Kuwait International Bank

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BBB RatingFinancial ServicesPremier Market Banking2025 AssessmentBBBB
www.kib.com.kwMSM v2.1· 154 Criteria
BBB
Mnakh Rating
60.0
/ 100
Environmental20%
5.25
53% achievement · 4 subcategories
▲+1.55 vs 2024
Contributes 10.5 / 20
Social30%
6.75
68% achievement · 5 subcategories
▲+0.65 vs 2024
Contributes 20.25 / 30
Governance50%
6.45
65% achievement · 5 subcategories
-0.15 vs 2024
Contributes 32.25 / 50
BBB · 60.0
CC
0–29.99
CCC
30–39.99
B
40–49.99
BB
50–59.99
BBB
60–69.99
A
70–79.99
AA
80–89.99
AAA
90–100
Sector Rank
#15 / 21
/ 21 · Financial Services
Overall Rank
#26
of 46 assessed
Strongest Pillar
S 6.75
Social · 68%
R&C Deduction
-3.00
Controversies applied
Sector Peers — Financial ServicesTop 5 of 21
1
National Bank of Kuwait
87.8
AA+
2
Kuwait Finance House
82.7
AA
3
Burgan Bank
82.3
AA
4
Boursa Kuwait
81.9
AA
5
Boubyan Bank
80.2
AA
Key Findings

Executive Summary

Kuwait International Bank demonstrates a maturing ESG profile in 2025, with notably stronger environmental disclosure driven by a full three-scope GHG inventory under the GHG Protocol, a 45% reduction in total emissions, and a quantified water reduction target. Social performance is solid, anchored by a zero-incident safety record, documented 1:1 gender pay parity, comprehensive training programs, and a quantified community investment portfolio aligned with SDGs and Kuwait Vision 2035. Governance is the strongest pillar, supported by an independent Chair, a comprehensive committee structure with ESG oversight, a robust ethics and anti-corruption program, and a meaningful sustainable finance platform anchored by an inaugural USD 300 million Sustainable Sukuk. Key gaps include the absence of external ESG assurance, no female board representation, an immature climate risk framework with no TCFD alignment, and disclosed AML-related regulatory fines of KD 75,000. Overall, KIB shows clear upward momentum, particularly in environmental and sustainable finance, while needing to strengthen assurance, climate strategy, and board diversity.

Year-over-Year Analysis

vs 2024

KIB's ESG trajectory in 2025 is clearly positive, led by a substantial strengthening of the Environmental pillar through full three-scope GHG reporting, a 45% emissions reduction, and a formal water target. The Social pillar advanced modestly with measured wellbeing improvements (OHI 67%→77%) and documented pay parity, while the Governance pillar built on its already strong base with an expanded sustainable finance platform and robust ethics controls. The most significant constraint relative to prior year remains the absence of external assurance, no female board representation, and disclosed AML-related fines. No material regressions were identified, though waste tracking completeness and a still-developing climate risk framework are areas to monitor. Overall, the company moved from a B rating toward consolidating mid-range performance with environmental gains driving the improvement.

Environmental

The Environmental pillar improved markedly from prior year as KIB moved from limited disclosure to full Scope 1/2/3 GHG inventory under the GHG Protocol, achieved a 45% emissions reduction and 24% electricity reduction, and formalized a 15% water reduction target by 2027 — driving meaningful uplift across E1, E2, and E4 despite a still-early-stage climate risk framework (E3).

Social

The Social pillar remained stable to slightly improved, with continued strong community investment (S1) and training programs (S4), measured wellbeing gains via the Organizational Health Index, and documented 1:1 gender pay parity (S3); persistent gaps include no female board diversity feeding into governance and limited formal impact measurement.

Governance

The Governance pillar held its strong position with continued board independence, comprehensive committees with ESG oversight, and a robust anti-corruption program; sustainable finance (G3) expanded notably via the USD 300 million Sustainable Sukuk, though disclosed AML-related fines (G2) and zero female board representation (G4) tempered the pillar.

Key Improvements
E1: Advanced to full three-scope GHG reporting with baseline year and 45% emissions reduction — KIB reported full Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions under the GHG Protocol with 2024 as baseline and intensity metrics, achieving a 45% reduction in total GHG emissions to 6,339.91 tCO2e.
E4: Formalized quantified water reduction target and emerging waste/e-waste programs — KIB set a 15% water reduction target by 2027, reduced plastic waste from 22.86 to 1.20 tonnes, began paper recycling tracking, and started e-waste management via licensed vendors.
G3: Launched inaugural USD 300 million Sustainable Sukuk and detailed ESG portfolio reporting — KIB completed an oversubscribed (7x) USD 300 million Sustainable Sukuk, holds USD 184 million ESG investments (8.43% of portfolio), and disclosed business-line ESG financing breakdowns.
S2: Measured wellbeing improvement with Organizational Health Index rising from 67% to 77% — KIB sustained a zero-incident safety record and documented OHI improvement across all nine areas with participation exceeding 80%.
Key Regressions
G2: Disclosed five significant non-compliance instances with KD 75,000 in fines including AML issues — KIB recorded five significant non-compliance instances in 2025, three resulting in CBK fines totaling KD 75,000, including two AML-related issues — a material concern for a financial institution despite transparent disclosure.
E4: Waste tracking remains incomplete with very low diversion rate — KIB states total waste weight is not fully tracked, and only 0.265 of 7.8 tons (~3%) was diverted from disposal, a data-quality and performance limitation to monitor.
Outlook

KIB is well-positioned to continue its upward ESG trajectory if it secures external ESG assurance, advances a TCFD-aligned climate risk framework, and expands sustainable finance integration across business lines. Closing board diversity gaps and eliminating regulatory compliance lapses would unlock further gains, particularly in governance.

Strengths

Comprehensive sustainable finance platform with an inaugural USD 300 million Sustainable Sukuk (oversubscribed 7x), USD 184 million ESG holdings, and detailed business-line ESG financing data (8.43% of total portfolio)
Strong governance foundation including an independent non-executive Chair, ~36% independent directors, a Governance Committee overseeing ESG, annual independent board evaluations, and a comprehensive anti-corruption program with 980 employees trained and zero confirmed corruption incidents
Improved environmental transparency with full Scope 1/2/3 GHG reporting under GHG Protocol, 45% emissions reduction, 24% electricity reduction, solar in four new branches, and a 15% water reduction target by 2027

Areas for Improvement

Obtain external/independent assurance of ESG data and develop TCFD-aligned climate risk disclosure with scenario analysis and physical/transition risk classification
Increase board gender diversity (currently zero female directors) and establish quantified diversity targets across the organization
Strengthen regulatory compliance to eliminate AML-related fines, formalize a Supplier Code of Conduct with contractual ESG clauses, and adopt a certified energy management system (e.g., ISO 50001) with renewable energy expansion
Performance Overview
Subcategory Radar
14subcategories · 0–10
E1E2E3E4S1S2S3S4S5G1G2G3G4G5
20252024
Pillar Contribution
of 60.00 total
60.0
Total
Environmental
10.5 / 20 · 17.5%
Social
20.25 / 30 · 33.8%
Governance
32.25 / 50 · 53.8%
Subcategory Treemap
Size = weight · Color = pillar
G17
Transparency & ESG · W:15
G25.5
Compliance with ESG · W:10
G37
Sustainable Finance & · W:10
G45.5
Board Diversity & · W:10
S17.5
Community Investment & · W:9
S36.5
Diversity, Inclusion & · W:9
E16
Carbon Emissions Reduction · W:8
E25
Energy Efficiency & · W:6
S26.5
Workplace Well-being & · W:6
G57.5
Ethics & Anti-Corruption · W:5
E34
Climate Change Adaptation · W:4
S47
Education & Sustainability · W:3
S55.5
Sustainable Supply Chain · W:3
E45.5
Water & Waste · W:2
Pillar Details
5.25
out of 10
Achievement53%
Contribution10.5 / 20
Weight20%
Subcategories4
E1
Carbon Emissions Reduction
6
▲+4.0 vs 2024
/10
Weight: 8
60% achievement
E2
Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
5
▲+1.0 vs 2024
/10
Weight: 6
50% achievement
E3
Climate Change Adaptation
4
-1.0 vs 2024
/10
Weight: 4
40% achievement
E4
Water & Waste Management
5.5
-0.5 vs 2024
/10
Weight: 2
55% achievement
Score Calculation
1
Pillar Scores
E: 5.25
S: 6.75
G: 6.45
Weighted averages (0\u201310)
2
Apply Weights
63.00
(5.25×2)+(6.75×3)+(6.45×5)
E:20% S:30% G:50%
3
R&C Deduction
3.00
Controversies applied
4
Final Score
60.00
Range: 60–69.99
Rating
BBB
Mnakh Index Rating
ESG Activities
Activity Summary
8 activities in 2026
Environmental
0
Social
7
Governance
1

Recent Activities

View all →
SS4S117 Aug 2026

KIB Trains Public Authority for Manpower Staff in Service Quality Skills

Kuwait International Bank (KIB) delivered a specialized training program for employees of the Public Authority for Manpower on 17 August 2026, covering service excellence practices, communication skills, visitor engagement, problem resolution, and digital service trends. The program was led by an internal KIB team through interactive workshops and forms part of a wider series of capacity-building initiatives KIB conducts with public- and private-sector entities. No participant count, training hours, or programme duration were disclosed.

Not disclosed Participants trainedNot disclosed Training hours
Public Authority for Manpower
SS127 Jul 2026

KIB Contributes to Kuwait Emergency Response Fund

Kuwait International Bank (KIB) announced a contribution of USD 3 million to the Kuwait Emergency Response Fund launched by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. The contribution is intended to support a rapid and flexible financing mechanism for national emergency response, continuity of essential services, and protection of critical infrastructure. No implementation dates, disbursement schedule, or beneficiary figures were disclosed in the announcement.

USD 3,000,000 Contribution value
Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, Kuwait Emergency Response Fund
SS4S19 Jun 2026

KIB Promotes Cyber Fraud Awareness on Kuwait TV

KIB participated in Kuwait TV's Qabel Al-Asr program on 9 June 2026, where its General Manager of Information Security, Privacy and Anti-Fraud Department delivered public guidance on electronic fraud risks including AI-based voice impersonation (deep fakes), phishing links, and unsafe cryptocurrency platforms. The appearance is part of KIB's sixth consecutive year of participation in the Central Bank of Kuwait's 'Let's Be Aware' campaign, run in cooperation with the Kuwait Banking Association, through which the bank publishes regular awareness content across its digital channels.

6 Consecutive years in CBK 'Let's Be Aware' campaignQabel Al-Asr, Kuwait TV TV programAI voice impersonation (deep fakes), WhatsApp fraud, phishing links, cryptocurrency platform risks, OTP misuse Fraud topics covered
Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK), Kuwait Banking Association (KBA)
SS36 Jun 2026

KIB Appoints Kuwaiti National as GM of Financial Control

KIB appointed Abdullah Al-Asousi, a Kuwaiti national, as General Manager of Financial Control and Planning. Al-Asousi joined KIB in 2015 and has progressively advanced through leadership roles within the same department, bringing over 20 years of experience in accounting, auditing, and financial advisory. The appointment reflects KIB's stated commitment to Kuwaitization and developing national talent into senior leadership positions.

20+ Years of experience (appointee)2015 Year joined KIB~10 Years at Ernst & Young prior to KIB
SS115 May 2026

KIB Supports Al Dasma Health City Blood Donation Campaign

Kuwait International Bank (KIB) sponsored and participated in a blood donation campaign held in May 2026, organized by Al Dasma Health City in cooperation with the Central Blood Bank and the Sayed Abdul Razzaq Al-Zalzalah Health Center. The campaign aimed to secure blood supplies for patients across Kuwait, with KIB employees and its Corporate Communications team donating blood as volunteers. The announcement was published in July 2026.

Al Dasma Health City, Central Blood Bank, Sayed Abdul Razzaq Al-Zalzalah Health Center
Methodology: MSM v2.1 · 154 CriteriaAssessment: 2025Weights: E:20% · S:30% · G:50%