ShareKUUWAIT: In a significant achievement for the renowned Al-Danah Millionaire Account, Gulf Bank has proudly announced the 21st millionaire in the history of Al-Danah Millionaire draws. The lucky winner, Alaa Youssef Adel Al-Mutairi, became the youngest winner of the world’s largest prize, valued at an impressive KD 2 million.
Acknowledging that special events require exceptional locations, Gulf Bank selected Al-Shaheed Park for this momentous occasion. With its symbolic significance, and reputation as one of the largest public parks in Kuwait and the region, Al-Shaheed Park proved to be the perfect location for revealing the lucky winner of the world’s largest bank account prize, aligning with Gulf Bank’s dedication to promoting environmental sustainability.
In the presence of representatives from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Ernst & Young, and amidst the palpable atmosphere of anticipation and excitement among eagerly awaiting Al-Danah Millionaire Account holders, Gulf Bank revealed the name of the winner. The event was live-streamed on the bank’s social media platforms.
Digital services
Addressing the audience at the ceremony, Mohammad Al-Qattan, the General Manager of Consumer Banking at Gulf Bank, extended his congratulations to Alaa Al-Mutairi, who secured the annual grand prize, becoming the first and youngest winner of the KD 2 million prize.
He emphasized that the Al-Danah Millionaire Account consistently fulfills the dreams of customers and plays a role in creating millionaires, encouraging tens of thousands to embrace a savings-oriented mindset. Furthermore, he noted that individuals who were not fortunate enough to win the KD 2 million prize will have another chance in the semi-annual draw for a KD 1 million prize on July 18, 2024.
Al-Qattan highlighted the remarkable advancements in the bank’s services, and the unprecedented progress in its digital transformation journey. This transformative process involved introducing a new version of Gulf Bank’s mobile application, and the launch of high-quality products designed to align with customer aspirations.
Emphasizing the continuous success of the bank’s digital transformation journey, Al-Qattan highlighted enhancements in electronic services, branches, ATMs, as well as the Call Center – all aimed at making Gulf Bank’s services more accessible, faster, and superior in the banking sector. This endeavor aligns with the bank’s 2025 strategy, to position itself as a forward-looking financial institution, harnessing state-of-the-art technology. He also mentioned that, in addition to service development and ongoing efforts to improve the customer experience, Gulf Bank has introduced a new identity for its branches; emphasizing the concept of self-service. This approach will be progressively rolled out across the current branch network, and the bank has launched its first environmentally friendly branch in the residential area of Sabah Al-Ahmad.
Al-Qattan concluded by affirming the bank’s commitment to generous investments aimed at delivering an extraordinary customer experience. This entails concentrating on developing advanced digital capabilities and improving the skills of employees, to ensure banking services that are user-friendly.
Human resources
Salma Al-Hajjaj, the General Manager of Human Resources, highlighted Gulf Bank’s exceptional workplace environment, positioning it as one of the most attractive talent destinations in the private sector, and underscoring its positive impact on the overall customer experience. She acknowledged the bank’s substantial efforts in empowering women and youth, as well as its continuous commitment to developing and training its employees. This is achieved through collaborations with prestigious international and local institutions, ensuring that staff members acquire the latest expertise and skills essential to keep pace with significant developments in the banking industry, both locally and internationally.
Al-Hajjaj stressed the economic imperative of empowering women and supporting their career development. She pointed out that companies offering equal opportunities for both genders, often witness increased levels of profitability, productivity, and innovation, leading to positive effects on their reputation and market value.
The year of change
Najla Al-Eisa, Deputy General Manager of Consumer Banking at Gulf Bank’s Marketing Department, highlighted that the significant advancement observed in Gulf Bank has further enhanced the customer experience. This improvement is realized through the provision of services characterized by simplicity and innovation; meeting customer aspirations, simplifying their lives, and contributing to sustainable growth. She further stated, “We have declared 2024 as “Year of Change”, building upon our success from the previous year, in raising awareness about the significance of saving through informative programs and campaigns that encourage customers to save. This resulted in the increase of the grand prize value of the Al-Danah Millionaire draw to KD 2 million.”
Al-Eisa emphasized that Gulf Bank’s campaigns this year will concentrate on instigating change within the bank and in the lives of their customers. She highlighted that the 2024 calendar, themed “Always with You in the Year of Change,” has been structured to assign each month with a specific value related to change, including “Determination,” “Self-challenge,” “Ambition,” “Acquiring New Skills,” “Self-confidence,” and more.
Wealth management
Sattam Al-Marzouq, Assistant General Manager of Consumer Banking at Gulf Bank - Wealth Management, expressed, “Gulf Bank is committed to delivering top-notch services to its Wealth Management clients, tailored to their needs and lifestyle. This commitment aims to attract more high-net-worth individuals seeking distinguished banking services.”
He emphasized that as part of the 2025 strategy, the bank is committed to improving and extending services tailored to the needs of its Wealth Management customers. The goal is to streamline their banking operations for greater ease and convenience. Additionally, the bank consistently strives to bolster its relationship with esteemed customers, by continuously exploring and understanding their evolving banking needs and requirements.
Mohammed Taqi: The fastest rewarding program in Kuwait
Gulf Bank consistently seeks to reward its customers with the best and fastest rewarding program in Kuwait. In line with the dedication, the bank has introduced the Gulf Bank Rewards Program with a new look and feel, enabling customers to instantly redeem their points through its mobile application.
Neo account for kids
As part of the newly-introduced offerings in the Year of Change, Taqi announced the introduction of the “Neo” kids bank account, designed to encourage savings among children. He explained that Gulf Bank is preparing for significant changes in 2024, with some initiatives already underway, and others in the preparation phase, set to be revealed soon.
Mahdi Sulaiman: Promoting awareness on the significance of saving
Mahdi Sulaiman, Senior Manager of the Marketing Department at Gulf Bank, highlighted the bank’s ongoing initiatives to promote financial literacy by educating diverse segments of society about the importance of savings. He emphasized encouraging individuals to boost their savings through savings accounts, highlighting Gulf Bank’s notable involvement in supporting the Let’s Be Aware “Diraya” campaign. This campaign is overseen by the Central Bank of Kuwait in collaboration with the Kuwait Banking Association.
Nabil Shuail spotlights Gulf Bank’s digital advancements
In a distinctive appearance, the renowned Kuwaiti singer Nabil Shuail was featured in a promotional advertisement showcased during the Al-Danah Millionaire ceremony, emphasizing the noteworthy advancements observed in Gulf Bank’s digital services.
Eman Al-Najm and Ahmed Al-Matari host Al-Danah Millionaire event
The Al-Danah Millionaire event was hosted by the well-known presenter and actress, Eman Al-Najm, alongside Ahmed Al-Matari, Assistant Manager of Human Resources at Gulf Bank.
Collaborating with calligrapher Shaima Al-Azmi
As part of its commitment to supporting Kuwaiti youth talents and empowering women, Gulf Bank collaborated with calligrapher Shaima Al-Azmi. She inscribed the name of the grand prize winner on the oversized check and wrote the names of attendees who desired a commemorative copy.
Promoting sustainability principles
As a part of its dedication to promoting sustainability principles in society, Gulf Bank is committed to using recyclable bags made from materials utilized in outdoor advertising campaigns, for the Al-Danah Millionaire account.
Archival exhibition of Al-Danah millionaires
During the Al-Danah ceremony, Gulf Bank organized an archival exhibition showcasing previous Al-Danah millionaires, spanning from when the grand prize was KD 1 million to its current value of KD 2 million.
