Kuwait – 19 April 2016: Gulf Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility iniatives in the fields of culture and education were recently recognized and lauded by Gulf University of Science and Technology (GUST) through an “Al Shakoor Lifetime Achievement Award”. The award, an iniative of the Mass Communications and Media Department, was presented at a special awards ceremony at GUST and was received on behalf of the Bank by Ms. Laila Al- Qatami, Assistant General Manager for Corporate Communications, and Mr. Khaled Al-Otaibi, Assistant Manager for Corporate Communications.

The Al Shakoor Awards recognize corporations and organizations that have made significant contributions to Kuwaiti society and have an outstanding corporate social responsibility (CSR) portfolio. Awards were presented for csr excellence in health, environment, culture and education, as well as social welfare and charity. The independent judging panel included media figures, community leaders, industry experts and academics. Companies and organizations are nominated and are required to submit data to the independent judging panel. Information required included 10-years of information on: the types of events, the benefits for the community, and the impact on the community. The judges then evaluated the submissions based on: the impact and scope of the program’s success; the methods, solutions and leadership of the the programs and intiatives; the innovation of the initiative; sustainability; integrity; and expenditures in terms of time, money, and staff engagement.

Gulf Bank’s CSR program is committed to initiatives and events that benefit the community. Over the past year, the Bank has sponsored events focusing on youth; education; health and fitness; helping the underprivileged; women’s empowerment; as well as promoting Kuwait’s heritage and culture.

Gulf Bank has a strong track record of supporting numerous educational and cultural activities. The bank’s educational initiatives include ongoing support for INJAZ Kuwait, providing a large number of employee volunteers, and consistently maintaining its position as lead sponsor. Gulf Bank was also a platinum sponsor of this year’s National Union of Kuwaiti Students (NUKS) conference in the USA, and a sponsor of the Tamkeen Youth Empowerment Symposium, a Kuwaiti initiative delivered by young people to the youth of Kuwait. In addition, the bank sponsored the ‘Jahazeen 2’ training and development program, which was held in cooperation with Kuwaiti’s Manpower and Government Restructuring Program (MGRP).

Cultural activities the bank has supported include sponsoring Kuwait University’ second annual ‘Against Violence…With Tolerance’ forum on which was organized by Kuwait University’s College of Social Sciences, in cooperation with Women’s Research and Studies Center and Ministry of Interior. The bank has also sponsored the 27th Memorial Journey for Pearl Diving, Gulf Bank has sponsored this event for as a key part of its long-term commitment to preserving the heritage and continuing the traditions of Kuwait’s unique past.

To learn more about Gulf Bank’s initiatives, or any of its products and services, visit one of Gulf Bank’s 56 branches; call the Customer Contact Center on 1805805, or log on to www.e-gulfbank.com, Gulf Bank’s bilingual website.