Al-Warrah appoints Hanan Hamada as Head of Internal Audit

Wahat Bank announced the appointment of Hanan Ghanem Hamada as Head of the Internal Audit Group, effective July 19, 2026, according to a disclosure issued by the bank to the Kuwait Stock Exchange and the Capital Markets Authority. This move reflects the bank’s commitment to strengthening its corporate governance and internal control framework, and consolidating best corporate practices in line with local and international standards.

The appointment follows a professional career spanning more than two decades in the banking sector, during which Hanan Ghanem Hamada held several senior leadership positions in internal audit, making her a national talent with deep expertise in risk management, control, and corporate compliance.

Hanan Ghanem Hamada possesses professional experience dating back to 2004. She began her career in the banking sector in customer service before transitioning to the internal audit field, where she progressed through senior leadership roles at several Kuwaiti banks. Most recently, she served as Deputy Head of the Internal Audit Group at Wahat Bank. Previously, she worked as Assistant General Manager for Internal Audit, and held various leadership positions, starting as an Internal Auditor, then Assistant Manager, Senior Manager, and ultimately Executive Director in the Internal Audit sector.

Throughout her career, she has contributed to leading risk-based audit operations, overseeing the preparation and implementation of annual audit plans, developing control methodologies, enhancing team efficiency, and coordinating with regulatory authorities, external auditors, audit committees, and boards of directors.

Hamada is known for her expertise in designing and implementing audit plans based on risk assessments, and leading audit teams across various banking sectors, including retail and corporate banking, financing, treasury, compliance, anti-money laundering, central operations, governance, risk management, and information technology. She has also contributed to conducting special investigations and specialized reviews, following up on the implementation of corrective recommendations, and developing continuous audit methods and data analysis techniques, thereby enhancing the efficiency of internal controls and strengthening the effectiveness of the corporate control environment.

Hanan Ghanem Hamada holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Kuwait, in addition to being a Certified Internal Auditor. She has also participated in numerous specialized programs and courses in internal audit, risk management, governance, anti-money laundering, banking supervision, managerial leadership, data analysis, and risk-based auditing. Furthermore, she has attended specialized professional conferences within Kuwait and abroad, contributing to the transfer of global best practices in audit and corporate control.

Throughout her career, Hamada has received numerous certificates of appreciation and professional awards, including being honored as the “Ideal Employee,” as well as achieving outstanding performance evaluations for several consecutive years, reflecting the high level of professionalism and competence she demonstrated in the various positions she held.

She also played a pivotal role in training and developing national talents, contributing to the enhancement of internal audit teams, and strengthening a culture of compliance and control within banking institutions.

Hanan Ghanem Hamada’s expertise is expected to contribute to continuing the development of the bank’s control system, enhancing audit process efficiency, and supporting the Board of Directors, the Audit Committee, and executive management with independent reviews that help protect the interests of the bank and its shareholders, while consolidating principles of integrity and corporate sustainability, thereby reinforcing Wahat Bank’s position as one of the leading Islamic banking institutions in Kuwait.