Since its foundation in 1952 as the first national bank and the first joint stock company in the Gulf Region, NBK has been known as 'The Bank You Know and Trust'. It has been an unbroken record of rising profits reaching $ 1 billion in 2007, and an ROE of 29.9 percent. NBK is amongst the most valuable Arab companies with a market capitalization of $18.5 billion as of end 2007. 

NBK is by far the largest and most dominant financial institution in Kuwait. It also enjoys the highest credit rating in the Middle East. Among Arab banks, NBK has the most extensive regional and international network, which includes branches, subsidiaries and representative offices in New York, London, Paris, Geneva, Lebanon, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Dubai, Egypt, Singapore, China, Iraq, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. NBK also has other ambitious plans for expansion in the near future to cover Syria and other regions.

NBK has continued to post record profits over the years. In 2001, NBK achieved one of the highest profits in the Arab world reaching 105 million dinars (342 Million US Dollars). NBK also achieved the highest credit rating amongst Emerging Markets from international agencies such as Moody's, Fitch and Standard & Poors', making NBK one of the top banks in the Middle East as well as gaining numerous awards such as the "Best Small Bank in the World" in 1994, and "Best Bank in the Middle East" for many years from Euromoney and The Banker magazines.

"Highest rated bank in the Middle East"

One of the World’s 50 Safest Banks 2009- Global Finance