube wood.
It also has significant cultural importance, recognised by UNESCO. Kuwaiti Sadu was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020, in collaboration with Saudi Arabia.
Keeping the art alive
Once the preserve of nomadic tribes, this time-honored art is now being revitalized by young designers. In Kuwait , for example, with the aim of perpetuating this heritage, designers are collaborating with Bayt Al-Sadu and specialist researchers. The aim of this collaboration is to develop unique art exhibitions that showcase this nationally recognised culture.
Bayt Al Sadu, or the House of Sadu, is a museum dedicated to the traditional textiles of Kuwait. It is dedicated to the preservation, documentation and promotion of Bedouin textile heritage, ranging from nomadic weaving to urban weaving styles.
A study conducted by Manal Alkhazi at the University of Southampton among 120 young Kuwaiti women aged between 15 and 21 from the six districts of Kuwait revealed that 48.3% of young Kuwaitis interviewed in an electronic survey had Sadu garments at home. In addition, 69.2% of those questioned said they knew the basic Sadu colors.
Recently, Kuwait has taken concrete steps towards women’s empowerment and gender equality. This progress is largely due to the political, cultural and social commitment of pioneering women who have helped to change things. A fight that continues, especially to denounce sexual harassment and demand more protection. Discover the portraits of 5 inspiring women from Kuwait.
1 – Alanoud Alsharekh
Alanoud Alsharek is an academic researcher and activist in the fields of youth and gender demographics, GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) security, bicultural trends and feminism in the Arab world. She is, in fact, a strong advocate for women and their rights, and does not hesitate to speak on this topic through conferences and debates. In 2016, she was named Knight of the National Order of Merit by the French government, for her contribution to the improvement of women’s lives in Kuwait and the region.
2 – Ascia Al Faraj
Famous fashion blogger, ex-model and influencer with 2.5 million followers on Instagram, Ascia Al Faraj is behind the Me too movement in Kuwait. In February 2021, the young woman spontaneously published a video face to face with the camera where she expressed her anger. “Every time I go out, there is someone harassing me or another woman on the street! Don’t you feel ashamed? We have a harassment problem in this country and I’m sick of it!” she exclaims. The video then triggers a wave of testimonies. Dozens of women tell, in turn, how they are harassed and assaulted on a daily basis.
3 – Shayma Shamo
A few days after the video post of Ascia Al Faraj, the young doctor Shayma Shamo brings her support by creating the Instagram account “Lan Asket” (“I will not be silent”, in French). Messages from victims are pouring in and the word is getting out about verbal, physical and sexual harassment. “We must express ourselves, unite and defend each other because what is happening is unacceptable,” she told AFP. The page now has more than 15,000 subscribers.
4 – Lulu Alaslawi
Another inspiring woman from Kuwait to speak out against violence against women is fashion and lifestyle influencer Lulu Alaslawi. A media figure with more than 400,000 followers on her page, the Kuwaiti breaks the silence by denouncing the bullyingshe faces for her fashion photos. “The girls do not speak for fear of being stigmatized. But we won’t stop until we defeat this cancer in society,” she says.
5 – Lulwa Al-Qatami
Known for being the first Kuwaiti woman to go to England for university studies in 1953, Lulwa Al-Qatami has had a remarkable career since then. A former director of Kuwait University and UNESCO ambassador, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. Most recently, in 2019, Lulwa Al-Qatami was awarded the Legion of Honor for her commitment to education and women’s empowerment.
Guinness-accredited arbitrator honours owner of Bisht Al Baghli exhibition.
Guinness Book of Records recognizes Kuwait’s impressive bisht achievement
Kuwait has set a new world record for the largest bisht in the world. The impressive garment, measuring 17 by 16 meters, broke the previous record of 17 by 9 meters held by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported.
The bisht was produced under the supervision of the Al Baghli Exhibition for the Bisht Industry, a well-known establishment in Kuwait famous for its high-quality traditional garments. Its sewing took a total of 48 days, with the team of craftsmen working tirelessly to ensure every detail was perfect.
The achievement has been recognized by the Guinness Book of Records, with Guinness-accredited arbitrator Kenzi Al Dafrawi honouring Riyad Al Baghli, owner of the Bisht Al Baghli exhibition.
A bisht is a long cloak traditionally worn over a thobe or kandura at special occasions or celebrations in Middle Eastern countries.
The garments are typically black, but also come in white and brown, and are made from a light, often sheer, material with gold trimming.
Traditionally, they are worn at times of celebration, for weddings, Eid and significant festivals. Historically, they were a winter garment, reserved for keeping the wearer warm on colder nights.
source/content: gulfnews.com (headline edited)
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The impressive garment measures 17 by 16 meters. / Image Credit: Kuna
In line with the airline’s strategy to match capacity with demand, optimize performance with the best in on board experiences for its customers, Kuwait Airways launched its first inaugural flight to New York John F Kennedy Airport utilizing the Airbus A330neo and in setting the record for the longest flight flown by the A330-800 neo in 13 hours.
The award winning Airspace cabin is equipped with a two-class configuration comprising of 32 full flat business class seats and 203 economy class cabin seats on a 2-4-2 configuration. Thus offering passengers state of the art flying experience with more personal space, quietest cabin in its market and the latest generation of in-flight entertainment system and connectivity.
Sustainability From a sustainability and efficiency standpoint, the A330neo offers benefits to both the airline and the traveling public. With double-digit fuel savings and CO2 emissions compared to other aircraft in its category, the A330- 800 allows significantly lower operational cost and therefore competitive ticket pricing. Captain Ali Al Dukhan, Chairman Kuwait Airways said.
“This flight marks a new era in our strategy to right-fit the best of customer experiences while balancing cost efficiencies and sustainability in our operational decisions. The utilization of this aircraft’s long-range capability will also bring double-digit savings, which coincidentally means less harm to the environment, matching closely to our ESG goals. We are proud to take the next step forward in reaching the corporate strategy goals in reducing costs and enhancing marginal performance”.
Mikail Houari, President, Airbus Africa Middle East said: “We are proud that Kuwait Airways has chosen to deploy the A330-800 on John F Kennedy Airport, a key route for the airline. We are confident that the aircraft will provide passengers with exceptional flying experience while providing the airline with unbeatable economics, efficiency and environmental performance.
He replaces his countryman Nayef Al Hajraf, whose term is coming to an end.
Jasem Al Budaiwi, Kuwait’s ambassador to the US, has been appointed as the new Secretary General of the Gulf Co-operation Council, succeeding Nayef Al Hajrafwhose term ends on Tuesday.
The GCC said Mr Al Hajraf welcomed the new secretary general and “wished him success”.
Mr Al Hajraf, who took office on February 1, 2020, was previously Kuwait’s minister of finance.
Mr Al Budaiwi, who will take up his new post on Wednesday, began his diplomatic career with Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1992 as diplomatic attache in the office of the deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs.
He was posted to Kuwait’s US embassy in June 2001, where he was promoted to first secretary in 2004, counsellor in 2007 and deputy chief of mission in October 2011.
He was appointed ambassador to Korea in 2013 and served in the post until 2016.
He then served as Kuwait’s ambassador to Belgium and head of mission to Nato until last year, when he was appointed ambassador to the US.
In December, leaders of the GCC agreed that Kuwait should retain the position of secretary general of the council for a second consecutive term during their annual summit in Riyadh.
Mr Al Budaiwi will be the GCC’s third secretary general from Kuwait after Mr Al Hajraf and Abdullah Yaqoub Bishara, who was the first person to hold the post after the council was established. Mr Bishara’s tenure was to last 11 years, making him the longest-serving chief among the six to have held the position.
Mr Al Hajraf has been making farewell visits to GCC states in recent weeks and meeting their leaders and foreign ministers.
The GCC was established in 1981 to promote economic, security, cultural and social co-operation between its six member states, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The countries hold a summit every year.
The GCC’s Supreme Council is made up of the heads of the member states.
UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, hosted the council’s first meeting in Abu Dhabi on May 25 and 26, 1981.
The Kuwaitis continued to make many distinguished achievements and achieved results in various fields and at the various local, regional and international levels, which were recorded for their work and creativity, reports Al-Rai daily. The following are the most prominent of these achievements during the year 2022.
February 10: Dr. Hind Al-Qadri, a researcher at the Dasman Diabetes Institute of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, won the 2021 L’Oréal UNESCO Prize for Women in Science within the Middle East Regional Program for Emerging Female Researchers. (see picture below)
February 24: Kuwaiti parachutist Ibrahim Al-Rubaian recorded an unprecedented feat by jumping from a height of 13,000 feet with the biggest fl ag in the sky of Kuwait, with an area of 800 square meters, under the slogan “I raised glory and soared with pride,” coinciding with the national holidays.
February 26: The State of Kuwait entered the Guinness Book of Records by hoisting the country’s largest flag measuring 2,742 square meters and installing it on a mountain peak in the Sultanate of Oman (Jabal Shams), at an altitude of 3,028 meters above sea level, in conjunction with national holidays.
March 21: The Arab Organization for Education, Culture and Science (ALECSO) honored Sheikha Dr. Suad Al-Sabah, in recognition of her brilliant contributions in the literary and cultural fields, at its eighth session of the “Arab Poetry Day” in the Tunisian capital.
April 23: The International Professional Diving Instructors Organization awarded the Kuwait Scientific Club Center for Swimming and Diving a Certificate of Excellence for its contribution to the development of the diving industry inside and outside Kuwait.
June 12: Kuwaiti researchers Dr. Nasser Al-Sayegh and Dr. Ammar Bahman obtained a patent from the US Patent Office, for their invention of a device capable of characterizing the physical state of nanosuspensions dispersed in nanofluids during the dynamic fl ow process.
June 29: Kuwait University announces that Assistant Professor of the Department of Surgical Sciences at the College of Dentistry, Dr. Muhammad Kamal, and the Consultant of Nose and Throat at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Abdul Mohsen Al-Turki, obtained a patent from the United States of America for an alternative medical splint to the nose wicks.
July 2: The International Pharmaceutical Federation selected Dr. Dalal Al-Taweel, Assistant Dean for Student and Academic Affairs at the College of Pharmacy, among 20 rising stars in the field of pharmaceutical research and pharmaceutical education.
August 11: The League of Arab States honors the Kuwaiti youth, Abdullah Al- Shammari, who won the third place for the “Excellence Award for Arab Youth 2022” in the field of “voluntary work” granted by the Council of Arab Ministers of Youth and Sports. The award came about the “Al-Amal Electronic Newspaper” project, which is concerned with the affairs of people with disabilities.
October 2: Plastic artist Munira Al-Qadiri won the prize of the 15th session of the German “Trina Fellbach” exhibition for small sculptures.
October 3: Dr. Badr Al-Enezi, from the Department of Environmental Technology Management at the College of Life Sciences at Kuwait University, obtained a patent on “improving water and solving the problem of environmental pollution in a scientific way” from the United States Patent and Intellectual Property Office.
October 9: Kuwaiti photographer Muhammad Murad won first place in the prestigious international “Mont Photo” competition for photography in the natural world in Spain.
October 12: The European Union of Medical Specialties selected Dr. MuhammadKamal, a Kuwaiti academic, as the first examiner from outside the continent for the Board of Oral, Maxillofacial, and Head and Neck Surgery. The selection was made during the last session held in the Spanish capital, Madrid.
October 12: Lama Fahad Al-Ariman received the “Rising Space Leaders” award presented by the International Astronautical Federation as the representative of the State of Kuwait in this international competition.
October 30: Kuwaiti photographer Muhammad Murad won the top honorary prize in the African “Benjamin Mkapa” competition for developing African wildlife and the American “Nature Best” competition.
Shaikha Al-Bahar, Deputy Group CEO at National Bank of Kuwait, received “Distinguished Services to Arab Banking Award 2022” from the Arab Bankers Association (ABA) in recognition and appreciation of her dedicated efforts and outstanding contributions to the growth of the Arab banking industry.
Lord William Russell, the former mayor of the City of London, presented the award to Al-Bahar, during the Arab Bankers Association’s annual event, which was held in London, England and was attended by top executives and key leaders across the financial services industry.
In her acceptance speech, Al-Bahar said NBK has adopted a cooperate culture of leadership, that doesn’t only drive excellence, but rather actively demonstrates that excellence. Drawing from this unique culture, NBK’s leaders inspire their team members to forge a carrier in the banking industry by providing them with the right tools to create efficiencies and deliver the best results.
“I am very proud of what I have achieved throughout my career with NBK. It gives me more pride that my professional career was closely aligned with my personal believes and goals, which helped me achieve a lot of my personal aspirations, especially the ones that relate to giving back to the community through responsible banking practices”. Al-Bahar said.
“I am also honored to be a member of the leadership team that has guided NBK to its prominent position as one of the region’s leading financial institutions.” Al-Bahar added.
Al-Bahar highlighted that behind her personal accomplishment, there was dedication and willingness to differentiate herself through hard work, thinking outside the box, and getting out of her comfort zones.
Al-Bahar described her professional journey as one filled with devotion, evolution, and inspiration, from its starting point as a trainee in one of NBK’s branches, all the way until she took the helm as DGCEO. Throughout this unique journey, she managed to leave a positive footprint and played a key role in shaping the Group’s strategic vision, a direction that successfully positioned NBK as the most Valuable Banking Brand in Kuwait and among the top five banking brands in the region.
Al-Bahar emphasized that NBK adopts an open culture of customer-centricity, innovation, digital mindset, and data-driven decision-making to well position NBK as a digital leader and trendsetter in Kuwait and the region, building next generation digital banking experience.
NBK Group Deputy CEO also stated that the long-term interests of all NBK stakeholders are inseparable, as the Bank continues to create added value to all its customers, employees, and communities.
“A real leader knows how to drive change. Therefore, I am committed to advocating for greater boardroom diversity and continue developing and supporting various women empowerment initiatives, the latest of which was launching “NBK RISE”, a first-of-its-kind Global Women Leadership Initiative designed by women for women”. Al-Bahar noted.
Al-Bahar emphasized the importance of gender balance in boardrooms, as nowadays it has come to the forefront. Therefore, NBK took the initiative and started from within, ensuring that women break boardroom barriers and that they have adequate representation on all our boards and committees.
“In today’s fast-changing global environment, we continue to inspire our teams to be future leaders and provide them with the tools to transform organizations, enhance value creation, create efficiencies, and deliver better results.” Al-Bahar said.
Al-Bahar believes that continuous learning is key to success, and that people learn the most when thrown in the deep end.
Acknowledgment and Appreciation
In conclusion of her speech, Al-Bahar acknowledged the collaborative dedication of NBK employees, highlighting their efforts as they continue to elevate NBK’s leadership position to new heights.
“This award reflects our vision to continue building on our excellence and further strengthens our resolve to maintain the course of our inclusive, resilient, and sustainable approach. At NBK, we have always been focused on developing effective leaders within and throughout our organization, and thereby improve the overall quality of our operations.” Al-Bahar concluded.
A Role Model for Ambition
Former Mayor of the City of London, Lord William Russell, said that Al-Bahar is a role model for the ambitious women across the Middle East and on the international front, adding that as a leading banker in the GCC, she offers a strategic viewpoint and distinct voice that is recognized and valued by politicians and leaders.
A Prominent Role
Meanwhile, Mr. George Kanaan, CEO of the Arab Bankers Association, stressed that Al-Bahar was instrumental in the growth of banking services throughout the Middle East, as well as in assisting enterprises and organizations to obtain the financial products and services they required to achieve their goals.
The Arab Bankers’ Association (ABA) was founded in 1980 and is a London-based not-for-profit professional organization whose members work in banks and related industries in the Arab world and in the United Kingdom. ABA is dedicated to strengthening the connection and interdependence among members of the financial sector in Arab nations and the United Kingdom through constant contact and information exchange, as well as a diverse range of activities and events.
Al-Bahar receives the award from Abdulaziz Al-Khuraiji, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab Bankers Association in London, and George Kanaan, CEO of the Arab Bankers Association.
