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The National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) was established in 1952 as
the first local and national bank and as the first Joint Stock
Company in Kuwait and the Gulf area. NBK is considered the
largest financial institution in the state of Kuwait and has
the largest market share of banking services. It is
distinguished among other Arab banks due to its local and
international network of branches, representative offices and
subsidiaries in London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Bahrain,
Lebanon, Vietnam and Thailand.
The National Bank of Kuwait – Lebanon (NBK-L) was
established in 1962 under the name of Rifbank, SAL. Today
NBK-L has 9 branches located in the popular commercial and
touristic areas in Lebanon. These branches are located in
Sanayeh, Ashrafieh, Chiah, Dora, Hamra, Mazraa, Jounieh,
Bhamdoun and Broumana. All the branches have online
connections and offer various traditional banking services,
such as current and saving accounts, fixed deposits and
consumer lending. The bank has recently introduced new
services for all the sectors, including investment accounts,
personal loans and salary accounts.
NBK-L is also offering real estate services to customers
living in Kuwait who are interested in purchasing real estate
in Lebanon or who are already owners of real estate. These
services include property evaluations, legal consultation,
registration procedures, property insurance, payment of
utility bills, safe deposit boxes and housing loans. For more
convenient customer service, NBK-L also offers ATM cards
allowing customers 24 hours seven days a week access to their accounts in
Lebanon and Kuwait from any where in the world. The bank has
recently begun offering free transfer service by telephone
from Kuwait to Lebanon for customers who maintain accounts in
NBK Kuwait and Lebanon.
NBK was issued an "A/B" individual bank
rating by FitchRatings, which reflects the agency's confidence in NBK's
financial strength. This rating puts NBK among a small elite group of the most
solid financial institutions in the world, with only six banks in the world
having a higher rating.
NBK has been repeatedly awarded the highest
rating among all banks in the Middle East by international rating agencies
such as Moody's, Standard & Poor's, Fitch Ratings and Capital Intelligence. It
is the leading bank in the State of Kuwait, and ranks among the top-tier banks
in the Arab world.
NBK's consistent profitability, its strong
financial position, and extensive international presence have always earned it
the most distinguished and globally recognized awards. Among the awards earned
by NBK are the following:
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Best Smaller Bank in the World - Euromoney -
1994
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Best Bank in the Middle East - Euromoney -
1994,2002
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Bank of the Year in the Middle East - The
Banker - 2001, 2002
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Best Bank in the Middle East & African -
Global Finance - 2003
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Best Local Bank in the Middle East -
Euromoney - 1999, 2000
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Best Bank in Kuwait - Euromoney - 1994, 1995,
1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
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Bank of the Year in Kuwait - The Banker -
2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
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Best Bank in Kuwait - Global Finance - 1999,
2000, 2001, 2002
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Best Local Partner in Kuwait - Euromoney -
2003
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Best M & A House in Kuwait - Euromoney - 2003
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Best Internet Bank - Global Finance - 2003
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Best Middle Eastern Equity Deal - MEED Money
& International Equity Review - 1997
NBK manages the investment of its retail and corporate
customers through its subsidiaries, the National Bank of
Kuwait (Suisse) and the NBK Investment Management Company (NBKIM)
which is located in London and has a strategic alliance with
the Morgan Stanely Dean Witter Investment Management Limited.
A variety of investment funds, such as “The Watani Funds”
and the Islamic funds “AlKawthar”, offer multiple choices
of asset management services that are tailored to fit the
needs of NBK clientele.
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