Kuwait Finance House (KFH) won the "Best Risk & Compliance Implementation Award for 2026" in the Middle East and Africa at the MEA Finance Banking Technology Awards. This recognition highlights the Compliance and Governance Department's outstanding commitment to adopting the industry`s best practices.

KFH secured this prestigious regional award following a comprehensive evaluation of financial institutions across the Middle East and Africa. The evaluation was based on precise criteria, including the institutions’ ability to mitigate regulatory compliance risks, drive innovation, execute strategic plans accurately, and contribute effectively to the development of financial services.

Head of Group Compliance and Governance at KFH, Meshal Alshayee, expressed pride in this achievement, stressing that the award recognizes the continuous efforts of the Compliance and Governance Department to enhance the Group's risk and compliance management framework while embedding leading governance practices.

Alshayee said: "This award reflects KFH’s success in building an integrated framework for risk and compliance management that aligns with the highest international standards, best practices, and regulatory guidelines. It boosts the confidence of our customers, shareholders, and stakeholders while supporting business sustainability and cementing the Group's position as a leading regional Islamic financial institution."

Meanwhile, Executive Manager Regulatory Compliance at KFH, Ahmad Alobaid said that KFH continues to invest in developing its compliance and governance framework. By implementing advanced frameworks to manage associated risks, adopting clear policies and procedures, strengthening control and monitoring mechanisms, and leveraging modern technical solutions, the Bank aims to drive the efficiency of the department's operations and achieve the highest levels of effectiveness.

Alobaid pointed out that KFH is keen to promote a culture of compliance and risk awareness across the Group, keeping pace with the accelerated technological and regulatory developments in the finance sector, and contributing to maintaining the highest levels of readiness and institutional excellence.

Award criteria

The Best Risk and Compliance Implementation award recognizes entities that demonstrate outstanding execution, innovation, and measurable impact across risk management, compliance, governance, and technology.

The awards programme is designed to recognise banks, fintechs and technology providers that have delivered meaningful innovation, strong execution and measurable contributions to the advancement of financial services across the MEA region.

The selection process evaluated all nominations using participating institutions' published reports and supporting file data. The MEA Finance editorial team initially reviewed and shortlisted entries, which an independent panel of senior banking, technology, and industry experts then evaluated to select the final winners.

About MEA Finance

MEA Finance is a leading financial media platform specializing in the financial and banking sectors across the Middle East and Africa. The publication covers the latest developments and trends in banking, financial services, fintech, digital payments, capital markets, and insurance. It also hosts a series of annual conferences and awards that celebrate excellence and innovation within the financial industry.