KIB Releases Its Fifth Annual Sustainability Report

Kuwait International Bank (KIB) announced the release of its fifth annual Sustainability Report for 2025, which highlights the bank’s key achievements in integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into its operations and corporate strategy. This reflects its commitment to continuing to deliver sustainable value to shareholders and society, while reinforcing its position as a financial institution supporting Kuwait’s Vision 2035 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The report outlines the bank’s efforts throughout the year to enhance sustainable finance, strengthen governance frameworks, expand customer services, and advance digital offerings. It also highlights initiatives to develop national talent, support community projects, and monitor and assess environmental impact. The Sustainability Report was prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, thereby enhancing transparency and disclosure levels and aligning with international best practices in sustainability.

Raed Jawad Bu-Khamsin, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kuwait International Bank (KIB), stated: “Sustainability has become an integral part of our operational methodology. Our fifth report embodies this direction by embedding sustainability principles into our operational activities, financing decisions, and governance practices, thereby strengthening our ability to achieve balanced and sustainable growth.”

Bu-Khamsin added: “Last year saw the implementation of several landmark initiatives, including the launch of our Sustainable Finance Framework and the issuance of $300 million in sustainable sukuk. These efforts, alongside continued investment in digital transformation, national talent development, and enhanced environmental and social performance, underscore the bank’s commitment to creating long-term sustainable value for all stakeholders.”

Nawaf Najia, Executive Director of Sustainability and ESG – Strategy Department, said: “The 2025 Sustainability Report reflects the bank’s continuous progress in integrating sustainability principles across its various operations. It highlights the transition from implementing isolated initiatives to adopting a comprehensive, measurable institutional approach that enhances transparency and improves the quality of disclosures regarding environmental, social, and governance performance.”

Najia clarified that the report traces the bank’s journey in sustainable finance, financial inclusion, workforce development, community impact, and environmental monitoring. He emphasized that these efforts reinforce the bank’s position as a financial institution focused on delivering sustained economic, social, and environmental value.

The development of the Sustainable Finance Framework, along with the issuance of $300 million in sustainable sukuk, marks a milestone in KIB’s sustainability journey in 2025. Notably, the issuance of these sukuk contributes to directing returns toward eligible projects and activities within environmental and social categories, thereby enhancing the bank’s capacity to channel capital toward initiatives with added environmental and social value.

KIB’s total investments in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) areas amounted to KD 56 million (approximately $184 million), while its total financing portfolio grew by 17% during the year. Meanwhile, sustainable (ESG) financing covered multiple sectors, reflecting the bank’s commitment to directing funding toward sustainable activities.

Throughout 2025, KIB continued to strengthen its governance and compliance framework, supported by direct oversight from the Board of Directors. This was achieved through the development of its internal control and risk management systems, alongside the adoption of comprehensive policies covering various aspects of sustainability, including sustainable finance, anti-corruption, whistleblowing, operational risks, and professional conduct.

On the technical front, the bank continued to enhance its cybersecurity by adhering to international standards, earning several prestigious international certifications and accreditations in this field, including ISO 27001, ISO 22301, PCI DSS, and the SWIFT CSP program.

In a related context, the bank recorded zero confirmed complaints regarding customer privacy, and no incidents of customer data leakage, theft, or loss were reported during 2025.

KIB made significant progress in developing its digital ecosystem, which positively impacted the expansion of its customer base and enabled the bank to provide its services to various segments of society. The bank’s continuous investment in digitizing its operations led to a qualitative leap in its products and services, including facilitating transactions, automating documentation and transfer procedures, and developing interactive communication channels and financing solutions, thereby providing a smoother and more secure banking experience.

This strategic direction directly reflected in customer satisfaction levels, as the bank witnessed a record 52% decrease in complaints during the year. This coincided with a leap in operational efficiency, thanks to the implementation of the “get it right the first time” principle, achieving a success rate of 98%. The trade finance sector also achieved a similar efficiency rate of 98%, resulting from the digitization of trade finance models and the reduction of manual processing, which accelerated execution speed and enhanced accuracy across all operations.