Kuwait Finance House (KFH) Group has been crowned with 7 prestigious awards by the international magazine Global Finance as part of the 19th annual awards for the World's Best Islamic Financial Institutions for 2026, reaffirming the Group's leadership and unique standing in the global Islamic finance sector.

The awards are:

• World’s Best Islamic Bank
• World’s Best Islamic Corporate Bank
• World’s Best Islamic Bank for CSR
• World’s Best Islamic Project Finance Provider
• Best Islamic Bank in Kuwait
• Best Islamic Bank in Bahrain (KFH - Bahrain)
• Best Islamic Bank in Turkey (KFH - Turkey)

The awards reflect the success of a strategy anchored in AI-driven digital transformation, strengthening integration across the Group and maintaining a strong customer focus. They also drive KFH to achieve greater milestones and further strengthen its leading role in the global Islamic financial industry.

KFH Chief Treasury Officer - Kuwait Ahmad Eissa Alsumait, KFH Head of Group Public Relations and Media, Yousef Abdullah Al-Ruwaieh, Chief Executive Officer at KFH - Turkey Ufuk Uyan, and Deputy Group CEO – Treasury & Investments at KFH Bahrain, Bassam Aali received the awards during a ceremony held on the sidelines of the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group in Bangkok, Thailand.

The recognition reflects KFH’s continued efforts to advance sustainability, governance and digital innovation, while maintaining strong financial performance and balanced, sustainable growth across its various markets.

The World’s Best Islamic Bank 2026 award recognizes KFH’s leadership in Islamic banking and its excellence in providing innovative financial products and services that comply with Islamic Sharia principles. It also reflects the success of its strategy to achieve sustainable growth and its ability to adapt to changing economic conditions and operational challenges across its various markets, supporting its ambition to rank among the world’s top 100 banks.

The awards for Best Islamic Bank in Kuwait, Best Islamic Bank in Bahrain and Best Islamic Bank in Turkey highlight the strong performance and achievements of the Group’s subsidiaries in their respective markets, under a unified yet flexible strategy tailored to the characteristics of each market.

KFH holds a leading position as a global financial institution, operating through a network spanning 10 countries. It maintains strong financial strength and competitive performance, reflected in its highest-ever profits at the level of the banking sector and the Kuwaiti market, as well as its leading position among banks and private sector companies in Kuwait by market capitalization, which reached a record level exceeding KD 15 billion.

The World’s Best Islamic Corporate Bank award reflects growing global confidence in KFH’s capabilities and its excellence in developing long-term strategic partnerships with corporate clients and providing advanced financial solutions that support business expansion and strengthen competitiveness in local and international markets.

KFH continues to deliver strong performance in corporate banking, supported by strategic growth and an established leadership position, while continuing to innovate in Islamic finance solutions and lead several major financing transactions that have strengthened its role in supporting economic development.

The World’s Best Islamic Project Finance Provider award highlights KFH’s leading role in financing major projects and its significant contribution to the development of strategic sectors in Kuwait and across the region. The Bank is a key financing partner for the oil and gas sector, infrastructure, urban development, services and other vital sectors.

KFH provides comprehensive corporate banking services supported by digital transformation and flexible financing solutions that address the needs of various economic sectors and contribute to sustainable development. It also delivers enhanced banking experience to corporate customers through the eCorp electronic platform, which has recorded strong adoption, particularly following the launch of its upgraded electronic services and mobile application.

KFH also plays a strategic role in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), through initiatives launched with funding from the Bank.

KFH Head of Group Public Relations and Media, Yousef Abdullah Al-Ruwaieh, said the 2026 World’s Best Islamic Bank for CSR award reflects the success of KFH’s efforts in corporate social responsibility, highlights its strong presence and leadership in this area across the markets in which it operates, and embodies its vision of CSR as a strategic pillar of its business model. This approach reinforces KFH’s position as a leading financial institution that combines economic growth with sustainable community impact.

Al-Ruwaieh explained that winning the World’s Best Islamic Bank for CSR award reaffirms KFH’s leadership and excellence in integrating corporate social responsibility into its business model through impactful initiatives in community development, education and healthcare, youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, environmental protection, women’s empowerment, digital skills development among children and young people, and volunteer work. These efforts are complemented by the adoption of leading Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices and the implementation of awareness and community initiatives designed to deliver a sustainable impact aligned with development goals, further strengthening KFH’s role as a leading institution and role model in social responsibility.

Al-Ruwaieh emphasized that the recognition adds to KFH’s track record of achievements and reinforces its commitment to developing community initiatives and building purposeful partnerships that contribute to creating sustainable value for society.

Al-Ruwaieh explained that KFH continues to play a pioneering national role in supporting social infrastructure and enhancing community welfare and quality of life through strategic initiatives and significant investment in corporate social responsibility. These long-term commitments reflect an approach that extends well beyond the traditional concept of CSR. Key strategic social initiatives include:

• Supporting the Kuwait Emergency Response Fund with a financial contribution of $13 million, in addition to a further $6 million to repair damaged power stations.
• Contributing more than KD 61 million to settle various debts owed by insolvent debtors.
• Contributing nearly KD 8 million to reconstruct the damaged area of Souq Al-Mubarakiya.
• Contributing KD 20 million to establish 15 ambulance centers.
• Making the largest contribution to the government effort support fund during the COVID-19 crisis, amounting to KD 10 million.
• Supporting a sustainable environmental initiative to develop Al-Wataniya Square.
• Establishing and equipping the tenth ward at the Addiction Treatment Center, completing the Bank’s initiative to establish the center in 2005.
• Providing $20 million to the Kuwait Red Crescent Society to support relief efforts for earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria.
• Implementing various cooperation programs with the Kuwait Red Crescent Society, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
• Continuing its pioneering role in providing community contributions to the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), the Manpower Government Support Program, the Institute of Banking Studies and various other community initiatives that reinforce KFH’s leadership in social responsibility.

“As Islamic Finance continues its rapid growth, the leading organizations are focusing on digitalization, product innovation, and expanded commercial banking services,” said Joseph D. Giarraputo, founder and editorial director of Global Finance. “Global Finance’s annual World’s Best Islamic Financial Institutions awards honor the institutions that are improving efficiency, attracting new customers, and best serving their clients."

About Global Finance

Global Finance, founded in 1987, has a circulation of 50,000 readers in 185 countries, territories and districts. Global Finance’s audience includes senior corporate and financial officers responsible for making investment and strategic decisions at multinational companies and financial institutions. Its website — GFMag.com — offers analysis and articles that are the legacy of 39 years of experience in international financial markets.

Eligibility

Quantitative criteria included growth in assets, profitability, geographic reach, strategic relationships, new business development, and innovation in products. Among the subjective criteria considered were reputation, customer satisfaction, and the opinions of analysts and others involved in the industry.

All selections were made by the Global Finance editorial team after extensive consultations with bankers, corporate finance executives, and analysts worldwide. Entry submissions from Islamic Financial Institutions were also considered.