Kuwait Finance House (KFH) announced its support for an initiative aimed at designing and developing the area between Baitak Tower and Souq Al Wataniya in Kuwait City. This ongoing support reflects KFH`s leading national and societal role, affirming its commitment to sustainability and environmental preservation.

This initiative, a collaboration between KFH, Kuwait Municipality, and the College of Architecture at Kuwait University, will develop and execute the winning projects in accordance with sustainability and ESG standards.

Assessment committee

As part of its commitment to empowering youth and supporting sustainability initiatives, KFH invited students from the College of Architecture to participate in this initiative to redesign and develop the Al Wataniya area. KFH established clear guidelines for participating projects in this competition, emphasizing the importance of integrating sustainable design solutions that contribute to environmental protection. A joint committee of experts from KFH, Kuwait Municipality, and faculty members from the College of Architecture is reviewing the submitted projects.

Site visits

Students and stakeholders involved in the project conducted several site visits to assess the space in detail. During multiple sessions and workshops, students presented their ideas, which were reviewed based on precise criteria and engineering principles aligned with sustainable quality of life and environment.

The best design

The committee selected three winning teams for the best design award. For their awarded projects, Sama Wael Al-Abduljader, Dalia Hamdan Al-Qashim, Dima Khaled Al-Rashdan, Hamad Moayyad Al-Dulaimi, Zahra Adel Hussain, Alanan Faisal Al-Sabah, and Jawa Hussain Al-Abdulmohsen received valuable cash prizes.

Honoring ceremony

The honoring ceremony was attended by KFH Executive Manager General Services, Ayman Altabtabaei, Kuwait Municipality Deputy Director General for Projects Sector Affairs, Eng. Maysa Boushehri, and the Dean of College of Architecture, Prof. Adel Al-Mumen along with several faculty members and officials. Prior to the event, an exhibition was held for the participating teams to showcase their projects.

Contribution to development initiatives

KFH Executive Manager General Services, Ayman Altabtabaei, stressed the significance of granting students and youth the opportunity to be part of the country’s development initiatives in line with the Bank’s sustainability and social responsibility strategy. He highlighted the KFH’s commitment to fostering their talents and enhancing their academic and practical capabilities as future investment.

Altabtabaei commended KFH’s collaboration with Kuwait Municipality and Kuwait University, represented by the College of Architecture. The collaboration underscores the importance of concerted efforts between the public and private sectors in advancing Kuwait at all levels. He pointed out that this initiative affirms KFH’s leadership in social and national responsibility and reflects its dedication to sustainability, greening and improving the quality of life.

Commending KFH’s contribution

In her statement, the Deputy Director General for Projects Sector Affairs at Kuwait Municipality, Eng. Maysa Boushehri, lauded the trilateral collaboration, adding that this collaborative project paves the way for more similar initiatives that contribute to serving Kuwait and the community.

She also thanked KFH for supporting this significant project, and the faculty members of the College of Architecture at Kuwait University for their role in the success of this initiative.

Supporting youth and students

Meanwhile, Prof. Adel Al-Mumen stated that these awards convey a message of confidence to Kuwaiti youth. Such initiatives also assure them that they are the drivers of development and that their efforts are valued and help advance Kuwait in various fields.

He praised the fruitful cooperation among Kuwait University and the private and government sectors, lauding the remarkable outcomes, unique projects and ideas presented by students. He expressed hope that these designs would soon be realized and that similar collaborations would continue in the future.

Strategic social initiatives

KFH continues to reinforce its CSR leadership by successfully launching impactful and strategic social initiatives. The Bank has commenced the implementation of the Al Mubarakiya Reconstruction Project. Additionally, KFH has pledged KD 15 million to fund the creation and equipping of a cardiac diseases and research center at Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital. The center, which is named the Kuwait Finance House Cardiac Diseases and Research Center, will be created according to highest quality standards in partnership with the Ministry of Health and all relevant stakeholders. KFH has also contributed to the construction of an addiction treatment hospital worth KD 4.5 million.

KFH also contributed KD 2 million to the Ministry of Social Affairs’ debt relief campaign, building on its previous contribution that exceeded KD 20 million to settle insolvent individuals’ debts in coordination with the Ministry of Justice.

KFH continues its exceptional efforts in the Keep It Green campaign, which serves as an umbrella for all other programs and projects focused on environmental protection and awareness, sustainability, and green initiatives. The Bank also implemented several initiatives in cooperation with the Scientific Center and saved over 1.5 million papers compared to last year as part of its digital transformation and environmental initiatives.

KFH cooperated with the Green Dream Team in the greening of chalets on Al Zour Road. It also provided societal and environmental support for Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Natural Reserve, aiming to safeguard its wildlife.

As part of its sustainability leadership, KFH participated in the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), held in Riyadh. The Bank also signed the first-of-its-kind Global Takaful Alliance agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).