KUWAIT: At the recent Middle East and North Africa Human Resources Management Summit 2023, hosted in the Kingdom of Bahrain, under the patronage of the Minister of Labor of Bahrain, Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, Gulf Bank won two prestigious awards. The event featured the active participation of leading experts and professionals in the field of human resources, representing some of the region’s most prominent companies and financial institutions.

During the HR Awards ceremony honoring outstanding companies, Gulf Bank’s General Manager of the Human Resources Department, Salma Al-Hajjaj, was presented with the prestigious “Best Training and Development” and “Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion” awards.

The MENA HR Management Summit Awards is a significant yearly gathering, uniting professionals and experts from various countries to acknowledge and celebrate excellence in HR practices.

During this event, Salma Al-Hajjaj conveyed her joy at receiving two prestigious awards in the Middle East and North Africa region. The “Best Training and Development” award signifies Gulf Bank’s outstanding efforts in enhancing its employees’ skills, while winning the “Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” award underscores the bank’s achievement in promoting sustainability principles within the workplace. 

She further stated, “It fills us with pride that Gulf Bank stands among the foremost banks dedicated to substantial investments in human capital, aiming to enhance the capabilities of its workforce. Our employees serve as the central pillar in achieving our strategic objectives. We empower them by offering the latest expertise and skills essential to keep abreast of the significant banking advancements occurring both locally and globally.”

Al-Hajjaj emphasized the bank’s commitment to offering essential training and development opportunities for employees, aligning with environmental, social, and governance standards. These initiatives are tailored to meet market demands and align with the specific job responsibilities within the bank. She highlighted that in 2022, 72 percent of the bank’s employees participated in diverse training courses.

“As part of Gulf Bank’s sustainability strategy, our commitment lies in fostering a workplace that champions gender equality and ensures equal opportunities for every employee. We achieve this goal through training, mentoring, and leadership discovery programs, all designed to empower our workforce and propel their career growth,” Al-Hajjaj stated.

She went on to emphasize that Gulf Bank is dedicated to upholding the principles of sustainability by ensuring unwavering commitment to gender equality. This commitment is evident in the equal job benefits provided to both male and female employees. She highlighted that Gulf Bank holds the distinction of being the first bank in Kuwait to implement equal job benefits for women and men.

Gulf Bank’s vision is to be the leading Kuwaiti Bank of the Future. The Bank is constantly engaging and empowering its employees as part of an inclusive and diversified workplace in recognition of every employee’s role in delivering customer excellence and serving the community at large. With its extensive network of branches and innovative digital services, Gulf Bank is able to give its customers the choice of how and where to conduct their banking transactions, all while ensuring a simple and seamless banking experience.

Gulf Bank is committed to maintaining robust developments in sustainability at environmental, social and governance levels through diverse sustainability initiatives, strategically selected to benefit the Bank both internally and externally. Gulf Bank supports Kuwait Vision 2035 “New Kuwait” and works with various parties to achieve it.